The Monster's Ring: A Magic Shop Book

Twist it once, you're horned and haired;
Twist it twice and fangs are bared;
Twist it thrice? No one has dared!

Boardman Road Elementary is full of hazards for anyone dodging Eddie, the biggest bully in the fifth grade. Russell hopes to slip away unnoticed, but ducking down an unfamiliar alley leads him straight to Elives' Magic Supplies, where he trades his lunch money for a mysterious ring.

Russell is sure that the ring he gets at Mr. Elives' shop is just a silly magic trick, but he follows the instructions and twists the ring twice anyway—and becomes a monster!

Armed with wickedly sharp claws and glowing red eyes, he heads to the classroom costume parade ready to turn the tables on his rival. He only intends to give his tormentor a scare, but the creature inside refuses to obey—leaping across cafeteria tables and sending the entire class into a frenzy.

Includes an author's note.

• Halloween Chapter Books: An eerie wind, an ancient shopkeeper in a star-patterned robe, and an ominous warning never to work the charm under a full moon bring spooky excitement to the holiday.
• Unlikely Hero: Timid Russell usually cowers when threatened, but discovering a pair of leathery wings and a fierce inner growl forces him to rethink what he is capable of facing.
• School Drama: Between cafeteria food fights and an intimidating principal known as The Beast, navigating fifth grade proves just as perilous as handling black magic.
• Also by This Author: The Skull of Truth, Odds Are Good and Odder Than Ever.

BRUCE COVILLE is the author of over 100 books for children and young adults, including the international bestseller My Teacher is an Alien, the Unicorn Chronicles series, and the much-beloved Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. His work has appeared in a dozen languages and won children's choice awards in a dozen states. Before becoming a full time writer Bruce was a teacher, a toymaker, a magazine editor, a gravedigger, and a cookware salesman. He is also the creator of Full Cast Audio, an audiobook company devoted to producing full cast, unabridged recordings of material for family listening and has produced over a hundred audiobooks, directing and/or acting in most of them. Bruce lives in Syracuse, New York, with his wife, illustrator and author Katherine Coville.

Katherine Coville is an artist as well as an author. Books she has illustrated include Aliens Ate My Homework and Sarah’s Unicorn, both by written her husband, Bruce Coville. Books she has written include Ivy, The Cottage in the Woods, and Briar, Rose, and Jack. She lives in Syracuse, New York, with a varying assortment of pets and children.