Bruce Coville Books in Order

Harry is a kindhearted giant whose clumsiness repeatedly causes trouble, leading his neighbors to banish him. When an evil wizard threatens the town, Harry has a chance to help the people who sent him away.

Sarah lives unhappily with an aunt made cruel by a spell. Friendship with the unicorn Oakhorn offers comfort, but her aunt wants to capture him and steal his magic, putting Sarah's new companion in danger.

Sarah wishes for adventure, then finds herself kidnapped by a lonely dragon and carried to a castle in the sky. Missing home, she must plan an escape while Oakhorn and her aunt try to rescue her.

Marilyn Sparks agrees to safeguard an Egyptian amulet for her adventurous great-aunt Zenobia. As disturbing dreams begin, she learns that something trapped inside it seeks freedom and revenge, leaving her responsible for preventing its escape.

Tansy, Travis, and their friends play a magical role-playing game inside an abandoned mansion. The imagined obstacles become real, and the players must use their new powers without letting their characters' identities take over.

The young geniuses of the A.I. Gang prepare for a final confrontation with the mysterious Black Glove. With adults refusing to take their warnings seriously, the children must protect the planet with help from an unexpected friend.

Five gifted children accompany their scientist parents to a deserted island and set out to develop their own artificial intelligence. Their rivalry with the adults becomes a struggle for survival when a bomber threatens the island.

The A.I. Gang pursues spies trying to sabotage their parents' secret artificial-intelligence research. Their investigation puts the six children aboard a robot rocket headed into space, forcing them to find a way out of captivity.

Nina Tanleven sees a ghostly woman watching rehearsals in a theater where an actress was murdered decades earlier. When the production suffers sabotage, Nina and her friend Chris investigate rather than blaming the apparition.

Stuart Glassman attends a summer camp for aspiring moviemakers, expecting to learn about special effects. A mischievous ghost named Robert and a Sasquatch turn the experience into something stranger than anything he imagined filming.

At Camp Haunted Hills, Stuart's ghostly friend Robert invents a potion that turns campers into monsters. Meanwhile, a mummy pursues Brenda, leaving Stuart and his friends with supernatural troubles beyond the camp's usual filmmaking activities.

While staying at an inn Nina's father is restoring, Nina and Chris encounter the ghost of a Confederate soldier. His attempts to communicate lead them into a century-old mystery involving greed, a hidden room, and buried treasure.

Two boys advertise a Monster of the Year contest as a joke, drawing publicity and a radio appearance. A message from Transylvania suggests that their supposedly imaginary competition may attract contestants they never expected.

Sixth-grader Susan Simmons catches her substitute teacher removing his face and realizes he is an alien. With Peter Thompson's help, she investigates his plans for their classmates and tries to prevent an extraterrestrial kidnapping.

This nonfiction introduction traces human evolution from apelike ancestors to Cro-Magnon people. It describes the lives of prehistoric humans, helping young readers explore how earlier people lived as they learn about stages of human development.

A filmmaking adventure at Camp Haunted Hills sends Stuart and his friends into the prehistoric past. When three dinosaurs accompany them back, the campers must return the creatures while keeping them secret and protecting the timeline.

Jeremy Thatcher buys a mysterious egg from Mr. Elives' magic shop and follows instructions to hatch it. Raising the dragon Tiamat soon creates problems, especially as his secret pet's appetite and size keep increasing.

Duncan Dougal begins seventh grade by finding an alien hand in a Dumpster and encountering a machine that alters his brain. He must discover which new teacher is extraterrestrial and understand the danger facing Earth.

Peter Thompson travels aboard an alien spaceship with a glowing teacher named Hoo-Lan. Far from family and friends, he learns that Earth faces destruction and must help persuade an interstellar council that humanity deserves another chance.

An antiques-shop errand takes Nina and Chris into a decaying mansion haunted by a grieving girl. A disturbing painting and a second apparition deepen the mystery as the friends investigate connections between the house's secrets.

