Goblins in the Castle #1 by Bruce Coville

My name is William, and I've made a grave mistake. Voices spoke to me from the North Tower, and I released the imprisoned spirits before I was able to stop myself. I unwittingly uncovered a castle secret that's unleashed angry goblins into the surrounding lands. Now what do I do? I guess I need to travel through the forest to find Granny Pinchbottom, but as a young child, I was terrified by stories of this old hag. I don't want her to eat my fingers! At least I have a strange creature named Igor with me. He lives in the castle dungeons and likes to bop things with his teddy bear. I'm not sure how much help he'll be, but I won't be alone when the witch wants to change me into a rat. I guess it's a small price to pay to stop a war with the goblins. 

This book is the first one in the series, although I actually read Goblins on the Prowl first. Not a problem. The story describes a fun adventure and includes a good deal of humor. You probably couldn't figure that out from the teddy-bear-toting Igor mentioned above. This character is often confused and forgetful, but he becomes a loyal friend to William. Herky joins the cast later on, and this miniature goblin is unpredictable. The goblin king has an unusual problem that is the key to resolving everything. The interaction between all the characters is the highlight of the book. The plot's conflict isn't overly complicated. William must complete a quest in order to stop goblins who are determined to attack the evil humans. There aren't any dramatic twists or revelations, so everything is easy to follow. It's a light-hearted tale of a young boy trying to atone for an unfortunate mistake. It should appeal to all young readers, although older readers may find it too light and innocent. Overall, it's not an award-winner, but I enjoyed it.