Hop, the goblin, is
having a rough day. The battlefield is strewn with bodies. He’s
been hiding under one of them but now the battle is over and he has
to get away. The goblin army is on the run, and he doesn’t want to
be caught by the victorious Hanorians.
Billy Smith is also
having a rough day. It’s his first day in a new school. Billy has
been in lots of new schools, and he hates it. He feels insecure and
unlikable. True to form he embarrasses himself in front of Lexie, the
only cute girl who is ever paid attention to him. When he tries to
get to know her, he makes another mistake and becomes the enemy of
Kurt Novac, the school’s star quarterback. Lexie and Billy end up
running from Kurt and the three of them fall into a cavern, a goblin
cavern.
The book is
reminiscent of Tolkein, but written for middle grade students. The
characters, Lexie, Kurt, and particularly Billy are people young
readers can identify with. Many middle grade students long to be
heroes but see themselves as clumsy and insecure as Billy. The goblins
are delightful characters. Hob tries to remain in the background, but
finds he can’t when the issue of the Goblin Crown becomes
important.
I recommend this
book for middle grade students. It’s filled with magical creatures,
wizards, giants, bats, and, of course, goblins. The story is fast
paced, and the characters are well drawn.
I received this book
from Turner Publishing for this review.
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