Oddly Enough: Stories by Bruce Coville

          

Title:  Oddly Enough: Stories   Author:  Bruce Coville  
ISBN: 015000933  Pages:  122
Publisher:  Harcourt Brace & Company, San Diego, 1994

Readers Annotation:
A collection of nine horror stories including angels, unicorns, werewolves, vampires, brownies, ghosts, monsters, and elves. 

Author Information:

Bruce Coville has written a copious amounts of children's and young adult novels. His debut novel was The Foolish Giant, although Coville is most well-known for his Unicorn Chronicles, My Teacher is an Alien, and Magic Shop series. Additionally, Bruce has collaborated on many works with his wife Kathy, including The Foolish Giant, Sarah's Unicorn, and The Monster's Ring.

Bruce was born on May 16, 1950, in Syracuse, New York. He is married to Katherine Dietz, and together they have three children.  After spending about twenty years in New York City, Bruce has returned to his city of birth, presently living in Syracuse with his wife and kids.

http://www.brucecoville.com/bio.asp

Content/Audience:

These stories are a compilation of works that are both thrilling and humorous. Each story is mysterious and entertaining, appealing to tweens and teens alike. The Box: After receiving a box from an angel,  a young boy strives to keep it safe, waiting for the angel to return. Duffy's Jacket: Forgetful Duffy is given the surprise of his life after a monster delivers his forgotten jacket unexpectedly. Homeward Bound : A young boy's curiosity over a unicorn horn found in his uncle's home, drives him to the point where he becomes a unicorn himself. With His Head Tucked Underneath His Arm : A ghost is tired of the fighting between kingdoms and forces his king to stop the wars. Clean as a Whistle : A happily disorganized young girl is assigned a cleaning brownie, who  must serve her to prevent himself from withering away. The Language of the Blood : The Seers are actually vampires who use blood to see the future and save their village. Old Glory : A boy's great-grandfather gives his life to contest his stolen freedoms. The Passing of the Pack : A dying werewolf asks his human son to take over as leader of the pack. A Blaze of Glory : A young boy's Grandmother spins a tale of helping the elves, an unlikely story which turns out to be true.

Genre: Horror, Short Story

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalking Ideas: 
     1.  In The passing of the pack, a boy's estranged and dying father asks him to take over as leader of the pack. Would you ever feel like you would need to honor a dying parent's request, especially if they've never had anything to do with you?
     2.  The ghost in With his head tucked underneath his arm is determined to stop the kings from fighting and killing more innocent civilians, even if it means staying on earth until the job is done. Have you ever felt so committed to something that you were willing to make a big sacrifice for it?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 11+

Challenge Issue:  Supernatural themes

Why I chose this item: This was suggested  reading material for the horror genre in the YA librarian's guide.

Further Series Reading: Odder Than Ever, Odds Are Good, Oddest of All