Boots and the Seven Leaguers

From the Publisher

"Lighthearted, humorous fantasy narrated by the troll next door. Give this to readers who enjoy Diana Wynne Jones and Patricia Wrede."—Booklist

"Will amuse and engage readers as they are entangled in the author's spell. A well-crafted and exciting tale."—School Library Journal

"A clever, tongue-in-cheek tale of unlikely heroes."—VOYA

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Yolen's (Wizard's Hall) plodding tale reads more like a farce than a fantasy. Narrator Gog, a young troll, is dismayed not to have a ticket to hear his favorite band, Boots and the Seven Leaguers, perform their annual concert in the Kingdom of the Fey. So Gog and his best friend, Pook--a "tricksy" pookah who can change shapes--travel to the site of the concert and disguise themselves as roadies to help the band unload and set up in exchange for tickets. During setup, Magog, Gog's little brother, disappears. The duo's search for Magog takes them deep into the dread New Forest, where Gog loses Pook and encounters a number of characters, including the Weed King, who speaks in rhyme; a "woodwife," a hollow woman who tries to snare him in her "spell of love"; and the Huntsman, who holds captive a bizarre creature known as the Great White Wyrm--as well as Magog. Young readers may well lose their way--or interest--trying to follow Gog's meandering, choppy first-person narrative. After rescuing his sibling, Gog says he can't go home yet, "Because, in my slow troll way, I'd finally figured out that there were still too many loose ends." Readers, too, may find that many strands of the plot still dangle at the close of this disjointed tale. Ages 10-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

A troll, his younger brother and his best friend venture into the dreaded New Forest to hear Boots and the Seven Leaguers in concert. There they encounter a number of characters as they search for the younger brother who goes missing during their scheme to get into the concert. Ages 10-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

KLIATT

Gog and Pook's favorite band is coming home to play. All they want is tickets to the concert, but tickets are hard to come by when you don't have any money. The teen troll and his Pookah friend hatch a plan to get them in; they will be roadies for the band. Never mind that they aren't yet full grown and as strong as they will be as adults; Pook will cast a glamour spell on them to make them look like they are full-grown trolls. The plan is working when they discover that Magog, Gog's kid brother, who has bribed his way into their scheme, has been kidnapped. All thoughts of the concert now pushed aside, they hunt for the little brother, even when the trail leads to the New Forest, where the scary White Wyrm lives. All of their young lives they have been told tales of the Wyrm, how it eats young trolls and pookahs alive. Frightened, but determined, Gog is helped by various citizens of the forest and finds his brother. The Huntsman, who has in his possession the only known pair of seven league boots, stolen from the fairy museum, holds Magog captive. Solving this crime and returning the boots wins the boys acclaim and front row seats to an "unplugged" special concert at the museum. Jane Yolen has once again written a story that is engaging and timeless. Family loyalty is foremost, even if you are among the troll family. Die-hard rock fans can identify with Gog, as can fans of fantasy. Easily readable and with a different take on trolls, I'd recommend this book to any library. KLIATT Codes: J; Recommended for junior high school students. 2000, Harcourt, 159p.,
— Stacey Conrad

Children's Literature

Gog is a troll who knows all too well that trolls don't do magic--just mayhem. But Gog's pookah friend can do magic, so when the two teens attempt to save Gog's little brother from kidnappers, there's plenty of both. Will they succeed in time to attend the greatest rock-and-troll concert in the kingdom, or will they end up being dinner for the slimy Great White Wyrm? This first-rate adventure has a little bit of everything--expert knowledge of legend and faerie lore, modern teen temptations, fictitious CD titles and song lyrics, excellent writing, and enough "snarly" sights and sounds to cause plenty of shivers. The imaginative details--including greenkids (who bear an effective resemblance to modern drug dealers), wild mabs, doom rooms, and alleys of the undead--will appeal to Harry Potter as well as Hobbit fans. The mythological realm is capably linked with our present-day world, resulting in an old fashioned triumph of good over evil with a contemporary feel. There's also a confidence building affirmation that even not-so-bright trolls can problem-solve if they have motivation and courage. 2000, Harcourt, Ages 10 up, $17.00. Reviewer: Betty Hicks

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-It's three days until Boots and the Seven Leaguers, the greatest Rock-and-Troll band in the world, will play their annual concert at Rhymer's Bridge, and Gog, their biggest fan, has no coins for tickets. With the genius of his little brother, Magog, and the trickery of his best friend, Pook, Gog and Pook manage to land the roadie jobs that will earn them seats at the concert. But while they are working, Magog is kidnapped. Gog and Pook must enter the New Forest and match wits with the Weed King, resist the temptation of a deadly woodwife, outhunt the Huntsman, and brave the Great White Wyrm. This contemporary tale will introduce readers to a Kingdom that has kept up with a modern age. The story carries the characters quickly from one fantastical adventure to the next, and initiates readers to new customs and peculiarities of the Kingdom as it goes. Gog and Pook are as crass and cool as any teenage boys. They and the other denizens of the Kingdom will amuse and engage readers as they are entangled in the author's spell. A well-crafted and exciting tale.-Heather Dieffenbach, Lexington Public Library, KY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.