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Oddest of All (Bruce Coville's Short Stories #3)
Fans of Bruce Coville’s wonderfully weird storytelling will be thrilled to know that the expert of odd is back with a new collection ofnine curious and thought-provokingtales. From stories about a girl wholearnsthe horrifying secrets about what’s really at the bottom of a murky, desolate pond, a strange chemical factory causing mutations in frogs, and aHalloween mask that
...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
September 1st 2008
by Harcourt Children's Books
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Oddest of All is a collection of short stories. The stories are all very engaging and imaginative! Four of the stories I would consider "dark." I was not uncomfortable with the subject matter but I would recommend this book to mature readers only. It's not just the subject matter but a few of the stories are written with more complex story lines. This book is rec for readers ages 12 and up.
Stories:
1. aliens
2. teenage embarrassment
3. crying ghosts
4. water pollution
5. young girl drowns
6. boy finds...more
Stories:
1. aliens
2. teenage embarrassment
3. crying ghosts
4. water pollution
5. young girl drowns
6. boy finds...more
I've said it before and I'll say it again...Bruce Coville is one of the finest writers writing sci-fi, fantasy, YA, mystery, horror, humor today!
If you think you know Coville's work based on some of his humorous kids' books ("My Teacher Was an Alien" and the like), then you don't really know Coville.
This collection, the third of his "Odd" collection of short stories easily stands alongside my other favorite sci-fi authors: Harlan Ellison, John Varley, Kim Stanley Robinson, Roger Zelazny. And I d...more
If you think you know Coville's work based on some of his humorous kids' books ("My Teacher Was an Alien" and the like), then you don't really know Coville.
This collection, the third of his "Odd" collection of short stories easily stands alongside my other favorite sci-fi authors: Harlan Ellison, John Varley, Kim Stanley Robinson, Roger Zelazny. And I d...more
Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com
This collection of short stories by Bruce Coville has something for any kid who's ever enjoyed fantasy, science fiction, or ghost stories. The tales range in length and genre, as well as in level of seriousness. Some address very serious topics, like the fate of Earth as we know it, while others are more humorous, such as one story that deals specifically with the vagaries of being thirteen. All of the stories are compelling tales told about people...more
This collection of short stories by Bruce Coville has something for any kid who's ever enjoyed fantasy, science fiction, or ghost stories. The tales range in length and genre, as well as in level of seriousness. Some address very serious topics, like the fate of Earth as we know it, while others are more humorous, such as one story that deals specifically with the vagaries of being thirteen. All of the stories are compelling tales told about people...more
Hit and miss collection of fantasy short stories. Nothing exceptional, although I really liked "The Boy With Silver Eyes," a fairy tale flavored story of a boy's search for the world of unicorns. I did find "Herbert Hutchison in the Underworld" to be totally misplaced among all of the other tween-oriented stories in the collection, especially with the references to drunk driving and drugs. Fans of Coville may enjoy this, but I don't think I will create new fans on its own.
Short stories--one of which, a ghost story, has made me cry every time I read it. Seems like a lot of people didn't like the going to hell story...but it's a funny counterpoint to one of his most numinous stories from his first collection, The Box.
I adore Bruce Coville, and this collection of short stories just reminded me of why. Some of the stories were new to me, some took place in familiar worlds, and some I had read previously, but this collection was fabulous.
An eclectic mix of short stories aimed at the teen/tween crowd. I enjoyed some more than others but greatly appreciated Bruce Coville's sense of wonder, humor, mystery and suspense.
In Our Own Hands--similar to The Lady & the Tiger
What's the Worst That Could Happen?--being a teenager is hard...
The Ghost Let Go--another good story about forgiveness
In the Frog King's Court--never mind werewolves, go for frogs!
The Thing in Auntie Alma's Pond--sad & bittersweet
The Hardest, Kindest Gift--I liked the ending to this better than that of the original legend.
The Mask of Eamonn Tiyado--spooky, but I enjoyed the pun in the title
Herbert Hutchison in the Underworld--last chance,...more
What's the Worst That Could Happen?--being a teenager is hard...
The Ghost Let Go--another good story about forgiveness
In the Frog King's Court--never mind werewolves, go for frogs!
The Thing in Auntie Alma's Pond--sad & bittersweet
The Hardest, Kindest Gift--I liked the ending to this better than that of the original legend.
The Mask of Eamonn Tiyado--spooky, but I enjoyed the pun in the title
Herbert Hutchison in the Underworld--last chance,...more
Loved the first story, lost me in the middle but the last 3 stories were great.
What's the Worst That Could Happen? was completely out of place despite it being entertaining
The Ghost Let Go, In the Frog King's Court, and The Thing in Auntie Alma's Pond- were nothing special
The Mask of Eamonn Tiyado and Herbert Hutchison in the Underworld - were the gems of this collection!
What's the Worst That Could Happen? was completely out of place despite it being entertaining
The Ghost Let Go, In the Frog King's Court, and The Thing in Auntie Alma's Pond- were nothing special
The Mask of Eamonn Tiyado and Herbert Hutchison in the Underworld - were the gems of this collection!
Fun set of stories. A few ghosts, some aliens, a bit of fantasy, and even a realistic story. Fun and easy read.
A series of odd yet attention grabbing stories that will keep you reading until the end.
This book was a fun, fast read. Lots of great, Odd, short stories!
Um, no kidding. "Oddest of All", I thought, was a creepy, unnatural, truly strange book. I didn't like it at ALL. I would not recommend it...unless you want creepy thoughts floating around in your mind.
This is 9 short, odd stories. I really enjoyed it.
Not as excellent as Coville's previous two short story collections. My favorite is still "The Thing in Auntie Alma's Pond" - I remember reading it when I was in fourth grade in one of the "Bruce Coville's Book of ---" books, and it still makes an impression on me. Something I noticed is how the characters are aware of fantasy story conventions, a well-reasoned nod to this book's demographic. There are certain rules on how to act when caught in a fairy tale.
Nine short stories of varied genres lean heavily toward the fantastical and strange. Stories range from scary to funny, creepy to silly, so if readers don’t like one story they can just try another. There is realistic fiction in here, but I would recommend this collection to kids who want aliens, ghosts, and mystical beasts.
This is a really enjoyable collection of stories from a guy I used to read religiously as a kid. Though I thought "Herbert Hutchison in the Underworld" felt out of place and a little too mature compared to the other stories, I enjoyed each story. My favorite was absolutely "The Boy with Silver Eyes" and I was proud of myself for catching the pun in "The Mask of Eamonn Tiyado" right away - it's my favorite Poe story.
May 18, 2013
Jimmy
marked it as to-read
Apr 29, 2013
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