The Lovesick Salesman

By Margaret Gray

"A very long time ago, when this morning's mud puddles were still vast oceans, and dragons prowled their shores, there lived a little boy named Irwin who wanted to be a hero." The uproarious prequel to the Christopher Medal winner "The Ugly Princess and the Wise Fool" Every boy in the kingdom of Coriander dreams of being a hero, which makes it hard to get into the Heroic Academy. Young Irwin's brave swagger is more of a meek stumble, yet he is sure the teachers will see the heroic qualities that hide beneath his slightly silly exterior. But they don't. So Irwin resigns himself to selling candy, which he doesn't really mind-until he meets the princess. Julia is exquisite and brilliant, and Irwin adores her, but she only has eyes for the greatest hero of all. Can the young salesman discover his inner hero in time to win her heart?

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805075585
• ISBN13: 9780805075588
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 9

Customer Reviews

Great fun !

Given the popularity of Shrek, this book deserves a wider audience. The author pokes fun at traditional fairy tales while advocating true virtues in a way kids will appreciate. Almost every line is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Great fun for adults to read to kids! A big hit in my daughter's second grade class. Buy a copy-your child will want to read this more than once!

The hillarious prequel to The Ugly Princess & The Wise Fool

This is the second book in Margaret Gray's delightful fairy tale series about the Kingdom of Couscous. Like the first book in the series (The Ugly Pincess and The Wise Fool), the storytelling here is fresh and funny, there are all sorts of silly and playful plot twists and turns, and, along the way, Gray manages to teach a valuable lesson without every being preachy. One of the great things about Gray's books is that they appeal strongly to younger readers and older readers alike. I can't wait for the next book in the series.