William has grown up in Toad-in-a-Cage Castle, surrounded by hidden passages, a dungeon, and the strange creature Igor. Troubled by unexplained moans at night, he decides to uncover what the castle's inhabitants are hiding.

Bullied Jennifer Murdley buys a talking toad named Bufo from Mr. Elives' unusual shop. His arrival brings magical transformations and a tempting chance to change her appearance, forcing Jennifer to consider what beauty means to her.

Peter, Susan, and Duncan tour Earth with three disguised aliens to gather evidence for a report deciding the planet's fate. With time running out, Peter searches for a discovery that might save humanity from destruction.

Blork, a boy from the planet Splat, is notorious for enormous temper tantrums. After running away, he becomes lost in a place ruled by Squat, whose behavior gives Blork an unsettling view of his own habits.

A timid boy acquires a ring from a magic shop that can transform him into a monster. Hoping to frighten his school bully at Halloween, he experiments with powers whose instructions require more care than he realizes.

A tiny spaceship crashes into Rod Allbright's science project, bringing an alien crew on a secret mission. Recruited to help catch a cruel extraterrestrial criminal, Rod discovers that the search connects to his own school troubles.

A museum field trip puts Blork inside a copying machine that creates Krolb, his troublesome opposite. Although Blork has improved his behavior, his new double starts making life miserable and reviving his reputation as a brat.

Smorkus Flinders kidnaps Rod Allbright and his visiting cousin Elspeth into Dimension X. Their escape becomes entangled with hostile aliens and an interstellar power struggle, forcing Rod to confront dangers much larger than a spoiled vacation.

Pursued by a mysterious hunter, Cara follows her grandmother's instructions and enters Luster, the land of unicorns. With help from a young unicorn and unusual creatures, she seeks answers about an amulet and her grandmother's message.

These nine stories explore encounters with angels, unicorns, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and other unusual beings. A mysterious box, a headless messenger, and a troublesome household spirit are among the situations confronting the collection's human characters.

A witch creates a dragon to punish King Mildred, whose knights refuse to confront it. A squire, a page, and Princess Wilhelmina set out separately, with the princess determined to avoid becoming the promised reward.

This illustrated prose retelling follows Shakespeare's exiled Duke of Milan as he uses magic to confront his enemies on an island. Humans, spirits, and monsters become entangled in the consequences of his plans.

Squat kidnaps Blork and his friends before a ceremony honoring Blork. Seeking revenge, he plans to swap Blork's brain with his pet's, leaving the captives to confront a scientist's machinery and Squat's spider henchmen.

This collection brings together unsettling stories for young readers about nightmares, unexplained dangers and frightening encounters. Coville’s tale of something beneath the bed joins stories by several other writers, turning familiar childhood fears into supernatural adventures.

In 1853, orphaned Fortune Plunkett takes charge of her father's theater troupe and leads it toward San Francisco. The performers face the hazards of an overland journey while Fortune navigates responsibility and competing romantic attachments.

Blork's spaceship veers far off course and lands among the cheerful Dips. When the inhabitants decide his pet Lunk is their missing Lord of Silliness and refuse to release him, Blork faces another test of his temper.

Rod Allbright joins his alien friends on a search for his missing father and the vanished crew member Snout. Their journey leads toward Mentat, home of the Mental Masters, while dangerous enemies complicate the mission.

Two young couples flee into an enchanted forest to escape their troubles in this illustrated Shakespeare retelling. The fairy king Oberon and his mischievous servant Puck interfere, creating magical confusion among the lovers and other visitors.

Rod Allbright sets out into space to locate his missing father and bring him home. Traveling with his alien companions, he must contend with Smorkus Flinders and BKR, whose pursuit threatens his family mission.

Vampires, werewolves, demons, dinosaurs and other monsters populate this collection of spooky stories for young readers. Edited by Coville, the tales offer varied encounters with frightening creatures and the unsettling possibilities that lurk after dark.

