Juliet Dove, Queen of Love

by Bruce Coville

Published 1 September 2003
A shy twelve-year-old girl must solve a puzzle involving characters from Greek mythology to free herself from a spell which makes her irresistible to boys.

Jennifer Murdley's Toad

by Bruce Coville

Published 15 April 1992
When an ordinary-looking fifth grader purchases a talking toad, she embarks on a series of extraordinary adventures.

If Howard Morton and Freddie the Frog Killer were trying to hold you down so that Mary Lou Hutton could kiss you, you might run as fast as Jeremy Thatcher did the day he stumbled into Mr. Elives' Magic Shop.

And if you stumbled into that strange shop, you, too, might be asked to make a choice. What would you buy? The Chinese rings? The Skull of Truth? Or the dragon's egg?

And if you did buy the dragon's egg, what would you do when you found out you were supposed to hatch it?


Mr Elives' Magic Shop seems to appear from nowhere - and disappears again just as fast! Never in the same place twice, it sells only the most exclusive wares...A talking toad, anyone? A dragon's egg? There's plenty to choose from...When Charlie stumbles into Mr Elives' peculiar shop, he's only looking for a phone to call his parents. What he finds is a wise-cracking skull which compels people to tell the truth - however uncomfortable. Normally a shameless liar, Charlie is horrified to discover he can't keep the truth from popping out - with hilarious and disastrous consequences...

Russell Troy, Monster Boy

by Bruce Coville

Published 17 April 2003
Mr Elives' Magic Shop seems to appear from nowhere - and disappears again just as fast! Never in the same place twice, it sells only the most exclusive wares...A talking toad, anyone? A dragon's egg? There's plenty to choose from...When Russell buys a magic ring from weird Mr Elives, he's told it will turn him into a monster. Just the thing for school! Russell's sure it's all a stupid trick - until he whispers the chant, twists the ring and begins to sprout horns...At first it's fun changing from boy to monster and back again, but Russell hasn't paid proper attention to the instructions - and now he's gone too far...