This story is geared toward younger children (certainly pre-teen). It's a cute tale about 11 year old friends, Dexter and Fi (Fiona) who find a golden rock and electric mushrooms out in the forest near their homes. Dexter brings the golden rock home with him in a jar that contained some crickets for his science project. Once home, Dexter's younger brother, Dougal, joins the adventures. The golden rock transforms into a creature that's a cross between "a prairie dog, a chinchilla, and a cartoon." He gobbles every bit of food within his reach. Therefore, they name him Gobbledy. Gobbledy is actually an alien life form. The planet he came from is barren and the aliens he arrived with to earth (aka golden rocks) did not make it. There is one exception - another golden rock that Dexter finds later on and Gobbledy carries around with him in a Pet Rock carrier, but it never transforms into anything. I'm not sure why.
There are two "bad men" from the Planetary Society that try to take Gobbledy from Dexter, and they eventually succeed. Dexter, Fi, Dougal, and Fi's older sister, Fran, have an adventure together (because Fran is the only one old enough to drive) when they try to get Gobbledy back from the thieves who simply want Gobbledy to exploit him for money. Fortunately, Gobbledy outsmarts the Planetary Society with one of his hidden talents of "invisibility".
In addition to the various activities involving Gobbledy, Dexter, Dougal and their father are trying to adjust to a new life without their mother/wife. She died several months previously and the family is struggling. Dad works a ton of hours (at the ketchup factory), which allows his sons to participate in all their shenanigans with Gobbledy. But they are all sad and don't know how to celebrate Christmas (her favorite holiday) without her. Gobbledy actually helps with this one night, after he secretly decorates their undecorated tree and builds a "village" out of household supplies/trash in front of the tree. Dad is super touched by this, thinking that Dexter and Dougal did it themselves. Their mother/wife was in the process of building a village upstairs in the attic before she died.
Again, this is a cute story for younger children.
Wendy's Rating: ****
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