The temptation of Wilfred Malachey (Goblin tales) [Hardcover]

William F. Buckley Jr. (Author), John Gurney (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Goblin tales

A poor boy in a rich boy's school, Wilfred Malachey decides to help himself and his friends by becoming a modern day Robin Hood, a career that brings in a moderate income until he discovers a genie in the school computer.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Buckley has written his first book for young readers, an original and urbane fantasy listed under Goblin Tales, "stories of the unexplained." The subdued colors in Gurney's pictures reflect the dark doings set afoot by Wilfred Malachey, a newcomer at Brookfield Academy. Wilfred's allowance is small, his parents sacrifice to send him to the boarding school, so he steals to pay for luxuries enjoyed by the well-heeled students. But the discovery of the goblin residing in Brookfield's computer leads Wilfred to visions of real wealth instead of petty thefts. The goblin, Omegagod, has granted fabulous wishes to a teacher whose secret the lad has overheard. Pretending he's the favored man, Wilfred asks Omegagod for a million dollars. The creature is not fooled, however, and he sets terms that terrify Wilfred even though he scales down his request considerably. There are surprises, tensions and glints of Buckley's acid wit aimed, expectedly, at his familiar targets: computer jargon (according to Wilfred's father) "could be used to make sense out of a New York Times editorial."
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6 Workman promises that the books in this new series are "haunting stories for children." Well, if you believe that Bill Buckley is "a celebrated fiction writer," then you may believe that his book is "a haunting story." Otherwise, you'll find it to be only a barely-adequate cautionary fable. Wilfred Malachey, the poorest boy in his prep school, finds a way to communicate, via computer, with a peevish goblin who calls himself "Omegagod." Wilfred, whose poverty has driven him to steal from his wealthy classmates, is scared back onto the straight and narrow when the computer god threatens to, as it were, pull the plug on his life program. Ho-hum. Michael Cart, Beverly Hills Public Library
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 45 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing; 1st edition (1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0894809237
• ISBN-13: 978-0894809231
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,554,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)