SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I am a teacher and today I took my classes to the library to help them find their first book of the year (#bestdayever). I had a student ask for help finding a book with goblins and I drew a blank. I gave her The Long Earth instead because she was also interested in multi-verses and promised to do research on goblin books.

By research, I mean I'm askin' y'all. Are there good books with goblins as the MC or as a significant minor character? And/Or list the best multi-verse books.

Last year she like Illuminae a lot. But she will try different things. She is 13, so something with a YA vibe, definitely not with too much mature content.

PS: I *know* you are all going to suggest The Goblin Emperor, but our library doesn't have it, and I don't think that book's pacing will appeal to her.

Goblin Emperor! :P

Sorry, can't think of any others. I'm tempted to ask if dark elves would do, but I hate it myself when I ask for something specific and people rec something else, so I'm not going to :)

Hmm, I don't remember if there are actual goblins at the goblin market in In an Absent Dream?

(That's it, I'm out of goblins.)

The only goblins I can think of are the ones from the bank in Harry Potter.

I would try
Tooth Goblinsby 

The Hobbit

Phillip wrote: "The Hobbit"

Goblins are villains in The Hobbit. She wants MC/ protagonist Goblins.

https://nsmirage.com/top-fantasy-book...

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

the Goblin Quest series by Jim C. Hines
The Goblin Corps by Ari Marmell

CBRetriever wrote: "the Goblin Quest series by Jim C. Hines
The Goblin Corps by Ari Marmell"

The Goblin Corps is a fun book and I would recommend it normally but since it's for a kid, be aware that it has a lot of violence and a lot of profanity. Also, the "goblins" are an orc, a troll, a kobold, a bugbear, and I can't remember the other one. In that world a goblin is like any non-human being who comes from the evil territories. The main characters definitely aren't the good guys in this book but they aren't evil either.

Oh!

I didn't think of it, because it's my least favorite T. Kingfisher, but Nine Goblins! I think there's two (or more?) POVs, one is goblin and one is elf. I didn't like it heaps because the goblins are, hmm, goblins, and there's the sort of juvenile humor I don't get along with :/ I liked the elf though!

Apart from the ones already mentioned, I think the best recommendation (although not strictly goblins) would be


They're very funny books, but also really deep, perfect for her age, and the Wee Free Men are a lot like goblins in their fierce, uncivilized roughness.

Jonathan Stroud's The Amulet of Samarkand features a gargoyle main character who may appeal to her a lot, as well. (It's middle-grade but will probably still work well for a 13 year old.)

She may also enjoy the Dragonlance Chronicles starting with
Dragons of Autumn Twilight if she's okay with goblins being the bad guys here. There are gnomes, dwarves and kender (small, charming kleptomaniacs) in this story who are good guys we root for. One of the main characters is a kender and his chaos-spreading, mischievous ways may appeal to her goblin-loving heart. 13 is also the perfect age for discovering Dragonlance, and the series is full of fast-paced action, humor and romance just like Illuminae.

Dragon Wing may be also be really great: it features a world of dwarven tinkerers and one of the main characters is one of them and an eccentric inventor, and in addition the series focuses on parallel worlds and their mysteries.

Caillen wrote: "The Goblin Corps is a fun book and I would recommend it normally but since it's for a kid, be aware that it has a lot of violence and a lot of profanity. "

I always forget about that especially as I was reading adult books from about age 9 onwards

For parallel worlds, Sal and Gabi Break the Universe might be an option? It doesn't have universe hopping, but there are other universes. It's MG but not super young.

InterWorld? I didn't think it was especially great, but since it has Gaiman's name on it, libraries would probably have it? And it is YA, so she is the target audience.

DWJ likes parallel worlds (Howl’s Moving Castle, The Lives of Christopher Chant). Howl is great but possibly not enough world hopping, and Lives, which has lots of world hopping, hasn't aged very well :| There are other Chrestomanci books that also have parallel worlds, but I think I might have to accept that today's kids would not love the series.

And of course His Dark Materials.

(Fun fact: I learned the English word 'parallel' when I was taking a downhill skiing class in German. Yes, it's relevant! Melanie is a teacher, and I learned something!)

CBRetriever wrote: "I always forget about that especially as I was reading adult books from about age 9 onwards"

I'm the same way. Traumatized my adolescent self a couple of times with things I was absolutely not prepared for. lol

Caillen wrote: "CBRetriever wrote: "I always forget about that especially as I was reading adult books from about age 9 onwards"

I'm the same way. Traumatized my adolescent self a couple of times with things I wa..."

Ditto!! I think that's why I don't read horror anymore.

Michelle wrote: "Ditto!! I think that's why I don't read horror anymore."

Well, that's where you're smarter than I am because it didn't deter me much while I was growing up. Can't show weakness in front of other kids. I'm better about it as an adult but I do still read things occasionally that I know I'm gonna regret.

I started a new thread!

Childhood Book Trauma and Misconceptions

Michelle wrote: "Ditto!! I think that's why I don't read horror anymore"

me either

You are all amazing people. This definitely helps.
Keep being awesome and learning things @Anna.

Agree with the Tiffany Aching books and also the Seanan Mcguire! Think those would be a lot of fun for a smart youth.

I would also add The Cruel Prince which deals with a whole bunch o' fae, even if they're not necessarily goblins, and the youth seem to enjoy it.

Maybe Lud-in-the-Mist? This is a book that inspired Gaiman, but it's not very easy to read by modern audiences.

Faerie Tale is another I think she'd like. Got a lot of old celtic/gaulic vibes but also about a teen who might get to smooch a pretty faerie! Much goblins!

So, this one is SUPER DARK!! All the sex, and rape and violence! But Night's Master would have been my JAMALAM back when I was a teen.

Memory and Dream is also good. A bit more adult...it has some abusive college relationships and an offscreen rape, but a total classic, well written, and quite gobliny.

I second Goblin Quest, but also Demoniac Dance. Worth getting your library to order it in!

Dance of the Goblins

I don't know anything about it, but it came up in another thread and I thought of this thread :)

There was an old book I read back as a girl U wish I could remember the title … something like the princess and the goblin or something- I’ll have to think.

You know you can request libraries to order in books?

Demoniac Dance has the YA vibe and a lot of dragon action and different species of goblins. Probably perfect for what you're looking for.

Dance of the Goblins, mentioned above, is the prequel and is very good, but has one slightly mature scene (PG I'd say).

Rachel, The Princess and the Goblin is wonderful book for the young at heart. Not sure a 13-14 yo child would read it.

I understand perfectly that the original goblin enthusiast has probably already moved onto other interests, but in case someone else finds this thread :)

The Ship of Stolen Words by Fran Wilde is a MG fantasy with two 12yo (?) boys, one human, one goblin. Alternating POVs. Definitely for the MG (pre-YA) audience.