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Find out moreFull of the funniest new books, this section has laugh-out-loud fiction, joke books and stories to make you smile. Most of our featured books have expert reviews and the first chapter to download to help you choose your next read.
Environment Award for Children's Literature Winner | This award-winning title from Australia will resonate with young activists everywhere and is a really enjoyable read to boot! Casey, Zeke and Cookie are Green Peas- their own secret activist organisation designed to grab attention for important environmental issues- usually by means of ‘pranks’ or practical jokes, which cause great hilarity to their school mates but certainly get attention. Casey is the pranks mastermind having been trained in pranking from an early age by her delightfully mischievous Grandpa , the mainstay of the family since the death of Casey’s mother Trixie. Trixie passed on her passion for the environment to Casey and also left her a box of cards with Trixie Wu’s Thoughts on …which pop up throughout the book. The Green Peas have to get more serious when the trio discover what the greedy town Mayor is up to, and they must use all their considerable ingenuity to reveal her schemes to an apathetic community and get the plans overturned. These are delightful, diverse and well-rounded characters and the family and friends’ relationships feel authentic and believable. Grandpa’s hearing problems are based upon the author’s own family and some of Grandpa’s anecdotes are true! Casey’s obsession with collecting and using interesting words adds a lovely vocabulary boosting learning opportunity to this fantastic heart-warming, fast paced and funny story, which has a serious message of empowerment for young readers.
As satisfying (and sweet) as the confectionary its unforgettable protagonist is an expert on, Jessica Scott-Whyte’s The Asparagus Bunch tells the chock-full-of-charm story of Leon and his fellow neurodiverse friends. Refreshing and endlessly insightful on Leon’s autism spectrum disorder, it’s a funny, thought-provoking delight. Confectionary aficionado Leon is 4779 days old (“13 years and 1 month, if you’re mathematically challenged”), and lives with his mum Caroline who works at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. “Most people think I’ve got an attitude problem,” he acknowledges, but Caroline isn’t most people, and neither are the friends he makes at his sixth new school, which he joins as Dr Snot diagnoses him with autism spectrum disorder. After being shown round school by creative, kind dyslexic Tanya, and meeting loveable bee keeper Lawrence, who’s also neurodiverse, the three form The Asparagus Bunch club, subverting how Leon was mocked for having “asparagus” (he’s also called “ass-burger”). When the Bunch resolve to tackle the school bully, Leon decides revenge is a dish best served salty in the form of Scandinavian salmiakki confectionary, until Dr Snot advises against it. With Leon being a self-professed “man with a fork in a world of soup”, there are misunderstandings and fallings-out between friends and family. But above all, there’s empathy, comedy and a joyful sense of life being about “making the most of what comes along,” in the wise words of Dr Snot.
A brilliantly funny story of what happens when a galactic princess moves in next door and almost brings about the end of the world. Exciting new fiction from the bestselling, award-winning author of My Brother is a Superhero. Gavin's got a new neighbour and she's really annoying. Niki follows him everywhere, bosses him about, and doesn't care that her parents will obliterate Earth with their galactic warships if she doesn't stop running away from them. Can Niki and Gavin sort out the alien despots (aka Mum and Dad) and save the planet? Possibly. Will they become friends along the way? Doubtful.
A giant baby is on the loose and everything in the Kingdom is about to be destroyed! He tramples the forest and flattens houses and bridges, he sits on the train station and shakes the passengers out of a double decker bus. Neither the soldiers or the airforce can stop him. As he approaches the castle, the King and Queen shake in terror and call a meeting of all their best advisors. What is to be done to save the kingdom? Only the Princess has an answer. As she keeps saying, he is only a baby…Young readers will love this playful and imaginary realisation of a familiar family drama which is vividly captured in Bruce Ingman’s large scale illustration which blend real and imaginary worlds perfectly.
June 2022 Book of the Month | When ordinary boy Marvin wears his super-suit he becomes MARV. A superhero with infinite powers. Marvin and his friend Joe are at the brand-new super-spectacular waterpark - Wave World! But despite the excitement, Marv's reluctant to get in the water. Although Marv can swim, sometimes he gets struck by a fear of the water that he calls 'The Panic'. Marv uses excuse after excuse to stay out of the pool. Then someone shouts 'Shark!' Shark!? It looks like a supervillain is up to mischief again. It's time for Marvin to become MARV. But, even as a hero, overcoming his fear of the water is going to be a challenge. Can Marv defeat supervillain Shadow and her army of robot sharks to save the day?
