cover image A Troll Story

A Troll Story

Nicholas Heller. Greenwillow Books, $12.95 (24pp) ISBN 978-0-688-08970-2

Lewis is a boy with a very special talent: he can turn himself into a troll whenever he likes. As a troll, he stands nine feet, seven-and-a-half inches--and is bright green. He even has a troll name: Nil Digrot. Knowing that his family would not approve of his troll persona, Lewis obligingly waits until night time, when everyone else is asleep, to transform himself. But Lewis often thinks about being a troll during the daytime, at particularly trying moments. When his teacher asks him an impossible question, Lewis imagines himself as Nil Digrot, terrifying her. When a bully pushes him he imagines himself as a troll, dunking the mean boy through a basketball hoop. Kids will love seeing Lewis's imagination at work, and will probably envy his nocturnal playmates--the other trolls who come to frolic in his backyard when his parents are asleep. Heller's illustrations are filled with vivid colors, and bring Lewis's imagination to life. Ages 4-up. (Mar.)