After finding a tunnel that goes below the surface and discovering a land filled with goblins, Sam is seized by its leaders, Eww-Yuk and Slurp, and so now must use his wit and courage to devise a plan to outsmart them in order to break free.
Handlung: Aus Langeweile stellt Sam, ein zehnjähriger Junge in einer Kleinstadt an der Grenze zu Kanada, nur Unsinn an und landet deswegen regelmäßig im Gefängnis. PJ, ein Teenager, ist genauso ein Verlierer-Typ und trifft auf Sam, als er für seinen Vater – den Officer der Stadt – auf den Jungen ein Auge haben soll. Doch als er und Sam mit dem ‚geliehenen‘ Streifenwagen ein seltsames Wesen anfahren, beginnt erst der schlimmste Ärger für sie. Das Wesen stellt sich als ein Gnom, ein Bewohner Untererdes, heraus. Sams Neugier ist geweckt und er verschwindet durch einen Tunnel in diese seltsame Welt, voller menschenfressender Gnome, Mutanteninsekten und einer Gruppe Wächter, die mit ihren letzten Kräften gegen die Gnome standhalten. PJ bleibt keine andere Wahl, als dem Jungen zu folgen und gerät mitten in den Kampf, der die Gnominvasion stoppen soll. Nur dass er und Sam und mit ganz anderen Waffen kämpfen, als die Krieger es gewöhnt sind …
Sprache und Figuren: Endlich wieder klare und präzise Sätze, die den Leser mitreißen und zielgenau zum Höhepunkt des Kapitels führen. Jedes Detail passte, wurde bis zum Letzten genutzt (im positiven Sinne) und war zeitgleich noch humorvoll. So humorvoll ich musste zeitweise das Buch weglegen und zuerst zu Ende lachen. Slurps kahler Hinterkopf, die drei Köche, die mit dem Kartenspiel überlistet werden, der Bumm-Bumm-Bah – Kampftanz und natürlich Cheep. Das Insekt war unglaublich bildlich dargestellt, dabei konnte es nur zwei Laute von sich geben. Aber alle Figuren zeichneten sich durch ihre bestechende Sprechweise aus. Ganz gleich, ob die dummen Gnome oder PJ’s lässige Art. Dennoch blieb trotz des vielen Humors die Weisheit nicht auf der Strecke, wenn Buckingham davon sprach, dass die Gnome von uns Menschen am besten gelernt haben, fette Lügner zu sein.
Kritikpunkte: In meiner ersten Auflage existierten noch ein paar lästige Druckfehler, die sich aber leicht beheben lassen. Auch ein Logikfehler hat sich eingeschlichen, da der Autor einerseits beschreibt, wie ein leichtes Schwert im Schlamm versinkt. Anderseits ein schweres Steinzepter ohne Probleme auf der Oberfläche liegen bleibt. Aber das ist mir nur am Rande aufgefallen. Leider war das Ende absehbar und klischeehaft. Wenn man es jedoch als ein Kinderbuch der Sparte zehn – zwölf Jahre betrachtet, schwächt sich dieser Kritikpunkt wieder ab. Dazu waren ein paar Szenen nicht unbedingt neu, aber so originell umgesetzt, dass ich so gut wie nichts zu meckern habe! Außer vielleicht, dass er die Lautmalereien, mit denen Buckingham gerne spielt, nicht konsequent durchgezogen hat. Im Mittelteil der Geschichte waren sie plötzlich verschwunden …?
