Assessment:
Plot: There are some surprises in the particulars of Gobbledy’s alien-in-the-attic plot, especially some inspired business involving mushrooms and eggs, even though the overarching story breaks little new ground in its genre. Still, that story is told with verve, wit and charm.
Prose/Style: Lis Anna-Langston tells her somewhat familiar tale with crisp, polished, appealing prose. Dialogue among the young protagonists is age-appropriate but gently comic, and descriptions of the apparent alien creature, Gobbledy, and other strange phenomena are shrewdly balanced between the enchanting, the scary, and the goofy. Anna-Langston always infuses the narrative voice and observations with the protagonist's emotions, with special attention paid to the coming holidays and the loss of his mother. This makes even the occasional scenes that are not centered on Gobbledy quite arresting.
Originality: For all its winning qualities, Gobbledy often suggests, in broad outline and in many particulars, the most popular story in its subgenre, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial", as well as the many novels and films that followed it. Anna-Langston invests fresh energy and invention into the template -- the choice to swap the government agents hunting the alien with a couple wannabe UFOlogists is inspired -- but the template remains obvious, right down to the missing parent, the emphasis on school science projects, and a setpiece involving a major holiday beloved by children.
Character Development: Anna-Langston's character work is strong enough that readers might overlook the story's derivative nature. The protagonist's sense of loss is palpable, the relationships are sketched with persuasive power, and even offhand details and remarks prove resonant with the kids' feelings.
Blurb: This charming alien-in-the-attic story boasts engaging characters, witty storytelling, and a furry little beast that will eat anything, all wrapped up in a warm holiday package.
Date Submitted: August 28, 2020
The Wonder Years meets A Christmas Story meets E.T. in this magical novel with dialogue that snaps, crackles, and pops and a narrative that skips, jumps, and hops from one delightful surprise after the other. Yet beneath the magic and fun there is an undercurrent of sorrow and loss each character is trying to move through, for this will be the first Kissmas without Dexter and D-man’s beloved mother. How these characters--and their furry little alien sidekick--navigate this strange and complicated time in their lives will amaze and inspire you.
Young adults and old adults alike will love the adventures that await inside these pages.
In this novel, a boy gets into even more trouble than usual after encountering a cute (and hungry) alien creature.Kissmas—a child’s pronunciation of Christmas that stuck—won’t be the same this year. Six months ago, Dexter Duckworth, 11, lost his mother, leaving him, his father, and his 8-year-old brother, Dougal, with a hole in the family: “Not a bad hole, but a big hole. The kind of hole that sneaks up on me late at night when I remember.” Dexter’s science project, a “Cricket Colony,” goes badly awry when he enhances an enclosure with a rock from the forest on which a strange bug seems to have hitched a ride. It’s furry, ravenous, and growing larger all the time. It soon becomes evident that Gobbledy, as he’s dubbed, is an extraterrestrial alien who needs help and protection. A comedy of errors ensues as Dexter tries to avoid getting grounded for life.
Anna-Langston, whose middle-grade fiction has won numerous prizes, successfully balances comedy and drama in this latest outing. Dexter’s narrative voice sounds convincingly fifth grade in his sense of humor, but he also expresses thoughtfulness and compassion; the family’s palpable grief and their attempts to restore normality for this first Christmas without their mother are poignant yet understated. Meanwhile, Dexter’s misadventures build upon each other for great comic effect, culminating in a school Winter Extravaganza where his role as Gingerbread Man goes hilariously wrong. As he comments, “Trouble is a plague. Trouble follows fun. Trouble is my mortal enemy.” The alien’s plight, too, is affecting, and the devotion he inspires in the cast reveals the story’s warm heart. Powell, a prolific artist and illustrator, contributes engagingly humorous and skillfully crosshatched drawings.
Hugely entertaining as well as emotionally moving.
A delightfully entertaining novel by an author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling style that will fully engage the imaginative attention of appreciative young readers ages 8-11, Gobbledy by Lis Anna-Langston . . . will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to elementary school, middle school, and community library collections.