A young boy struggles to understand his grandfather's death and the absence it leaves in his life. Through questions, recollections, and reflection, he explores his grief and the meaning of the experiences they shared.

Bumbling fairy godmother Maybelle Clodnowski receives one last assignment before losing her wings and wand. She must help perfection-obsessed Susan Pfenstermacher, but misfiring spells and a mischievous cherub make the task increasingly difficult.

Jacob feels displaced when his new baby sister occupies his mother's lap and takes up everyone's attention. Attempts to send the baby away give way to conversations that help him understand his place in the growing family.

Blork and his companions are hurled back to prehistoric Splat, where enormous creatures make survival difficult. Dr. Pimento welcomes the chance to study the ancient world, but an unusual encounter forces Blork to make a choice affecting the planet's future.

Habitual liar Charlie discovers a talking skull in Mr. Elives's mysterious shop that forces everyone nearby to speak honestly. The resulting revelations complicate his friendships and family life while his concern for threatened swamp creatures creates another urgent problem.

This anthology gathers unicorn stories set in places ranging from ancient China to an English village and modern American suburbs. A blind princess, an unexpected sacred ritual and a magically woven rug offer different encounters with the legendary creatures.

After BKR steals his body, Rod Allbright must share the alien Seymour's form while protecting a dangerous secret in his brain. Left behind on an unfamiliar planet, he becomes entangled in alien schemes that complicate recovering his own body.

After her aunt dies in terror, Marilyn suspects an ancient Egyptian amulet is responsible. Unexplained disturbances and gaps in her memory suggest its spirits now threaten her, forcing her to investigate the curse before it claims another victim.

Alien student Pleskit discovers that peanut butter causes an unexpected reaction: irresistible urges to kiss his classmates. As the school erupts over his behavior, Tim must help explain the problem before Pleskit's place in the classroom is jeopardized.

Pleskit loses his grandfather's brain while struggling with sixth grade, a quarrel with best friend Tim and stories leaked to a tabloid. Finding the missing brain becomes urgent as the consequences threaten to overwhelm his other troubles.

When an alien ambassador insists his son attend an ordinary Earth school, Tim Tompkins befriends purple newcomer Pleskit. A visit to the embassy reveals a plot against the alien mission, turning Tim's dream of meeting extraterrestrials into a dangerous investigation.

Nine fantasy stories explore unusual transformations, strange friendships and unexpected discoveries. A ghost bakes in a kitchen, a teenager finds a different kind of treasure, and a visit to Mr. Elives's magic shop changes a young life.

Coville retells Shakespeare’s tragedy of two young lovers caught between feuding families. Their secret relationship and marriage offer a hope of reconciliation, but the hostility around them turns their efforts to remain together toward disaster.

Cara must cross the unicorn land of Luster to reach a dragon's cave and find a gate back to Earth, where her grandmother needs help. Her ancestor Beloved, sworn to destroy unicorns, threatens the journey with magic and deception.

Pleskit and Tim borrow an alien shrinking ray to retaliate against a bully, but accidentally reduce Tim and their teacher to miniature size. Restoring them while concealing the misuse of embassy technology becomes a race to protect the alien mission.

Sixth-grader Tim welcomes the chance to befriend Pleskit, the alien ambassador's son and his school's unusual new pupil. Their friendship leads them to uncover an attempt to sabotage the interplanetary trade mission that brought Pleskit's family to Earth.

A classroom poetry assignment prompts Pleskit to bring his shape-shifting Veeblax to school, frightening a classmate and attracting hostile publicity. With his pet, teacher and the alien mission at risk, Pleskit considers running away to keep the creature safe.

Pleskit's enthusiasm for Earth food creates trouble when peanut butter triggers intense romantic behavior. After he chases classmates trying to kiss them, he and Tim must convince the principal that an unusual allergy caused the disruption.

Tim's wish to travel in space comes true when he, Pleskit, Maktel and Linnsy become alien captives. Stranded on another planet amid a struggle for galactic control, the four must cooperate to survive and find a route home.

