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367th out of 386 books
—
58 voters
Always October
No doubt about it, little brothers can be monsters. When sixth grader Jake Doolittle finds a baby on the doorstep and his mother decides to keep it, those words are more than just an expression. Instead, they perfectly describe the way his new little brother, LD, sprouts pointy ears, thick fur, and fangs in moonlight.
Not only is LD a monster. . . . other monsters have plan...more
Not only is LD a monster. . . . other monsters have plan...more
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published
August 28th 2012
by HarperCollins
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Always October. The name alone reminds me of Ray Bradbury’s October Country or Roger Zelazny’s A Night in the Lonesome October.
Lily Carker, whose grandfather Abraham (or “Gnarly”) runs the cemetery, and Jacob Doolitle who comes from a wealthy family, but also from a long line of absentee fathers become unlikely friends when they discover a mutual interest in scary stories. They actually meet to read them in a tomb in the cemetery. Since Jake’s dad left, he’s developed a little bit of OCD (Obsess...more
Lily Carker, whose grandfather Abraham (or “Gnarly”) runs the cemetery, and Jacob Doolitle who comes from a wealthy family, but also from a long line of absentee fathers become unlikely friends when they discover a mutual interest in scary stories. They actually meet to read them in a tomb in the cemetery. Since Jake’s dad left, he’s developed a little bit of OCD (Obsess...more
Jake Doolittle is in the 6th grade, he lives with his mom. His dad left them a few years earlier, just like HIS dad had left when he was a kid. Jake's best friend Lily is the granddaughter of the town cemetery caretaker and their favorite hideout and "library" is one of the mausoleums on the cemetery grounds. One day, as they are hanging out in their "library" they hear some weird noises coming from behind it, but when they work up the courage to check, there's nothing there. That's when they no...more
“Weird Lily” is a sixth grader. She enjoys hanging out in the cemetery (for which her grandfather is the caretaker) with her friend Jake. Lily and Jake have had a bit of a strange relationship. When they were in second grade, Lily professed to the class that she was going to marry Jake. Jake avoided her like the plague after that, but recently they’ve become good friends. When Jake’s dad up and leaves his family (much like his grandfather did when Jake’s father was about the age Jake is now), th...more
Sixth grader Jake Doolittle and his best friend Lily Carker alternate telling the story of a grand adventure they had. When a baby is left on Jake's doorstep, his mother is quick to take the baby in. Jake is just as charmed as she is by the little one, but on a moonlit night, the baby sprouts fangs and fur and resembles a monster more than a cuddly baby. The baby, affectionately known as Little Dumpling, is at the center of a battle between several monsters in a land called Always October, a pla...more
This book is adorable and completely charming. We meet Jake who has a family full of mysteries. The men in his family seem to disappear and his “adopted” brother LD has recently turned into a monster, complete with fuzzy green hair and fangs. When Jake and his friend Lily accidentally step into a parallel universe called Always October, the story becomes really interesting. Jake works on discovering the secrets of his family while he and Lily try to keep LD safe from both worlds. Lots of humor,...more
Jacob Doolittle and Lily Carker make a great pair of investigators. They are about ten years old and become friends because of their love of horror movies and monster stories. In fact, Lily's favorite author happens to be Jacob's grandfather, Arthur Doolittle. Strange disappearnces have been happening to the Doolittle men and Jacob and Lily go about finding out what happened. Another strange thing that happened to Jacob and his mom is that a baby is left on their steps with a note from its mom...more
Bruce Coville's stunning 100th book will disappear from your bookshelf as young readers scramble to get in line to read it. Don't be surprised if the library's copies are always in circulation. Don't be surprised if the adventures of Lily and Jacob create in your children and in your students an intense interest in reading.
Lily and Jacob write a journal about strange happenings in the human world and in the monster world, with their entries in alternating chapters. Their individual personaliti...more
Lily and Jacob write a journal about strange happenings in the human world and in the monster world, with their entries in alternating chapters. Their individual personaliti...more
Great book for young folks & young of heart. Story moves and conveys a message to take care of family & friends no matter how strange. This is aimed at Halloween reading but can be enjoyed all year. Will definitely be reading more from this author.
I generally don’t like ghost/horror stories, but this one defied the usual formulaic nature of Goosebump-ish books and is rich in meaning without ever getting weighed down. Jake and Lily’s journey to Always October feels both creepy and quest-like (and oddly enough reminded me a bit of The Spindlers). Coville opens the door to a possible sequel, which, I was surprised to find, I’d love to read. At 365 pages, this is “hefty” without being heavy and will be an excellent choice for the many kids wh...more
It was a great book, but now I need a sequel!
