Always October
Gr 4-7-Sixth-grader Jacob Doolittle and his best friend, Lily, are torn between fascination and terror in this comedic horror tale. When Jacob discovers a baby on his doorstep, his mother decides to keep it-even when the newborn sprouts pointy ears, bushy fur, and fangs. Adjusting to the new life of monster-sitting, Jacob and Lily next discover a secret room in the attic that holds the clues to the earlier disappearance of Jacob's father and grandfather. The boy's grandfather, Arthur Doolittle, once wrote a book called A World of Midnight in which he first described the monster world known as "Always October." One night when a magical portal appears in Jacob's room, he and his baby monster, Little Dumpling, must flee from the evil monster Mazrak and his herd of Unravelers. Entering the world of Always October, Jacob and his friends encounter a giant spider called Octavia, the Tunnel of Tears, Forest of the Lost, Black Bridge of Doom, and the Library of Nightmares, while protecting LD. Upon his shoulders rests the fate of Always October and Humana. The story alternates between Jacob's and Lily's points of view. With the right combination of horror and humor, this book will hold readers in its grip and have them asking for more. Fans of Coville's "Magic Shop" series (Harcourt) will find this new story cooler than a goblin's heinie!-Krista Welz, The North Bergen Public Library, NJα(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.