Ever since eleven-year-old Dexter Duckworth and his brother, Dougal, lost their mom, everything has been different. But “different” takes on a whole new meaning when, one day just before Christmas (or Kissmas, as they call it), Dexter finds a golden rock in the forest that hatches into an adorable alien. Gobbledy is smarter than he seems and is lost on planet Earth. Before long, Gobbledy takes … Dexter, Dougal, and their best friend Fi on an adventure of friendship, family, and loss—one that requires them all to stay out of trouble, protect Gobbledy from a shadowy group called the Planetary Society, and prepare for their school’s Winter Extravaganza Play, where Dexter has to be a dreaded Gingerbread Man.Gobbledy is a fun-filled holiday story that adds up to two brothers, three friends, unlimited jars of peanut butter, a ketchup factory, and one little alien far, far from home.
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I received this novel as an ARC and I must say I enjoyed it immensely!
This darling adventurous novel should be wrapped in red with a shiny golden bow—like the rock—and placed under every Y/A read’s Christmas tree. The writing is solid and the voice expressive. The author’s temperament comes through with memorable and specific ideas for the story’s plot. I especially liked her word choices—strong nouns and verbs to enliven the prose with phrases and sentences that are easily understood. They make the book become animated with excitement. The narrative is a fun adventure, while it also deals with difficult subjects such as grief. Not only is it a wonderful reading experience for grade schoolers, but pure entertainment for the whole family with lovely illustrations to boot!
My thoughts about the interesting characters: the protagonist Dexter, his brother Dougal, friend Fi and of course Gobbeldy—enrich the story because they are multi-faceted, going through growth and change. The scenes are complete with action, dialogue, descriptions of the forest, etc. so that the reader feels they are living the events and happenings along with these young people in this unusual tale. The scenes are appropriate for the theme and genre, many communicating turning episodes.
I must note here that ever since I was a kid, I happen to be a great fan and extremely fond of ketchup and peanut butter!
Gobbledy captures the magic that children inherently possess, a magic that growing up within society’s rigid confines destroys. I say magic even thought the main character, Dexter, feels his life lacks any since his mother died. To me, the longing he feels for her and the fact he thinks she lives in the stars qualifies as magic. The descriptions of Dexter’s feelings are haunting, yet beautiful. As an example, “She said that when stars die, they sometimes leave a black hole behind to remind everyone they were alive once. There is definitely a hole in our family. Not a bad hole, but a big hole. The kind of hole that sneaks up on me late at night when I remember. So, sometimes, I climb out here to forget.” Dexter and his family experience real grief. I think young readers will find this relatable. Not many children have lost parents, but kids do have to process the loss of grandparents, pets, and others dear to them.
Although Gobbledy features real struggles kids face, the main events are fantastical. The fun starts when Dexter encounters a golden rock, which grows into a creature called Gobbledy. Dexter, his brother (Dougal), and his friend (Fi) work to hide Gobbledy’s existence from Dexter and Dougal’s father. Of course, delightful chaos ensues. I’m not going to say what Gobbledy is because that will be a nice surprise for the reader. Ultimately, this is a wonderful story about a family navigating grief and finding a way to move beyond their sadness. This transformation is mostly thanks to Gobbledy. Highly recommended for young readers and those who find touching stories comforting.
Ever had a day when you were a kid that everything went wrong? Well that is the case here but fear not, the path forward will lead the way! This a fun book about kids being kids and adventure being adventurous. The two brothers find that working together is the key to a better relationship.
When is a rock not just a rock? When that rock will turn into an eating machine. Nothing says gobble like eating the pizza slice and the paper plate!
There is a good lesson in this book for kids who have sadly suffered the loss of a loved one in their early life. A person you loved is not completely gone, they live on in your heart. A great book for kids who want to live an adventure unlike any they do in their life!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I’d review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Summary
Dexter always gets in trouble. He always brings critters at home, which his father doesn’t approve of. There was that tadpole in the bathtub, a feral cat in the backyard, and a chicken in the closet. One day, he finds a golden rock that hatches into an unidentified creature. Dexter names it Gobbledy because his brother, Dougal, says he gobbles anything. Brothers Dexter and Dougal, and their friend, Fi, hide Gobbledy the best way that they can to stay out of trouble. Later on, Dexter, Dougal, and Fi experience a once-in-a-lifetime adventure as they protect Gobbledy from two goons who call themselves the Planetary Society.
Review
Gobbledy is a children’s book by Lis Anna-Langston. It’s an adorably wonderful story about an alien! I think Fi’s description of Gobbledy as someone who looks like a cross between a prairie dog, a chinchilla, and a cartoon, is so amusing. And there many cute and funny moments in the story that I enjoyed very much. The characters and the storyline are nostalgic that it brought me back to when I was a kid who adored the movie, E.T. Of course, this is nothing like that because this book has its own precious moments to remember.
I’m giving this 5 out of 5 stars. It’s the perfect story to read during the holidays or any day when you need to brighten up. This book has beautiful illustrations and pristine editing, something that I rarely find in books, because even the most famous and bestselling novels have errors in them. I recommend it to ALL readers. I’m sure that kids and even adults will enjoy the adventure it brings, just like I did.
