"Some kids are born rich, some are born poor; some are born with eight toes, some are born with blond hair; and others just happen to have been born with a Thursday curse." Thirteen-year-old Greg Belmont is one such kid. "Since pretty much the beginning of time," bad things have happened to Greg's family on Thursdays. And thus no one, including Greg himself, is surprised when, on a school trip to the zoo, a polar bear breaks free from its enclosure and chases Greg. People are surprised, however, when all-around good guy and Greg's best friend, Edwin, steps in front of the rampaging bear and stares it into submission. Thursdays, amirite?
Amazingly, the Friday that follows is even worse. When Greg's Dad gets abducted by a troll, Greg is forcefully introduced to the world of his secret lineage--turns out, Greg is a Dwarf. And not just any dwarf. He's Greggdroule Stormbelly, and he comes "from one of the most courageous Dwarven families ever known to exist." Unfortunately, "Dwarves lose," usually to their sworn enemies, the Elves. It's simply what they do. "As a race, [they're] prone to unspeakable bouts of... bad luck." Hence the Thursday curse. To top the surprises off, Greg learns that Edwin is not just an Elf but the son of the Elf Lord. With the other Dwarves convinced that the Elves are behind Greg's Dad's abduction, Greg is forced to live up to the Stormbelly name and muster all of his courage to find his dad and keep his friend.
The first installment in a new series from Chris Rylander (The Fourth Stall), The Legend of Greg is an entertaining and comical middle grade fantasy, sure to keep readers laughing as they cheer Greg along. --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness