“Weird Lily” is a sixth grader. She enjoys hanging out in the cemetery (for which her grandfather is the caretaker) with her friend Jake. Lily and Jake have had a bit of a strange relationship. When they were in second grade, Lily professed to the class that she was going to marry Jake. Jake avoided her like the plague after that, but recently they’ve become good friends. When Jake’s dad up and leaves his family (much like his grandfather did when Jake’s father was about the age Jake is now), the kids at school treat him a little differently and he found a friend in Lily. They spend a lot of their time creeping around the old mausoleum despite Lily’s grandfather’s insistence that they stay away from it.

One particularly creepy afternoon, Lily and Jake hear a scratching noise coming from behind one of the mausoleum walls. Later that night, Lily believes she sees a large, lumbering shape escaping the mausoleum, and a few minutes later, Jake and his mother find a baby on their doorstep with a mysterious note asking them to care for the baby until the mother can return.

When a full moon hits, Jake discovers that LD (short for “Little Dumpling”) has changed into a blue-haired, fanged monster. If that’s not weird enough, on the next full moon, LD transforms again and Lily, Jake and their families find themselves trapped in an alternate universe known as “Always October”, where it’s — you guessed it — always October. The universe is filled with strange monsters (some good, some bad) and the group must fulfill a quest that will keep LD human. But the bad monsters in Always October have a plan of their own. They want to use LD to bridge the two worlds, and it’s up to Lily and Jake to stop this from happening.

This book was a whole lot of fun. I don’t read a lot of middle grade, but when I do, I always find myself transported back to when I was a ten-year-old. It’s nice to reconnect to my younger, more innocent self.

This book is filled with magic and light scares that will thrill young readers. Mr. Coville has crafted a mysterious, whacky world perfect for Halloween. The characters are all a lot of fun. I liked both Jake and Lily, but Lily was definitely my fave. I loved her weirdness. The story is told from alternating viewpoints which gives the reader a well-rounded view into the story. My only complaint was that there were a few loose ends that were left open. Of course, that could mean that there will be a sequel, which I would love to read.

This is the perfect read for middle graders looking for a light scare this Halloween. ( )