The Monsters of Morley Manor: A Madcap Adventure [Hardcover]

Bruce Coville (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

What do you get when you mix together--
werewolves, vampires, mad scientists, wizards, aliens, alternate dimensions, tiny people, Transylvania, ancient curses, giant frogs, evil clones, ghosts, lawyers, shape-changers, fallen angels, journeys through hell, zombie warriors, body snatchers, and two clever kids in whose hands rests the fate of Earth?
--The latest madcap adventure-comedy-fantasy-mystery from bestselling novelist Bruce Coville, that’s what.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Let's face it: Coville is alien-oriented. In this tale, kids save the planet by employing friendly miniature monsters found in a creepy old house and de-spelled from their 50-year slumber and enlarged with water to help defeat (or at least keep at bay for now) unfriendly ones. Formerly serialized in five Coville-edited anthologies, this "extensively revised and expanded" version has been cobbled into an ostensibly coherent novel that has a write-as-you-go feel to it. It requires the patience-and flexibility-of loyal grade-school readers who must make discombobulating jumps from gothic (haunted house, ghosts) to magic/fantasy/sci-fi (spells, teleportation, stinky aliens) to metaphysical/religious (the pseudo-Stygian "Land of the Dead," soul-sucking guns) and even to timeless romance. Into this unique stylistic conflation Coville also inserts some puns, a frog-hypnotizing trick, and a few philosophical ruminations (such as, "The world is too vast and strange for any of us to understand all of it" or "What is a human?"). Readers will likely hear more from 12-year-old narrator Anthony, his sister, Sarah, and their feisty grandmother; the ex-enchanted Morleskievich family; wizard Wentar; and probably a few aliens, all revealed through the convoluted, unquestionably weird, but nevertheless highly addictive pen of this facile storyteller.

John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TX

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. The subtitle hits the nail on the head, as sixth-grader Anthony and his little sister Sarah find a box of small brass figurines at the estate sale of Morley Manor. When the figures get wet, they come alive as the Morleskievich family that includes a werehuman, a vampire, and a gorgeous snaky-haired siren. The Morleys, as they are now named, have a history that includes science, magic, time travel, and Transylvania; Anthony and Sarah find the fate of the civilized galaxy resting in their hands once the Morleys are restored to their full size. Ghosts, evil twins, aliens, an angel straight out of Dante, and a star-crossed love story are only a few of the elements in this cheerful mix of plot twists. And the final message? The power of a loving family. Not bad, that, and doused with a hefty supply of chuckles and shivers. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152163824
• ISBN-13: 978-0152163822
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,679,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bruce Coville was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1950. His family lived in farm territory, about twenty miles north of Syracuse. Bruce grew up around the corner from his grandparents' dairy farm, where he spent a great deal of time as a child, dodging cows and chores to the best of his ability. As a young reader he loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Dolittle, and still has fond memories of rising ahead of the rest of his family so he could huddle in a chair and read THE VOYAGES OF DR. DOLITTLE. He also read lots of things that people consider junk (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and zillions of comic books). His only real regret is the time he spent watching television, when he could have been reading instead. (A mind is a terrible thing to waste!)

His first book, THE FOOLISH GIANT, was published in 1978. It was illustrated by his wife, Katherine, whom he had married in 1969. This was followed in 1979 by SARAH'S UNICORN, also illustrated by Katherine. After a long period of working separately, the Covilles began collaborating again with SPACE BRAT and GOBLINS IN THE CASTLE, both published in 1992.

Before getting published Bruce earned his living as a toymaker, a gravedigger, a cookware salesman, an assembly line worker, and finally as an elementary school teacher (second and fourth grades). He left teaching in 1981 to devote himself to becoming a full time writer - though it took another five years to achieve that goal!)

Bruce has published nearly 100 books, which have appeared in over a dozen countries around the world and sold more than sixteen million copies. Among his most popular titles are MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN, INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, and THE MONSTER'S RING. In 2001 he founded Full Cast Audio, an audiobook company dedicated to creating unabridged, full cast recordings of the best in children's and young adult literature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of Bruce Coville's best, June 15, 2004

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Monsters of Morley Manor: A Madcap Adventure (Paperback)

Ok, Get this. There is this boy named Anthony. He and his sister Sarah go to an estate sale. While they are there a creepy man show his Sarah a box. Sarah thinks Anthony will enjoy the box so they purchase it. When they get the box home they find out they are about to go on the wildest adventure of their life. Inside the box are The Monster of Morley Manor. Join Sarah and Anthony as they find out more about these creatures.

This is one of the best Bruce Coville Books I've read yet. Children who enjoy adventure stories will like all books by this author.

We recommend this book. It is full of adventure and mystery.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Monters of Morley Manor: MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!, April 25, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Monsters of Morley Manor: A Madcap Adventure (Hardcover)

This book is awesome! I liked it because it was filled with mystery and it's hook was really awesome -- it grabbed me right off. I think anyone over 9 who likes Wrinkle in Time (Madeline L'Engle), So you Want to Be A Wizard (Diane Duane), or other books like that will definitely like this book. This book will keep you wanting more; you'll be sorry when it's done. I hope there's a sequel!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It changed the way I read, February 7, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Monsters of Morley Manor: A Madcap Adventure (Paperback)

It was soooo good!
First of all, the places they go to were described so well, I imagined I was actually there. The cast seemed so real, I wanted to meet them. I recomeend this book to EVERYONE!