Fractured fairy tales meet modern day middle school in book two of this funny series for 8 to 12-year-old fans of Shrek and Timmy Failure.
It's not easy being Zarf. As a troll, he's stuck at the bottom of the middle school hierarchy, way below the prince and knights (populars), ogres and giants (jocks), and even the lowly minstrels (band geeks). Plus, trolls aren't exactly known for their brain power or cool demeanor. But it gets worse. When the king disappears and Zarf's archenemy, the prince, ascends the throne, he makes Zarf's life even more miserable. And so it is that Zarf and his two sidekicks (a neurotic, mutton-obsessed pig and the not-funny son of the court jester) set out to find the missing king as well as their way to middle school heroism. (Okay, the heroism part might be wishful thinking.)
Award-winning comic creator Rob Harrell has middle-grade humor mastered. His Life of Zarf series is packed with even more witty one-liners and clever twists on classic folk and fairytales, perfect for middle school readers looking for their next hilarious obsession.
"Entertainingly goofy. A promising series kickoff full of off-kilter action and humor." —Publishers Weekly
"A Wimpy Kid format with a fairy-tale twist? Yes, this is bound to be a hit." —Booklist
Zarf
Furry by nature
Voted most likely to fall unnoticed from the bottom rung of the social ladder.
Kevin
The mutton-obsessed worry-wart son of one of the famous little pigs
Voted most likely to have a panic attack after misplacing his bottle of Purell.
Chester
The painfully un-funny son of the kingdom's celebrated court jesters
Voted most likely to put an audience into a deep bad-joke-related coma.
Prince Roquefort
The profoundly unlikeable royal offspring
Voted most likely to vote himself most popular.
1) Stay friendly with the wizard kids. They know how to turn you into a potted plant.
2) Cafeteria food is not food. It's Play-doh with sauces.
3) Loads over 120 pounds are for wheelbarrows, not backpacks.
4) Keep your gym clothes clean. Being ripe is for melons.
5) Watch the ground. Tripping over gnomes is dangerous and embarrassing.
6) Keep some Febreze in your locker. Remember that you're only the latest in a long line of disgusting creatures to know that combination by heart.
7) Avoid the Prince and his posse. His personality is like Rumpelstiltskin and a stomach virus got together and had a kid.
8) Carry a de-shedding brush and use it. Often. Nothing is more embarrassing than hacking up a furball into your porridge at lunch. Trust me on this.
9) Load your cargo shorts pockets with non-melty snacks. A few Mutton Bites will go a long way during a late morning "History of Butter Churning" lecture.
Rob Harrell writes and draws the long-running daily comic strip Adam@Home, which appears in more than 140 papers worldwide. He also created and drew the internationally syndicated comic strip Big Top until 2007. Rob recently published his first all-ages graphic novel, Monster on the Hill, which Kirkus called a "deliciously cinematic...indie charmer" in a starred review. He lives with his wife in Austin, Texas.
