For Greg Hart, fantasies are a part of life. His journal is a place to share the person that he wishes he was. A hero. A strong, quick and brave character who slays vicious baddies with one hand tied behind his back (and of course always gets the girl in the end). Little does poor Greg know that he is destined to set off on a actual dangerous quest! In this story Greg really is the hero, and one false move will land him on the dragon's lunch menu.

I honestly loved Greg as a character, and I know that the reading group this book is aimed at will as well. He is funny, honest, and downright noble at times. Beneath the scrawny boy that everyone sees on the outside beats the heart of a hero. Greg has a quick wit that made me laugh out loud more than once. I adored how the author allowed his character to have doubts and fears. Greg isn't certain the prophecy is about him, and he's willing to (loudly) voice that to anyone who will listen. Still, he knows that a princess' life is at stake. Despite his fears, off he goes on an epic adventure.

Bill Allen weaves a story that will have you glued to your seat, with your eyes in the book, from page one. Trolls, dragons, witches, you name it and you'll probably find it in this fast moving story. The trials that Greg faces are too much fun! (Well maybe not for him, but definitely for the reader.) You get to follow him as he grows and changes, and by the time the end of the story comes it is almost heartbreaking. I know I'm definitely looking forward to more of Greg's adventures.

The last thing I want to mention, because it amused me so greatly, is the word play that is present in this book! How to Slay a Dragon is peppered with puns, jokes, and just plain silliness. I am not afraid to admit that I giggled. A lot. There are some parts of this story that are just so absurd that you have to! Fans of fantasy stories will love this. I'd absolutely recommend this to upper middle grade readers as well. They might not get all the puns, but I guarantee they'll fall in love with Greg.

Long story short? Get a copy. How to Slay a Dragon is a great addition to any adventure lover's shelf.
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I did not finish it. Poorly written. ( )

Bill Allen has created the perfect protagonist for middle school readers. Greg Hart is rich in imagination but a tad below average in size, strength and self confidence. That all changes when he is magically transported to another world, Myrth, to fulfill a prophecy. This prophecy requires heroics way beyond poor Greg's skill set but he goes along with the quest because the folks in this world believe in him.

Allen's wit, sense of humor, and word play skills will entice reluctant readers to follow Greg's great adventure involving ogres, trolls, a wicked witch, a princess in need of rescue, and of course a mighty magical dragon.

This is a How To manual loaded with action, adventure and a reluctant hero who also has the good fortune to be featured in Journals of Myrth: Book Two, How To Save A Kingdom.

A fantasy which reminds me a little of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, with a little A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court. Guaranteed enjoyable reading for readers young and old. ( )

I liked that Greg was not brave by any stretch of the imagination, but because everyone believed in him, pushed him to do what they knew he could do, and have him just the right amount of support, Greg rose to the challenge and gained skills and self confidence. The story moved right along and had enough action to keep kids interested. ( )

The story of a young boy who is very timid and makes himself brave in the stories he writes. He finds himself sucked into such a world and having to play the part of the hero, for which he is not prepared.

This story was not for me, I couldn't finish it. What was supposed to be silly and witty came across to me as condescending and tedious. So far as I could tell, by skipping to the end after I was 42% of the way through the book, the "hero's" character never changed, nor did the tone, so I put it aside. ( )