Pleskit learns that he is not the only alien child living on Earth when tiny renegade Beebo needs help. Aiding the secret visitor risks provoking an interplanetary incident and endangering the diplomatic mission led by Pleskit's father.

Classroom hamsters grow larger, stronger and more aggressive even after Pleskit stops feeding them alien vitamins. Tim and Pleskit must investigate another possible cause, identify an enemy and defend themselves against the increasingly dangerous pets.

Purple alien Pleskit's participation in a classroom science project sends the chemistry lab into chaos. His friend Tim tries to help him contain the disruption before an ordinary school assignment develops into a much more serious disaster.

Tim meets Beebo, a small alien stranded on Earth who wants to return home but cannot be revealed without risking diplomacy. Beebo's irresistible urge to cause mischief makes helping him increasingly difficult for Tim and Pleskit.

Pleskit worries about introducing visiting friend Maktel to Tim, while his father welcomes an elegant alien trader. Suspicions about the trader's intentions draw the children into an investigation that threatens both their friendships and the mission to Earth.

With the school science fair approaching, Tim turns to Pleskit for help creating a last-minute project. An alien potion meant to improve Tim's performance instead damages his personality, leaving Pleskit to face the consequences of his attempted assistance.

Rumors about the alien embassy spark demonstrations outside Pleskit's school as sixth grade nears its end. When Pleskit disappears, Tim and Rafaella must cooperate with bully Jordan Lynch to uncover the source of the attacks and protect the mission.

A purchase at Morley Manor's sale brings strange miniature monsters into a boy's home. When his sister adds water, the creatures revive, drawing the children into adventures involving magic, other worlds and a threat to Earth.

Mischievous Beebo returns to Tim's room, and embarrassing pranks soon escalate beyond flying underwear. When Pleskit's bodyguard is trapped in a monster-filled dimension, Tim begins questioning whether Beebo's antics are connected to efforts to sabotage the alien mission.

Lost monarch butterflies settle on eleven-year-old John Farrington's house and need someone to guide them to safety. Helping the fragile travelers creates a lasting bond with nature that challenges him to remain faithful to what matters to him.

Charlie enters Mr. Elives's unusual shop looking for a telephone and leaves with a skull that compels people to tell the truth. A practiced liar, he struggles as involuntary honesty creates embarrassing revelations and complications among those around him.

Shy Juliet receives a magical amulet that makes the boys around her fall in love with her. Unable to remove it or escape the attention, she must untangle a puzzle involving Greek mythology and the strange magic shop.

Bored Edward begins helping Moongobble, a kindly magician whose spells repeatedly turn things into cheese. When Moongobble's right to practice magic is threatened, Edward joins a quest that requires facing the feared Dragon of Doom.

Coville’s prose retelling introduces young readers to Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identities and misplaced affection. Disguises and confused courtships entangle the characters, while Tim Raglin’s illustrations accompany a story built around the complications of love.

This prose retelling follows Denmark's Prince Hamlet after his father's ghost accuses the new king of murder. Seeking proof and struggling with revenge, Hamlet confronts deception within his family and the dangers surrounding the royal court.

Moongobble's final qualifying task requires recovering a magical stone from troublesome elves deep in the Forest of Boodle. Edward and their companions help him face an object that encourages evil and can turn unsuccessful thieves to stone.

To complete his second task for the Society of Magicians, Moongobble must collect a bottle of tears from the Weeping Werewolf. Edward, Fireball and Urk accompany the inexperienced magician into a quest whose dangers exceed their expectations.

When a giant steals Thor's hammer and demands the goddess Freya as his bride, Loki proposes sending Thor disguised in her place. Mortal goat boy Thialfi joins the masquerade, helping the gods attempt to recover their essential weapon.

Eighteen stories drawn from Oddly Enough and Odder Than Ever combine ghostly encounters, magical transformations and unusual adventures. Tales including Biscuits of Glory, The Golden Sail and The Language of Blood move between humor, mystery and darker supernatural experiences.

