Oddest of All

Master storyteller Bruce Coville continues to wow readers with his quirky tales in this anthology of nine stories that are magical, frightening, hilarious and touching. ODDEST OF ALL opens with the thought-provoking "In Our Own Hands," in which Earth is given a mind-boggling choice. It all begins in a time set in the future when Johnny, home from college, is getting ready to dig into his breakfast cereal in front of the television. Suddenly he notices that the newscaster has been replaced by a female with blue scales, green hair and huge eyes. Although Johnny and his mother believe at first that someone is playing a joke when she greets the "people of Earth," they soon realize it's no prank. Of course they are terrified, especially after the aliens demonstrate their power. But they soon discover that Earth's inhabitants are being given an opportunity to decide the planet's future. The story's ending will make readers ponder for a very long time. Most of the collection's tales are fantasy, but "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" is a realistic "horror" story that any teen can relate to. Murphy Murphy is not exactly rolling in good luck (there's that name, just to start with). Will his life get rosier now that his crush, Tiffany, seems to be noticing him, too? How much is Murphy crazy about Tiffany? After she asks if she can speak to him, he is tempted to say, "Your words would be like nectar flowing into the hungry mouths of my ears..." Thus, when Tiffany asks him to take part in her drama club skit, Murphy readily agrees, ignoring for the moment that he suffers from literally paralyzing stage fright, in a setup for hilarious tragedy. While "The Ghost Let Go" begins as a typical campfire ghost tale, it takes some unexpected turns with satisfying results (Coville fans will likely recognize the intriguing main characters Nine Tanleven and her buddy, Chris Gurley, from three of his novels). "In the Frog King's Court" deals whimsically with the main character's heritage while touching on environmental issues. We find out why Margaret hates water in the mysterious and evocative "The Thing in Auntie Alma's Pond." Although it's hard to pinpoint a favorite in a collection this entrancing, this is one tale that is sure to haunt readers while giving them a major case of goosebumps. Geoffroi goes to the ends of the earth for the strangest and most perfect present in "The Hardest, Kindest Gift," and the long-ago mystery of a boy's disappearance is solved in "The Mask of Eamonn Tiyado" (this story is truly creepy and another of my personal favorites). Even in the afterlife, a dead boy manages to continue his lifelong bad habits as we discover in the sizzling "Herbert Hutchison in the Underworld." The collection ends on the perfect note with the high fantasy "The Boy with Silver Eyes," filled with unicorns, talking trees, goblins and mermaids --- as well as a harp-strumming hero. I sometimes forget how satisfying a book of truly great short stories can

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 the reader can relate to and set in worlds you really want to explore. Some of the stories in this volume seemed like typical horror/ghost tales; "The Ghost Let Go" and "The Mask of Eammon Tiyado" both fit into this category. "The Thing in Auntie Alma's Pond" was a nice change from this typicality that addressed some of the same issues as the other tales from a different viewpoint. One of my favorite stories in the book, "In Our Own Hands," focuses on a future in which aliens come to Earth, not to take it over and destroy it, but to take it over so that they can improve it for humans, since we have not been doing our part to take care of this world. However, these aliens do appear to be benevolent in their intentions; they announce that everyone on Earth will have the opportunity to cast a vote and decide the course of action that their planet will take. This story deftly addresses important issues of ecology and human initiative while placing the focus not on the environmental message but in the head of an average college-age boy named Johnny who struggles over his own decision about how to cast his vote. Other notable tales, in my opinion, were "The Hardest, Kindest Gift" and "Herbert Hutchinson in the Underworld"--the former sprawling and poignant, the latter short and sparkling with satire. I would recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed Coville before; there's something in it for fans of all of his different series, though the focus is primarily upon stories of the fantastic or the paranormal. Reviewed by: Candace Cunard

Ages 12 and up will relish this fine gathering of nine magical stories by Bruce Coville, who uses the strange and supernatural in a series of astonishing secrets and oddities. Three have never been published before: the result is a fine gathering of chillers that will prove hard to put down - and perfect for middle school leisure readers.