The story gets to the heart of what I love about fantasy, with the focus on tikkun olam, healing the world. I also appreciate that, unlike many kids' fantasy novels, there are intelligent, competent adults. The children still have to face some challenges on their own, but it isn't because the adults in their lives are completely absent. The relationships between characters are complex, and the novel explores different responses to losing people you ca...more
The story gets to the heart of what I love about fantasy, with the focus on tikkun olam, healing the world. I also appreciate that, unlike many kids' fantasy novels, there are intelligent, competent adults. The children still have to face some challenges on their own, but it isn't because the adults in their lives are completely absent. The relationships between characters are complex, and the novel explores different responses to losing people you ca...more
Lily and Jake have been best friends since Jake's father disappeared and he became a little different. Lily understands weird. She lives in a cemetery with her cantankerous grandfather and loves all things dark and creepy. She and Jake have a clubhouse in a mausoleum.
One night a baby appears on Jake's doorstep with a pleading note from the mother, asking them to take care of the little guy. He is named Little Dumpling, or LD for short. Jake is babysitting on the night of the full moon and is qu...more
One night a baby appears on Jake's doorstep with a pleading note from the mother, asking them to take care of the little guy. He is named Little Dumpling, or LD for short. Jake is babysitting on the night of the full moon and is qu...more
This story is about a boy and a girl who get an unexpected delivery at their door step. This little being would be last one you would want to be responsible for! I loved this book and I would take it everywhere I went. I did get a bit spooked in some parts because I usually read it at night. For anybody who is a horror or monster lover, I guarantee you will love this book!
My Review: When Jake decided to check on his new little brother that was left on their doorstep, he was shocked to see that the pajamas that LD was wearing when he went to sleep now laid a creature with bright green fur, pointed ears and a huge mouth full of glistening fangs
But Jake didn’t care that his new boy just turned into a monster. Jake and his friend Lily have to do all they can to keep LD safe from other monsters. Great book, if you love adventure you will like Always October. The endin...more
But Jake didn’t care that his new boy just turned into a monster. Jake and his friend Lily have to do all they can to keep LD safe from other monsters. Great book, if you love adventure you will like Always October. The endin...more
I don't normally read monsters books, but this one was awesome! Plenty of adventure, fantasy, fun, comic relief and amazing plot twists! An amazing tale, that there had better be a sequel to!
Perfect for Halloween. Actually any time these characters will make for a fun read. Place descriptions well constructed so you feel yourself immersed in plot places. Enough mystery to retain interest.
Very cute! I always enjoy Bruce Coville's books, and like almost all of them, this was funny and spooky and weird. Very enjoyable, I'd definitely recommend it for the MG crowd.
Fun kids/YA book, a bit of adventure, monsters and a sense of humor. Reminded me a bit of Adams Family stuff, but really like dit
This monster/fantasy story was great. I enjoyed the writing, the plot, and the secrets behind missing family members.
Action packed fantasy with not a lot of character development. I think many kids will love this book.
Fun and fast paced, standard Coville. A great step up from the formula of R.L. Stein.
I received an uncorrected proof through first-reads. My almost eight-year-old son and I read this together and it took longer than the month of October to finish it. We found it quirky, funny, spooky, and action-packed. We also enjoyed trying to figure out what happened to Jacob's father and grandfather. Although it kept our interest, I think at 384 pages,it was much longer than most books for kids under twelve. This was our first Bruce Coville book, and he's written over 100. We may check out J...more
Bruce Coville's stories are fun to read.
Adventure and magic, can't beat them!
Another great Bruce Coville book filled with mystery, fear, strange disappearances and monsters.
This is my first Bruce Coville book and I can see why Always October is the author's 100th book.
Finally finished and what a fun read it was. Coville's story about a Jacob and his little brother, who happens to be a monster, is a fun and unique read. After reading this, I plan on reading more Bruce Coville stories.
I highly recommend this book.
Finally finished and what a fun read it was. Coville's story about a Jacob and his little brother, who happens to be a monster, is a fun and unique read. After reading this, I plan on reading more Bruce Coville stories.
I highly recommend this book.
SM
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I won this book as an ARC from GoodReads. Children to young adults are going to love this book. The characters are very fun and the story is well played. Everyone, including myself, will be looking to see if a sequel appears! Thanks for the fun read!
Won in a Goodreads Giveaway and so glad I did. Great story, characters, and setting. Loved it and hope my 10 year old will read it this month as well.
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