Tag: funny books for kids

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Book reviews by Rory

Book review: Order in the Court

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY RORY, 8, WA

Toffle Towers Order in the Court by Tim Harris and James Foley

Toffle Towers: Order in the Court by Tim Harris, illustrated by James Foley, Penguin Australia Pty Ltd, ISBN 9780143795445

The publisher provided a review copy of this book.

Toffle Towers: Order in the Court is the third book in the Toffle Towers series. It is about a young manager for a hotel and his name is Chegwin. It is set in a place called Alandale where there are two hotels – Toffle Towers and Braxton Hotel. Chegwin Toffle is the young manager of the hotel Toffle Towers. Chegwin has to figure out what to do when some of the guests’ belongings … disappear! To catch the thief Chegwin makes a talent show and lets everyone know that there is $2,000 to win at the back of the room! Chegwin and his friends go to the back of the room, tie a string to Chegwin’s finger and then tie the string to the prize money (Chegwin will feel a tug on the string when the thief tries to steal the money). But what will Chegwin find out in the end … ?

I like all the funny pictures and strange things in this book. For example there are these funny conversations where there are lots of spelling mistakes (put there on purpose!).

I think this is a good book for you if you are 7–10 years of age and like funny things. I rate this book 10 out of 10.

Read a sample chapter on the publisher’s website. 

Rory is a regular reviewer for Alphabet Soup. Read his previous review of The Australia Survival Guide by George Ivanoff. 

Posted in Book reviews by kids

Book review: Nit Boy

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

Henry recommends NIT BOY by Tristan Bancks and illustrated by Heath McKenzieREVIEWED BY HENRY, 7, WA 

Nit Boy by Tristan Bancks, illustrated by Heath McKenzie, Penguin Australia, ISBN 9781760896300

The publisher provided a review copy of this book.

Nit Boy was about a boy called Lewis who had lots of nits. He had a teacher called Mrs Horrock. He was never allowed to go to school because of his nits, because the kids in his class caught them from him. Lewis loved his nits, though. They were his pets. Mrs Horrock made up the nit buster to make the nits jump away.

Ned was one of Lewis’s nits. Ned was a jumping nit. Sheena also lived on Lewis’s head and was his friend.

My favourite part of the book was when Lewis played a prank on Mrs Horrock and took his Dad’s insects to school. The bit I didn’t like about the book was how it changed between Lewis speaking and Ned speaking. I thought it was tricky to read when this happened. I give the story 4 out of 5 and would recommend it though.

Check out our interview with the (itchy) author of Nit Boy

This is Henry’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Posted in Book reviews by kids

Book review: Total Quack Up Again

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

Total Quack up AgainREVIEWED BY JANE, 7, WA

Total Quack Up Again, Edited by Sally Rippin and Adrian Beck, illustrated by Jules Faber, Penguin Australia, ISBN 9781760893583

Jane received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

Total Quack Up Again is a collection of funny short stories. I really like it. It makes me laugh. It was hard to pick a favourite story, they are all so good. One of my favourites was ‘Clean The Car’ by Kim Kane — it’s hard for me to read it out loud because I’m laughing so hard. This is one of my favourite parts (pp 111-112) in ‘Clean The Car’:

‘What’s that?’ (Mumma-Sue) pointed to a small tree, which had sprouted in the leaves composting under Tom’s booster seat.

Mumma-Jacq bent down to pick it up. ‘It’s a small tree,’ she said.

‘I can see that.’ Mumma-Sue rolled her eyes.

‘Possibly a fig or a plum.’ Mumma-Jacq examined a tiny green leaf.

‘Well, that’s terrific. But what’s it doing sprouting in the back seat of the car?’ Mumma-Sue tried not to yell. She was not successful.

I think lots of people will like this book, including adults.

This is Jane’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids

Book review: Demon Dentist

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY CADENCE, 8, QLD

Demon Dentist by David Walliams (book cover)

Demon Dentist by David Walliams, HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN 9780007453580

Cadence reviewed her own copy of this book.

David Walliams’ fascinating chapter book Demon Dentist combines horrific details, very cheerful endings with parts that would make you desperate to cry in an instant! Demon Dentist is a very emotional book. It includes petrifying moments, depressing chapters and pages that would blow your socks off by the way the mood changed from paranoid to like the way you just ate your favourite food! The interesting characters will dazzle you.

Alfie has already had an appalling time since he has lost his mother and now his father has been put in a wheelchair due to his shallow breathing. Now his extremely shy principal allows some new dentist — Miss Root — into their school. Ever since Miss Root arrived, the shortest girl in the school ‘Gabz’ has been stating that a witch had been flying around town stealing teeth and returning them with revolting items like ‘bats wings, fresh eyeballs’ and so on.

The first thing you noticed about Miss Root were her sparkling white teeth, and then to her black eyes that were as black as the darkest hour of midnight. With Alfie’s awesome eyes he even spotted a splat of red blood on Miss Root’s blinding white shoes. Although Miss Root sounds as nice as ever, why would she give away ‘MUMMY’S’ toothpaste that burned through stone and give free lollies that looked as if they were loaded with tons and tons of sugar.

This novel is really well written. This narrative gives you a bit of shock, happiness, and is yet very intriguing. David Walliams’ Demon Dentist should make you feel like you’re in the story. I would highly recommend this to people of all ages and even people who don’t like reading, because this fantastic book would definitely hook you in, make you want to just read and find out what’s going to happen and even want to read this whole novel over and over again.

This is Cadence’s first book review for Alphabet Soup.  If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. 

Happy reading!