The Monsters of Morley Manor

by Bruce Coville

Paperback, 2003

Status

Available

Local notes

PB Cov

Barcode

1268

Genres

Publication

HMH Books for Young Readers (2003), Edition: First, 240 pages

Description

Anthony and his younger sister discover that the monster figures he got in an unusual box at an estate sale are alive, but they have no way of knowing that the "monsters" will lead them on fantastical adventures to other worlds in an effort to try to save Earth.

Awards

Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2006)
Great Stone Face Book Award (Nominee — 2004)
Sasquatch Book Award (Nominee — 2004)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2005)

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

240 p.; 5 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member FFortuna
The Monsters of Morley Manor is a little bit outside Coville's usual material. It starts off ghosty-horror when five monsters are brought to life, then progresses through fantasy, complete with magic rock and wizard guys, to sci-fi with world-hopping and aliens, then back to ghosty-horror. Needless
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to say, it's awesome.

The protagonists are Anthony Walker and his younger sister Sarah. Anthony is about ten-ish and Sarah is a few years younger, but unlike many authors Coville resists the urge to oversimplify them. The book deals with some complicated issues, involving Anthony and Sarah's recently-deceased grandfather, the afterlife, betrayal, time travel's effect on relationships, and a few other things, but it's presented as just real things that have to be dealt with, and the kids deal.

The book is suitable for anyone who can read a chapter book. The style is simple, but the plot is complicated enough to be interesting. The ending was sad, but perfectly executed, and the only thing wrong with the whole thing is that Bruce Coville never wrote a sequel.
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LibraryThing member CathyGrace
This is an amazing book! It will take you from werewolves, to aliens, to vampires and more! This fantastic tales weaves together science and magic to create the story of a boy, his sister, and their "strange" friends who go on an awesome adventure to save the earth, and it's dead!!!
LibraryThing member Nitzan_Schwarz
I'm rating this book based on how much I loved it when I read it about five, six years ago. I could recite (and still can) the first page on the book because I found it pure genius. I drove my friends mad with it.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
I love Bruce Coville and this book had such a fun cover that I decided to give it a shot. Sarah and Anthony bring a box with some monster toys in it only to discover that the monsters are alive and were once human sized. Sarah and Anthony return them to their full size and they realize that the
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Earth is in danger.

It was a fun story and the variety of characters were really interesting. It's a neat quick read.
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
I love Bruce Coville and this book had such a fun cover that I decided to give it a shot. Sarah and Anthony bring a box with some monster toys in it only to discover that the monsters are alive and were once human sized. Sarah and Anthony return them to their full size and they realize that the
Show More
Earth is in danger.

It was a fun story and the variety of characters were really interesting. It's a neat quick read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
I love Bruce Coville and this book had such a fun cover that I decided to give it a shot. Sarah and Anthony bring a box with some monster toys in it only to discover that the monsters are alive and were once human sized. Sarah and Anthony return them to their full size and they realize that the
Show More
Earth is in danger.

It was a fun story and the variety of characters were really interesting. It's a neat quick read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
I love Bruce Coville and this book had such a fun cover that I decided to give it a shot. Sarah and Anthony bring a box with some monster toys in it only to discover that the monsters are alive and were once human sized. Sarah and Anthony return them to their full size and they realize that the
Show More
Earth is in danger.

It was a fun story and the variety of characters were really interesting. It's a neat quick read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
Morley Manor is the spookiest house in Owl's Roost, Nebraska and Old Man Morley has passed away. A developer has bought it and is going to tear it down, so all the contents are up for sale to clear it out.

Anthony and his sister Sarah decide to check out the weirdest house and see what they may
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find. Much of the stuff is either too expensive or gets snatched up by all the folks that came to see. While in the library, Sarah sees an unusual box and points it out to Anthony. It isn't priced so they wind up negotiating for it and get it.

When Anthony later pries it open he finds another box with "Martin Morley's Little Monsters" on it, along with "Open not this box lest my curse fall upon you." Old Man Morley was considered weird and this just seemed to prove it....especially when he saw what was inside - five tiny metal statues of strange looks.

From this point on magic, science and strangeness start and take the kids on the weirdest adventure you can imagine to places you can't. "Werewolves, vampires, wizards, aliens and more populate this wild tale of how two clever kids save the world from an unearthly fate.

A fun read and one that has humour and adventure. Worth the time.
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Lexile

770L

Pages

240

Rating

½ (54 ratings; 3.8)
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