Zusammenfassend: Nach der miserablen Fortsetzung der Dämonenhüter-Reihe hatte ich zunächst Bedenken. Doch Buckingham findet sicher in seinen alten Stil zurück. Kurze Kapitel, präzise geschrieben wie eine Kurzgeschichte und aufeinander aufgebaut wie ein Film. Das liebe ich an ihm! Dazu habe ich noch nie sooft gelacht während der Lektüre eines Textes. Ich werde nie wieder das Wort ‚argh‘ lesen können, ohne dabei an seine Gnome zu denken. Auch wenn sie anfangs wie brutale Monster erschienen, so habe ich die neugierigen Gnome ins Herz geschlossen und frage mich, was wirklich unterhalb der Erde in den vielen Höhlen und Kammern hausen könnte. Genauso sind Sam und PJ, obwohl sie während des Buchs ein Stück erwachsener geworden sind, ihren Eigenschaften treu geblieben. Daher ein sehr gelungenes Werk, das zeigt, dass Waffengewalt beweiten nicht die einzige Lösung sein muss. Bitte mehr davon, Herr Buckingham!
Bewertung: 5 Sterne (und die vergebe ich wirklich selten!)
Goblins! An UnderEarth Adventure by Royce Buckingham, is about two delinquent boys named PJ and Sam who one day, were driving in the forest, where they found a goblin which they accidently killed and there, they discovered a hole, which Sam goes down out of curiosity; and gets captured by a bunch of other goblins. Next, PJ descends into the hole looking for Sam, and finds some people called the, "Guardians," who keep the goblins in the UnderEarth; while Sam gets put into an arena where he is made to fight giant bugs one at a time, consecutively getting larger each fight, until he faces a giant mantis who is frightened and cowardly; so Sam feels pity for the bug and spares him and goes back into his cage. Back to PJ, him and the guardians go to the city of the goblins called Argh, to rescue Sam, but in the process, PJ was also captured, and in his cage, he helps a goblin captain who was denied of his position as king of the goblins because he was too fearful, and had a lack of courage. PJ then escapes with the help of the goblin captain and his followers, and Sam escaped with the assistance of the mantis. They all meet up with the guardians, and have a big battle against the rest of the goblins, win, and then Sam and PJ escape back to the surface.
I picked up this book because it was recommended to me by my younger brother. He told me a lot about this book, giving me a short synopsis, and telling me about how much he loved it. Also, the really like the illustration on the front of this book, it was eye catching, and looked pretty cool.
I finished this book because I enjoyed the plot. It was exciting through every page of the book, and what I really like about this book is that the plot was different, unique. It was an interesting theme, having these creatures living underground that no one knows about, and these people secretly defending the surface from these creatures. All the events of this book were exciting and this whole book was fun to read.
I would recommend this to male readers around the ages of 12-14. Males because I think they'd find it more interesting, and this age group because I find that young teens would find this book as a fun read that does not require too too much thinking, but at the same time is a really good book. I would also recommend this to some teachers who like the Adventure genre as this is a good book from that type.
6th grade and up. I love Royce Buckingham! This is the perfect middle school level fantasy book for boys. In the tiny town of Sumas, Washington, one mile from the Canadian border, 12-year-old troublemaker Sam avoids going home to his abusive, alcoholic father. Because he's wandering around a lot, he tends to spend quite a bit of time with Sumas's lone cop, Officer Myrmidon. Sam steals some fireworks and gets placed in the jail cell for a bit, where he meets Officer Myrmidon's 17-year-old son, PJ. Left at the station while his father goes out on a call, PJ decides to go investigate a border sensor reading -- taking Sam with him and "borrowing" a police car to do it. At the border they accidentally run over... not a smuggler, but a goblin from the underworld. Goblins are nasty, furry, revoltingly smelly creatures with enough intelligence to copy, but not enough to invent. The medieval-looking Guardians of the underworld appear just in time to "remove" the threat to human kind, but Sam manages to slip past them down the tunnel to go investigate things for himself. He's discovered and captured by the Goblin General Eww-Yuk and his not-so-bright soldiers: Bargle, Slurp, Ugly, Slouch, and Brains. PJ joins the Guardians to rescue Sam, and chaos ensues! Lots of general grossness (slime, gas and poop jokes, etc) and adolescent humor: "Arrrgh! What is it, Brains?" Eww-yuk grinned. "Human child," Brains said. "Male."... "Have you talked to it?" Eww-yuk asked. "Yes," Bargle said. "It barks the words 'screw' and 'off' over and over."
