The Goblin Crown by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Tom Fowler

Billy is starting another new school and he knows he won't fit in.  He never does.  When one attractive girl talks to him, he's almost rude trying to get away.  As he's going through the lunch line, he finds her right next to him.  He practically runs away and manages to hit a jock and spill and his lunch all over everything.  Great start at the new school or what?  Things can get worse...

Turner and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 15th.

When Billy and Lexi leave after school, they find Kurt (the jock) waiting with his friends.  Lexi doesn't want to back down so the exchange escalates until she decides it's time to run.  They go in a culvert but Kurt follows.  Billy loses Lexi but when he falls down, he gets up to look for her again.  She has also fallen, but she has a broken leg.  Then Kurt finds them!  All Billy can think to do is wish they were anywhere else but here. He gets his wish.

He's transported himself into a war zone where goblins are fighting humans.  The good news is that the first goblin they run across is friendly.  The bad news is that the goblins are looking for a king.  When the goblin crown is on the head of the leader, the ruby in it glows.  They decide to have Kurt try for the crown and become the new king.  That would make them safe again.  Except the ruby doesn't glow and now the goblins are all over them!

There's magic of various kinds, the humans here don't speak English (neither do the goblins), and the goblin that wants to be king wants to kill them badly.  This is a rough and tough world where survival is doubtful, even for the goblins.

This is also a grand adventure that was great fun to read.  I liked this one a lot and will be looking for the next book in the series.  Billy has a lot of challenges ahead of him.