Fantastic Friday: Elliot and the Goblin War by Jennifer A. Nielsen


ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR
by Jennifer A. Nielsen, illustrated by Gideon Kendall
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2010
ISBN: 9781402240195
Middle Grade Fantasy
Grades 3-5

ABOUT THE BOOK

WARNING! As of today, there are only 7 CHILDREN who have ever read this book and lived to tell about it. 95 CHILDREN successfully read the first chapter, but upon beginning chapter 2, they started BLABBERING in some language known only as "flibberish." 38 CHILDREN made it halfway through this wretched book before they began SUCKING THEIR THUMBS THROUGH THEIR NOSES.

If you're VERY BRAVE, perhaps you are willing to TAKE YOUR CHANCES. Be sure that you have told your family who gets your favorite toys if you DO NOT SURVIVE this book. Read it now, IF YOU DARE. But don't say you haven't been warned, for this is the story that unfolds the MYSTERIES OF THE UNDERWORLD.


REVIEW

I found Elliot and the Goblin War to be both exciting and humorous.  The intrusive narrator, which might be annoying to some readers, I thought was funny (see above). I snorted and giggled my way through this book.  I really liked Elliot, mostly because he is a pretty normal kid.  He doesn't have special powers or anything.  He only becomes King of the Brownies through an accident involving a couple of goblins (he thought they were wearing costumes), a brownie, and a bag of pickles.  By trying to help the Brownies in their war with the Goblin's he learns to not only stand up for others, but for himself as well. Patches, the girl brownie he rescues, is also a fun character, along with her father, the mocked Mr. Willimaker who is left with the task of chosing the new Brownie ruler. This is a fun series perfect for younger readers not ready for the bigger, longer fantasy series.

Be sure to check out the other two books in the series as well.

An entire floor of St. Phobics Hospital for Really Scared Children has been set aside just for readers of this book. You may wish to take a minute before you start reading and reserve yourself a bed there.

As you read, you may begin to understand myctophobia (mic-tofo- be-a), or the fear of darkness. However, do not expect this book to help you with arachibutyrophobia (a-rak-i-something-be-a), the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

If you can't get yourself to St. Phobics, then get every lamp, flashlight, and lantern you can find and drag them into your bedroom. Turn them all on. You'll need them until you're certain there is nothing lurking in the dark.

At least, that's what Elliot wishes he had done.


 


As King of the Brownies, Elliot has battled Goblins, tricked Pixies, and trapped a Demon. But now, that Demon has escaped and he's ready for revenge. Elliot will face a challenge unlike anything he's seen before. The Last Underworld War is about to begin.

Comments

  1. I loved The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen. I know this is for younger but I might have to check it out. Thanks for the review.

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  2. These books look awesome and I LOVE the covers. What fun fantasy for kids. Thanks for sharing. I have marked these on my list. :)
    ~Jess

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  3. I can't wait to get a copy of these for my students. They sound like they'll be a hit.

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  4. Sound like a fantasy treatment for "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Love it. :-)

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  5. They sound awesome, just one more year until my Gigi will be at the reading age lol, collecting a list though, my goodreads to-read is getting huge. Thanks for another great future read, cheers Julie

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  6. I like these books and want to read them now. What fun the author must be having. I am going to look them up. Thanks for putting this up on the blog hop. I am a hostess also and really like this post.

    I must use my google ID here but my website is http://kid-lit-reviews.com

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  7. These books sound fun, Heidi! Thanks for letting me see them via the Kid Lit Blog Hop! Jemima at Jemima Pett's blog

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  8. These look like such fun books! I bet they would make great picks for reluctant readers. Thanks for sharing!

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  9. I am sure my kids would LOVE these books. It reminds me of the narration in Jack Templar Monster Hunter. My kids got a total kick out of that! Thanks for hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop with us once again! :)

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  10. I just discovered your blog - it's great! These books look like a lot of fun. I'm a children's author in Canada and I write a lot of middle grade fiction. I'll be watching your blog and checking out some of your favourite books.

    Becky Citra
    beckycitra.blogspot.com

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  11. I can tell by the cover that I want to read it! But your review is even more helpful :) Thanks once again for hostessing, Heidi!

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