Edward misses adventure after Moongobble qualifies as a magician, until runaway Snelly arrives from Monster Mountain. Returning the Mischief Monsters' princess becomes urgent when her mother threatens war, sending Edward and his companions into unfamiliar trouble.

In this illustrated retelling, Dutch siblings Hans and Gretel hope to compete for a pair of silver skates despite their family's poverty. Their preparations intersect with a search for a doctor who might restore their father's lost memory.

This retelling of The Winter's Tale begins when King Leontes wrongly accuses his wife of infidelity. His jealousy damages his family and friendships, setting in motion a story that explores loss, repentance and the possibility of reconciliation.

Cara seeks an ancient story explaining the hostility between unicorns and delvers, traveling underground and toward the centaur king's court. Meanwhile, her father undertakes a separate journey to free her mother from the mysterious Rainbow Prison.

Nine stories revisit the Unicorn Chronicles, ghost-seeing friends Nina and Chris, and Mr. Elives's magic shop. Encounters with aliens, talking frogs and haunted places combine humor with unsettling mysteries as familiar and new characters face unexpected supernatural experiences.

Edward and Moongobble travel to Flitwick City to undo the curse that makes the Oggledy Nork break everything around him. Finding the woman responsible does not end their quest, because she has conditions they must fulfill before she will lift it.

Beloved leads an army through a magical wound in Luster's central tree, determined to destroy the unicorns. As they gather to resist the invasion, Cara undertakes a mission to meet a mysterious dragon and faces a decision with profound consequences.

An unemployed young man returns home to care for his dying grandmother. As recent memories fade and her youth becomes vivid again, she describes a magical experience, drawing him toward a story he wants to believe despite its apparent impossibility.

A tiny boy created through genetic engineering faces adventures in a world built for people much larger than himself. This modern variation on Tom Thumb places a miniature child amid the possibilities and complications of scientific experimentation.

The messiest girl in Minnesota finds herself bound to a brownie who insists on keeping everything tidy. Their incompatible attitudes toward housework create problems in this short fantasy, where a magical companion's enthusiasm for chores clashes with his human charge.

After his father's death, Jamie goes to live with an intimidating uncle who possesses a unicorn's horn. His fascination with the horn leads him toward another concealed secret, making the mystery of his own identity central to finding where he belongs.

Jason’s mother brings home a baby found in a basket, giving him an unexpected little brother nicknamed Dumpling. What first seems like an ordinary family change becomes stranger when the full moon reveals something supernatural about the child.

Donald Henderson is alarmed when his embarrassing older relative starts challenging authority. Set in a future society, this short story follows the conflict between accepted obedience and dissent, exploring how a family's disagreement becomes a question about free expression.

An angel entrusts a boy with a box and asks him to keep it safe. The promise shapes his life through ridicule and uncertainty, while the mysterious object and the responsibility it represents follow him into adulthood.

Nils carries the consequences of a terrible act forced on him by his father, a unicorn Hunter. In the world of the Unicorn Chronicles, his search for the elemental songs of earth, fire, air and water draws him toward his destiny.

Nina Tanleven and Chris Gurley become stranded in an isolated house along a country road. Familiar with supernatural encounters, the friends discover another haunting and must determine whether they can bring its restless ghost peace before the night ends.

In the Glorious City, a boy named Banang is chosen to inherit an unusual tradition connected to blood. This short horror story follows his involvement with the role that grants its holder the ability to speak the mysterious language of blood.

Harley Burton enters Mr. Elives's magic shop and buys an unusual mask. The purchase leads him into a frightening Halloween adventure, revealing another dangerous side of the shop whose magical objects have already transformed the lives of other children.

A young man feels a mysterious bond with the wolves living near his village. This short fantasy follows his efforts to understand that connection, drawing the human world and the life of the nearby pack into an encounter with the unexplained.

The seven kings of Losfar keep their continent at war, but young pacifist Brion refuses to accept the fighting. After his unjust execution, he returns from death with a plan to challenge the kingdom that condemned him.