“I chose this novel from the ALA book list. I would recommend it for 4th-6th graders.
Christian is a runaway who is adopted by the troll Ed. When Christian is a teenager, he begins corresponding with the Princess Marigold. Christian gets a job at the castle and continues his friendship with Marigold while saving the kingdom from the Queen Olympia, who will kill her husband and daughter so she can rule.
This book's humor is one of its main elements. The troll Ed is a source of humor through his mixed-up quotes. The book itself has a light tone. While the novel and its characters is not as deep as other novels, it does have some character develop. Both Christian and Marigold develop throughout the novel and become their own people by taking control of their lives and making their own decisions.
While this book is similar to The Mayor of Central Park in that it includes much humor while dealing with heavy subjects, I do prefer this novel because of its character development. Each character has his or her own agenda, and each character finds a solution to their problems. They rely on their wits and each other to resolve the main conflict. The novel is light, which results in somewhat shallow content, but I believe students would find it an enjoyable read.”
Stacy L wrote this review Monday, October 20 2008.
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