Time for another Little Badman adventure. This time, Humza, Umer and Wendy must face The Undead. Welcome to Big School. Humza Khan - aka Little Badman, Eggington's greatest rapper - might have finally met his match. Evil teacher geniuses and giant killer hamsters (see previous Little Badman adventures for details) are nothing compared to starting a new school. He's already been out rap-battled by the school bully, laughed at by his classmates. Oh, and we haven't even mentioned the ancient magical orb causing havoc and very possibly leading to world destruction. At least Humza has found someone to help with his homework. It's just a shame this friend isn't exactly alive.
Neon Gallop is trying to be a normal as possible when her family move to a new home. But her best plans all go wrong when, using a green lipstick he had found in goo, she opens a portal to the UNIverse. It’s a secret real where real unicorns live…All those horses with horns and rainbow hair are just fake unicorns who were invented to put humans off the scent. .. Prepare to be challenged on everything you have ever known about unicorns in this hugely enjoyable fantasy extravaganza.
Raffleton Grey is as bored as a hamster can be. He wants to go to the fair - but he's stuck in his cage. There's only one thing for it. Get ready for the most exciting hamster getaway in history! Freedom means new friendships and tasty ice cream and fairground rides. But as night falls, things begin to get a bit scary. Perhaps home isn't so bad after all - especially if you have a new friend by your side. This hilarious rhyming adventure is perfect for reading (and laughing!) out loud - a fun-packed summertime getaway that's irresistible to readers both big and small!
Little Dinah the diplodocus is a whizz at everything – you name it, she nails it, from singing to spelling, baking to ballet. She’s a great friend too, always cheering everyone on and providing help with it’s needed. But then Dinah enters a surfing competition and finally discovers something she can’t dino-do. Time for her friends to give her a big dino-cuddle and before you know it, she’s back on the board again showing us all how it’s dino-done, ie. by picking yourself up and having fun. It’s a lesson we all need and dino-delivered with style and lots of colour. Little Dinah is a fun and inspiring companion and this is an entertaining and positive story.
One boy's mission to take down a team of super-villains, with the help of his boring, dishcloth-selling grandad? When Jesse's grandad wins tickets to a retirement cruise and offers to bring Jesse along, Jesse is not exactly thrilled. A boat load of old age pensioners?! No thanks. Not to mention that he's pretty sure his parents are going to be talking about a D.I.V.O.R.C.E. while he's safely out of the way. But from the moment the pair arrive on the cruise ship, it's a different story. Mysterious cat burglars, crime lords and smugglers all seem to be on board and odder than that, Gramps knows them all! When an attempted murder occurs, Jesse decides it's time to find out what they're hiding, and catch the villain responsible. But Gramps might be hiding the biggest secret of all. Can Jesse unravel the mystery, before time runs out? A hilarious adventure with heart for fans of The Worst Holiday Ever and Gangsta Granny featuring a gorgeous intergenerational relationship between a boy and his grandad, who is determined to reconnect with his family before illness intervenes. Brought to life with fabulous illustrations throughout - this package will delight readers.
Meet Mo Merrydrew - independent young woman, Mini Battenberg fan, president of the debating society - and reluctant vampire queen ... Fifteen-year-old Mo Merrydrew isn't exactly expecting to be asked to be Vampire Queen of Great Britain when she's cycling home from school one wet Tuesday evening. Apparently, she is 'the Chosen One'. Aside from being uncomfortable with the idea of unelected power (not very democratic), there's the blood drinking to consider (Mo is a vegetarian), and frankly it's just not really the sort of role Mo's looking for (she wants to aim for a real job in politics). But - if you're Vampire Queen, you probably don't have to do PE any more, and when the dreamy Luca, a vampire familiar, turns up, it all suddenly starts to look a bit more appealing ... Geek Girl meets Buffy in a brilliantly funny new teen series from bestselling author Jo Simmons
This high-octane and uproariously funny graphic novel follows Barb the Brave on another high stakes quest. Perfect for readers aged 6+ and fans of Bunny Vs Monkey, Disney's Brave and Dav Pilkey's Dog Man. Barb is a Berzerker, one of an elite crew of warriors who protect the land of Bailiwick from the scourge of monsters. The evil Witch Head has captured all of the adult Berzerkers. Cue Barb to the rescue! But she's not alone - Barb's got her own amateur crew of wannabe zerks, made up of farmers, monsters, and her best pal Porkchop the yeti. This ragtag gang must infiltrate Maug Horn, the monster capital, and find Franny Fire Fingers, who they hope will lead them to the Wise Wizards and the power to fight Witch Head. But when Barb's powerful Shadow Blade sword is no match for the evil she encounters, Barb must learn that her true power comes from her own heart. Join Barb on her second spellbinding adventure to save the day once again.