When 12 year old Sam Hill is bored, he steal fireworks and starts a dangerous chain of events. Sam is caught by Officer Myrmidon and put in jail to think over his crime. PJ, Officer Myrmidon's estranged son, arrives just as the policeman rushes off for an emergency leaving PJ in charge of Sam. PJ releases Sam and they go off to check an alarm which results in their capture of a goblin from an underground civilization. After meeting two of the Guardians masquerading as Animal Control, Sam decides to investigate what is under the trapdoor on the Canadian border. Reluctantly PJ realizes it's his job to rescue Sam who has been captured by the goblins. This book is populated with humorous goblin characters and a whole goblin culture. Capt. Slurp and Gen. Eww-Yuk should appeal to middle school boys.
This would be a great book to get a boy interested in reading. With humor, action, and mystery, the author does a great job of making the reader unable to stop reading chapter after chapter. Two boys find themselves underground among a battle between goblins and the warriors who vow to keep them underground. The goblins are the bad guys in the book but with great humor, you can't help but laugh at their antics and stupidity. I'd say this book is meant for the preteen age of reading. A great book to add to your fantasy collection.
Goblins: An Underground Adventure by Roger Buckingham is a Young Adult/Juvenile fantasy novel that is a light read with some battles and laughs combined to keep you reading until the end. The story starts when Sam “liberates” some fireworks from the back of a truck delivering fireworks for a display of pyrotechnics. As usually happens, Sam immediately meets the Sheriff who gives him the usual lecture and leads him off to the local small-town jail to wait for Sam’s (probably drunk) father to collect him. About the same time, the Sheriff’s own son, PJ, arrives a day late for a visit with his father. The Sheriff needs to go help hunt for some climbers who have become lost and tells PJ that he can wait in the jail and keep an eye on Sam at the same time. The Sheriff also gives PJ a small lecture on punctuality when PJ whines about his assignment; if PJ had arrived on the correct day (aka the day the Sheriff took off from work) they’d have gone fishing but as he hadn’t arrived on time and today is a work day. The town is not far from the border with Canada and while the boys are sitting in the jail one of the border alarms goes off. Sam stresses to PJ the importance of the alarms and PJ releases Sam to act as local guide to the alarm site. When they arrive at the site, they are surprised to find a tunnel leading underground where a small group of people are working to keep the Goblins from discovering the tunnels to the world above. Sam follows the group underground and PJ follows knowing that his father will not be happy to have lost the boy. There are adventures and battles and an intriguing scene in an arena before the boys safely return to the surface, where the greatest surprise awaits.
Goblins!: An UnderEarth Adventure is an action-packed read that young readers will thoroughly enjoy. First of all, let me say that I absolutely love the cover artwork. I saw that cover and I instantly wanted to read this book. The main characters of Sam and PJ and both quite likable, but I was shocked to learn that Sam didn't seem to be the main character, PJ is. I initially though that Sam was going to have the leading role. Still, it didn't really matter, just a misperception on my part. I enjoyed the fact that Eww-yuk has a "smart" goblin named Brains, who has the ability to break gadgets down, analyze them, and make new gadgets based upon what he learns. So, the goblins are always on the prowl looking for new gadgets that will make their underground life a little easier. Royce Buckingham has created the perfect tale of fun and adventure that will keep young readers thoroughly engrossed.
The humor in the book adds to the enjoyment of the read and I had a wonderful time reading this book. G.P. Putnam's Sons is publishing a wonderful selection of Young Readers books and I have loved all of them so far.
Overall, Goblins!: An UnderEarth Adventure is an excellent book that all young readers who are looking for a little adventure with goblins are bound to enjoy.
I am always looking for something to catch the attention of my reluctant readers. This is it for boys in middle school to high school. Sam and PJ are thrown together by coincidence and begin an adventure that is humorous, somewhat gross, but always captivating as they enter UnderEarth and attempt to prevent goblins from coming to the Earth's surface. There is plenty of action and suspense as the author gets your attention early and keeps it to the end. I enjoyed it, even as an adult. The kids in my school will eat it up.
