Morning everyone!

I’m here today to share some funny MG books I’ve read recently with some mini reviews. I read far too many books over the Summer holidays to get to too many solo reviews, so I’m loving this mini review life – it means I still get to shout about the books I’ve read and loved and everyone gets space on my blog they deserve!

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Life of Riley – Simon James Green

“Riley is cursed. No, really! After a fairground incident – TOTALLY not his fault – bad luck follows Riley everywhere, causing disaster after disaster. It’s got so bad that no one wants to go near Riley, including his teachers! But when new student Brad Chicago shows up, Riley quickly realizes that Brad is the human equivalent of a good luck charm. Can Brad’s good luck cancel out Riley’s bad luck? Or is this yet another recipe for disaster?”

I found out about this book at the Scholastic blogger event earlier this year (remember when we could do lovely things like that?!) and the gorgeous loves of Scholastic were kind enough to send me a copy… I devoured it SWIFTLY and it is currently being read by one of my Y6s and he is loving it! This is a brilliant story full of absolute capers and calamity. Poor Riley. He is cursed, and everything that can go wrong IS going wrong. Despite everything he tries, he can’t seem to do anything about it. He is DESPAIRING… until in comes Brad Chicago. What will change? Is Brad Chicago the hero he has been looking for? This made me laugh a lot. There are some brilliant references that adults will love (that will probably go over kids’ heads, but I loved them!) This is one that I think kids will LOVE and find properly funny.

Anisha, Accidental Detective: School’s Cancelled – Serena Patel

“Anisha can’t wait to show off her volcano project at the science fair…and maybe win the prize trip to the national space centre. But when the volcano explodes and floods the school, Anisha is disqualified. It’s so unfair, because it wasn’t her fault! Can Anisha, her best friend Milo, a pet rat, and a high-school vlogger catch the culprit?”

This is one of those books that I’ve been looking forward to since I knew it was coming out. The first book in this series was absolutely brilliant… and to know there’s more made me very happy! I love how science-y and CLEVER this is. It’s so refreshing to read stories about kids who love school and learning! This is funny and gorgeously illustrated too. What happens when someone is plotting to ruin your reputation and your spot in the science fair? Well, you need to use your brain of course! Plus, team up with some brilliant friends and family. There’s lush messages in this about friendship, trying to fit in and family! Like Riley, this has already been snatched up by one of my Y6s and she’s DESPERATE to know if there’s more Anisha to come!

Shadowspring – Paul Mason

Henry is the new boy at Halbrook Hall. He thinks the rumours of yeti lurking in the misty hills are nothing more than stories. Until one day he gets lost in the forest… As a young yeti, Tadpole loves living in Shadowspring. But now the precious spring water is disappearing and no one knows why. When Tadpole accidentally reveals the top-secret location of Shadowspring to Henry, the lost boy she saves, she knows she’s in deep trouble. But what if this human actually has the power to help the yeti not harm them?

The first book in this series made my heart so happy – it was charming and funny, so I had high high hopes for this one… and let me tell you it did NOT disappoint! I was lucky enough to be granted a chance to read this from the publishers on Netgalley and devoured it while I was away for the weekend! It was so lovely being back with this world and the characters who live in it. I loved all of the nods to the first book in the series! With gorgeous characters, some brilliant messages about the dangers of hunting, looking after water supplies and being kind to the environment, this series continues to be a wonderfully charming one that delivers a message alongside a fabulous story and set of characters. I loved reading more about the ins and outs of Yeti Collective life and the names of the yeti still made me smile! I think Tadpole is a gorgeous character and I’m glad she met Hen-ree!

Sam Wu in Space – Katie and Kevin Tsang

“When Sam gets the chance to go to Space Camp with his friends this summer, he has never been more excited. He is desperate for everyone to love it as much as he does – and together win the Space Camp Challenge trophy! But not everybody at Space Camp is ready to be a team player and for Sam it’s starting to look like winning the trophy might be as difficult as landing on the moon!”

I am SO SO SAD that the Sam Wu series is over. I’ve absolutely adored this series from the first book to the last: it’s been winner after winner. Sam Wu finally gets to go to Space (well Space Camp) in this final installment, he faces his scariest battle yet (but of course he isn’t afraid!). ‪With all of his Space Blasters knowledge and everything he’s learned about being a good friend, this trip to Space Camp is a perfect challenge for his final story! This is filled with friendship and some brilliant challenges that Sam and his crew have to combat! I loved the messages of forgiveness and including everyone. Gorgeously illustrated once again (I think the illustrations add SO MUCH!!) and the footnotes are just the best! I’m so sad to say bye to this series… but now I can go back and reread them all! This is a super popular series at school and I can’t wait for the children to see Sam travel to Space (Camp).

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And that’s it for today’s round ups. Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these books, or if you’d like to know more about any of them!

I’m always looking for more recommendations for funny books (I tend to get trapped in my fantasy bubble often and need to be pulled out) so if you have any please leave them in the comments!

S x