Blart: The Boy Who Didn't Want to Save the World facts for kids

Blart: The Boy Who Didn't Want To Save The World is a funny fantasy novel by Dominic Barker. It was published in 2006 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc in Great Britain. The story is about a young boy named Blart who lives on a pig farm. He really doesn't want to save the world, even though he's told he must!

This book is a light-hearted take on classic fantasy stories. It makes fun of many common fantasy ideas. As the adventure continues, the story and its humor get a bit darker. In 2007, the book won the Stockton Children's Book of the Year Award.

Blart's Adventure

Blart is a young boy who isn't very good-looking. He lives with his grandfather on a small pig farm. Blart mostly cares about himself and his pigs. One day, a very proud and powerful wizard named Capablanca arrives. He tells Blart that Blart is meant to save the world. Blart's job is to defeat the evil Zoltab.

But Blart is selfish and says no. Despite his refusal, Blart is forced to leave his home. He is swept away on a dangerous journey across the land. On his quest, he fights against evil forces. He also meets many strange and interesting characters. All these adventures lead to a big fight with the evil Zoltab and his powerful helpers.

Main Characters

Blart's Companions

• Capablanca : This powerful wizard never lets anyone forget how great he is. Capablanca is the one who finds Blart and makes him go on the quest. His eyes glow crystal-blue when he uses his magic. He doesn't have much patience for Blart. But he often threatens to turn Blart into something else, which usually gets Blart to cooperate!

• Beowulf : Beowulf joins Blart and Capablanca on their journey. He carries a large sword. He is always trying to prove he deserves to be a knight. He tries to save princesses and do other heroic deeds. These actions often get him into trouble, like when he accidentally kills Princess Lois's pet dragon. Beowulf often tells Blart he will cut him in half. He loves to sing, but he's not very good at it. He can be a bit clueless and moody. However, he is a great warrior and very helpful to Blart's quest.

• Pig the Horse : This flying horse has a very unusual name, thanks to Blart. The group captured the horse, and Capablanca made it learn to fly. He did this by riding it off a cliff! This risky move helped the group travel faster.

• Princess Lois : Princess Lois is from Illyria. She is loud and rude, even more so than Blart. She has bright red hair and is quite aggressive. She loves to slam doors. She is also very firm about never getting married. Her only friends are the dragons of Illyria. Beowulf accidentally kills one of them. Princess Lois joins the group because she wants to see the world. Blart seems to like her, perhaps because of her rude personality.

• Tungsten' : Tungsten is a dwarf warrior from deep underground. He also joins the group. He is a brave fighter who uses a mallet. His biggest wish is for iron to become the most valuable metal. If that happened, his tribe would control all the silver and gold mines. He is the Ambassador of the Iron Mines.

The Villains

• Zoltab : Zoltab is one of the seven lords of the earth. He betrayed the others to try and take over the world. He was eventually locked away in the Great Tunnel of Despair after being defeated. However, a group called the cult of Zoltab wants to free him. Zoltab also wanted to marry Princess Lois to have children and continue his family line. But he fails at both conquering the world and getting married.

• The Four Horsemen : These four warriors are Zoltab's special helpers. They are named Famine, Disease, Pestilence, and Death. Each one spreads bad things across the lands. Famine is very thin and carries a spear. Disease is covered in sores and carries a mace. Pestilence is surrounded by swarms of insects and has a trident. Death is a skeleton on a horse, carrying a great sword. Touching Death's sword or bones is said to cause instant death.

• The Master : The Master is Zoltab's second-in-command. Both he and Zoltab are very powerful. The Master hides a big secret.

More Adventures

The story of Blart continues in other books. A sequel called Blart II: The Boy Who was Wanted Dead or Alive - Or Both came out in 2007. A third book, Blart III: The Boy Who Set Sail on a Questionable Quest, was published in 2008.