I’m not generally a fan of middle grade novels, but this book is (so far) the only exception to that rule.
It’s whimsical. It’s funny. It’s smart. I loved the absurdity of the whole story. The story effortlessly proves what adult fiction does all the time — everything is life or death! In this case, to kids. Furry aliens obsessed with food. Ketchup factories. Secret agents. Christmas as a backdrop.
I want to call it an adventure story, but, at its heart, this is a story about trust and family.
Lis Anna-Langston has crafted amazing characters who feel as real as the kids in my neighborhood.
I was lucky to read an advanced copy of Gobbledy, and I plan on buying a couple of copies once it’s released. It’s going to make a great Kissmas present. 😉
One last thing: If Hollywood doesn’t “gobble” up this story fast and turn it into a movie I’ll be shocked.
Gobbledy by Lis Anna-Langston is an honest-to-goodness lovely book for a middle grader.
How far would you go to protect a friend?
Dexter Duckworth
Dexter Duckworth is our main character, and he has had a terrible time that year trying to adjust to his new normal. See Dexter, his little brother Dougal, and his dad lost their mom and wife in the springtime. It’s coming close to Christmas time, and Dexter is trying to do well. I love Dexter to pieces; I just want to hold him close and tell him everything will be fine even if he gets into trouble a lot. Dexter is a caring person, and I love how that shows with Gobbledy. I understand why he doesn’t tell anyone besides his brother and his best friend Fi about Gobbledy. My only concern is how their father will react when he finds out. Overall, Dexter is a great character.
The Story
Dexter and his friend Fi go off to the woods, where he finds a glowing rock that he puts into his Cricket Colony. Well, after that, things for Dexter don’t go how he envisions it to. Dexter ends up trying to keep his little alien friend from a whole lot of trouble, even if that means landing into trouble himself. I loved this story, and how Ms. Langston wrote it kept me wanting to read it. The way Gobbledy is described is hilarious, and I fell for the little guy myself. Dexter is landed with the choices of protecting his own hide or keeping his friends, including Gobbledy, safe. Which one would you choose?
Five Stars
Ms. Langston has a way with words that keeps me thinking about them and how things could have gone the other way for these characters. What if Dexter never found Gobbledy, and would someone else have cared for Gobbledy as Dexter does? Another thought is, what would Dexter and Dougal be able to do with two of them if they found another? Many questions are left unanswered but enough to keep the reader thinking of their own answers to them. I am giving five stars to Gobbledy by Lis Anna-Langston, and I am definitely recommending it.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Gobbledy by Lis Anna-Langston.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
I had the most fun! I loved Science Fiction as a kid. Still do. The kind that could be real, but well…not really. The kind of Sci-fi that you could picture. Be a part of. That’s what Gobbledy is.
It’s a story that has many aspects of real life today. Doing your homework, doing your chores, traveling to your grandparent’s lake house IF you are good. But then in the midst of this real-life humdrum stuff comes Gobbledy. He changed lots of lives. He’ll change yours if you read this book.
The Library of Congress lists this as at the 10- to 13-year-old reading level. I thought it was delightful, and I am most certainly not young anymore:) Depending on a child’s reading level it could be read by a younger child or read with a young child. It’s exciting and yet there isn’t one possible word or action you would have to worry about your child reading. The reason for the wide age range is that it’s such a good story. It’s something that could hold almost anyone’s attention. It has good guys, bad guys, humor (lots of wonderful humor) and characters you can almost picture whether it’s the dad or the kids. Or…the Gobbledy.
Lis Anna Langston has several books published within this 10 to 16+ year reading span. We can only wish she’s writing more as we speak.
Gobbledy by Lis Anna Langston is a children’s fiction novel.
The story is about the adventures that Dexter, Douglas, and Fiona had close to Christmas when they came upon a little alien.
Dexter and Douglas had lost their mom a few months ago, that changed their lives in a different way for each one. Dexter got in trouble often which caused more stress to his dad who worked a lot. One day when he was preparing his science project, he
and his best friend Fiona came upon a very strange discovery. Weird mushrooms, glowing rocks, and a little furry friend. In their attempt to find what had happened they got in more trouble, were chased, and eventually they learned a lot about outer space and themselves.
It’s a very sweet story, well written with an easy vocabulary that is understandable to every kid. While most of the book is filled
with humorous and entertaining scenes there are also some more emotional that talk about grief. The author managed to combine those
parts in a way that doesn’t mess with the lightness of the book but it teaches a lesson to the kids. The characters are amazing as
well. They are so friendly and likable but most of all I like how tied they were together. Friendship and family are important and this
story gives a good example. Pictures are important to this kind of novel and the ones this one has are incredible. They look like sketches from a comic book and they are super cute.
This plot reminds me of a lot of ET, it could be a good movie.
Gobbledy is a great holiday-themed book perfect for middle-grade kids but also for adults. I think I might read that again.
I was enthralled by this book and I will rate it with 5 stars. I highly recommend it.
P.S. Turns out that with certain book learning can be real fun, give this book a chance you will not regret it.