A fast action packed book that should get the boys reading. The book blends humor with some horror elements - giant bugs, goblins, men eating slug monsters. For the most part though the books is an adventure quest story. The two main boys who think themselves as just two troublemakers end up discovering the hero within themselves.
Ooh, what fun. Take one angry son returning to visit a father he doesn't respect, plus one JD in training who respects said father, who also happens to be police chief in his border town. Add an empty police car, a joy ride and a hole in the ground. Mix well. Simmer. Stir in goblins, fight scenes and humor. Serve to middle school boys.
Sam and PJ aren't the best decision-makers, but the furry goblins they encounter in the underworld don't stand a chance against them. This fun and fantistical adventure is a safe bet for any tween reader.
A very boy book, with enough actions and gross descriptions of creatures, insects, and battles to keep them entertained. A story of humans protecting both the safety of us and the creatures that lurk below. Heroes rule!
this book is about a boy named Sam and P.J.,who find a goblin in the woods. And they two strange figures come and kill the goblin. P.S. That's all that I've read!!
When 12 year old Sam Hill is bored, he steal fireworks and starts a dangerous chain of events. Sam is caught by Officer Myrmidon and put in jail to think over his crime. PJ, Officer Myrmidon's estranged son, arrives just as the policeman rushes off for an emergency leaving PJ in charge of Sam. PJ releases Sam and they go off to check an alarm which results in their capture of a goblin from an underground civilization. After meeting two of the Guardians masquerading as Animal Control, Sam decides to investigate what is under the trapdoor on the Canadian border. Reluctantly PJ realizes it's his job to rescue Sam who has been captured by the goblins. This book is populated with humorous goblin characters and a whole goblin culture. Capt. Slurp and Gen. Eww-Yuk should appeal to middle school boys.
I liked this book because it showed Sam personality,conflict, and resolution, this book showed expression about Sam fighting the large beetles, it showed conflict because the "warriors" didn't know where or how to get out the cavern so they must capture a guide goblin, they befriend the goblin. The most exciting part about the book is about the end they barely escape the cavern barely on time before they got captured or even worse, the guide goblin had sacrificed itself to save the rest. I think that it more non realistic than realistic because It shows about the story about goblins, relate to the actions of Sam, just needed a little more realistic from the cover just by looking, just needed a little action with the middle and end cause It mainly showed action In the beginning.
It took me a really long time to read for this short book. However, it was not the stories fault. Unless it had a beacon that cued people to stop reading after one paragraph…. Every time! I resorted to hiding so I could finish it because I really liked the concept of underground goblins that love to learn new things. Plus scary bugs, but one of them become a sweet friend. I’m sad to see that there is not many reviews for this because it is a really fun read.
Sehr unterhaltsame Geschichte, die leider erst nach dem ersten Drittel so richtig Fahrt aufgenommen hat. Die Charaktere der Menschen und Gnome haben mir gut gefallen. Der Schreibstil war auch sehr angenehm. Der größte Kritikpunkt ist die übergeordnete Geschichte, die in sich leider sehr viele Logiklücken hat. Wenn man die ausblendet, ist das Buch aber eine tolle Zerstreuung.
Goblins! An UnderEarth Adventure Royce Buckingham 800L 2 Stars 261p.
I thought this book was okay, It was not well written at all and there wasn't much of a plot line. The structure of the book was weak and the content was frankly predictable and boring. The ending was not a cliff-hanger but not resolved either. There is not a sequel to this book that I know of (thank heavens). And the characters are amateur without much building on who they are the book just goes straight to the story with elementary humor and references and no creativity with names.
My favorite part was when PJ found out who his dad really was, because it showed that there was a reason his dad couldn't be with them. My least favorite part was when Sam was in the arena because he acted callous like he didn't care about the lives of others. I wouldn't recommend this book to anybody but if someone had to read it they should be under 9 years old.