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Summary: A Spine-Tingling, Great Book
Review: Add water to a box of five-inch-tall frozen monsters and--as Anthony and Sarah, the sibling protagonists of Bruce Coville's *The Monsters of Morley Manor* discover--surprising things can happen. *Monsters* is full of the creepily appealing: the aforementioned reanimated creatures--including a vampire, a modern-day Medusa, and their lizard-headed brother, Gaspar--the monsters' haunted mansion of a home (complete with laboratory), disembodied grandparents, ill-intentioned, scaly aliens, malicious monkeys, interplanetary travel, magic, and, naturally, a plot to take over the world. The result is a captivating and well-written book, happily lacking the bland prose that one often finds in novels written for this age group: "'I can have a midlife crisis or a midlife monkey,' she [the protagonists' mother] announced on her fortieth birthday. 'I've decided to go for the monkey.'" (Gaspar's speech, often unusually formal--he is older than he looks--is particularly charming: "I must get to a lawyer immediately. They may be a vile species and the curse of humanity, but they're our only hope for the moment.") The Monsters of Morley Manor is a good book to read aloud, and its plot is intricate enough and the story serious enough in parts that it may prompt interesting discussions. Parents and children will both enjoy it.
Debra Hamel -- book-blog reviews
Author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece
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Summary: Exciting Adventure for Middle Readers
Review: Anthony and his younger sister, Sarah, have always dreamed of seeing what Morley Manor holds within it's walls. Of course, everyone in the small town of Owl's Roost, Nebraska, has the same idea. So when Old Man Morley dies, and Morley Manor is bought by a demolition team, everyone in Owl's Roost attends the sale, seeing as everything held under the roof of Morley Manor must go. Anthony has no intention of purchasing anything at the sale, but when Sarah shows him a strange looking box, that she convinces him would be absolutely perfect to hold his trading cards, he realizes that he's never wanted anything so much, and decides to buy it. Once home he breaks open the lock, and finds that the box houses five little monsters. However, Anthony soon finds out that placing any of the five monsters (Ludmilla, Albert, Gaspar, Melisande, and Bob) in water, brings them to life. And bringing them to life, will bring the monsters, Anthony, and Sarah, on all sorts of wild adventures to save the Earth as we know it.Bruce Coville has created a novel for middle readers (ages 9-12), that will hold their interest, and keep them begging for more, even after their done reading it. The characters of THE MONSTERS OF MORLEY MANOR are exciting, and all have their own quirky personalities, that readers will relish in. Fans of Madeleine L'Engle's TIME QUARTET will find that the adventures that Anthony and Sarah take part in with the monsters, are much like the adventures that Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace experience in each of the books in L'Engle's TIME QUARTET. A must-have book for all fans of mystery, paranormal phenomena, and science fiction. You won't be disappointed with THE MONSTERS OF MORLEY MANOR. Erika Sorocco
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Summary: The Monster of Morley Manor
Review: 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.
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Summary: one of Bruce Coville's best
Review: 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.
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Summary: Monters of Morley Manor: MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: 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!
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Summary: Another Sci-Fi Monser Masterpiece
Review: This month is the month of funny dark kids' fantasy, with both "Pure Dead Magic" and "Monsters of Morley Manor" coming out and eliciting chuckles of dark mirth. The cliche are twisted into originality. Anthony and his little sister purchase five figurines at a garage sale--little do they know what will happen when the figurines get wet. (Add water for instant life!) The figurines not only come to life, but to life-size, and the seven are promptly dragged into a truly madcap adventure worthy of the title. It appears that the barbarian horde of the planet Flinduvia has sinister plans in mind for Earth. In a highly original dastardly plot, they plan to strip all the dead ghosts from Earth, reanimating dead warriors who will then proceed to take over the entire galaxy (of course *wink*). Anthony, Sarah and the five ex-figurines must been the Flinduvians at bay until the Coalition of Civilized Worlds can show up. "Monsters of Morley Manor" gives the impression that focuswise, this book is similar to "Pure Dead Magic." Such is not the case; this one is far broader in scope, given the weird mix of SF/F/H. We have galactice alliances and invaders from another world for scifi; we have wizards, vampires, werewolves and others for fantasy; we have reanimation of the dead and lawyers for horror. However there is a sufficient amount of that kind of humor to satisfy those who liked "Pure Dead Magic," including a creepy mansion; and the kind of weird originality that Coville fans crave is quite present. (I personally think Coville is improving his writing with every book) His writing style is brisk and a bit underdescriptive in places, though admittedly he can't get too darn descriptive, given the wide range of the plot and cast. For those of you who grinned at "Pure Dead Magic", grinned at the other (non-Unicorn) Coville books, and laughed yourself silly at the overwrought "Shattered Mirror," this book is a nice read.
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