Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Sharks: laugh out loud funny and brilliantly illustrated book that kids will love!

“Sam Wu is NOT a scaredy-cat (except when he is). And when a shark TOTALLY tries to eat him at the local aquarium, he decides he’s not going to take any more chances. So at his friend’s birthday party at the beach, Sam refuses to dip even a toe in the water. Nothing could go wrong now, could it?”

Sam Wu is a brilliant new series of books written by husband and wife team Kevin and Katie Tsang (also known as Katherine Webber, yes… her! Author of the amazing Wing Jones), illustrated by the brilliant Nathan Reed. If you’re new to the Sam Wu books, you might fancy checking out my review of the first book in the series ‘Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Ghosts’ here. Book one was a delight, so I was VERY excited when I got the opportunity to read book 2. Thank you so much to the publishers, Egmont, for sending me a review copy!

Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Sharks tells the story of Sam and his friends, who end up going to an aquarium and (as Sam is DEFINITELY not afraid of sharks) the hilarity that ensues. Obviously, as Sam is not afraid of sharks, when one of his classmates invites him to her birthday party (being held at the beach), he is THRILLED (see: not thrilled) to be going. The beach is the LAST place Sam wants to be – but he’s NOT scared of sharks, no sir. 

I love this series so much. The books so far have both been really funny and the first book has been a total hit with the kids at school. They’re the perfect book for kids who are just starting out reading chapter books for themselves. We’re so lucky at the minute that there are many wonderfully illustrated chapter books being published, and Sam Wu fits so beautifully in that category. 

Sam continues to be one of those really funny characters. He has some amazing people in his life. His friends are wonderful; his little sister makes me laugh. They surround Sam, who is definitely not afraid of everything, and keep him going when in reality he just wants to stay in his room all the time. There’s some brilliant moments in this book with some new characters and old favourites. On top of all of this, the portrayal of Sam’s family is brilliant – they are hilarious. 

One of my favourite things about these books is the illustrations. I think they add SO MUCH to the story. The pages are all different and I love that. There’s so much going on in these books that you can’t get bored. The illustrations are just top notch. They add a level of humour that I adore. 

My Goodreads review:

I am VERY excited for the third book in the Sam Wu series – Sam Wu is Not Afraid of The Dark. There’s a sneak peek of the cover on the back of Sharks, but I won’t spoil it! 

Have you read any of the Sam Wu series?
What are you DEFINITELY not afraid of?
Can you recommend any other books like Sam Wu?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments or on twitter!

S x

Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Ghosts: fun, fearless (definitely) and Fang-tastic

(shout out to Derek for helping with this review)

“Brilliantly funny new series about the bravest scaredy-cat in the world

Sam Wu is NOT a scaredy-cat (except he is). When a trip to the Space Museum goes terrifyingly wrong, Sam begins a mission to prove to the school bully, and all of his friends, that he is a fearless space adventurer. A truly laugh-out-loud, voice-led and madcap story of ghost hunting, snakes and mischievous pet cats called Butterbutt”

I absolutely adored Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Ghosts. There’s so much fun and lots of laughter to be had. There were lots of times where I caught myself laughing out loud. It’s definitely one that will keep kids entertained. I can’t wait to take it into school and see what my kids think! I was entertained from the very first page to the end. Sam has some brilliant friends, who react to many of the situations, as children definitely would. We all need friends like Zoe and Bernard – they’re brilliant. Sam’s little sister Lucy is also brilliant. She might be my favourite!

Sam Wu deals with fears in a fun and relatable way. I loved the way Sam was definitely (not) afraid of things but puts on a brave face, a brave front, to make it seem like he doesn’t. I feel like, even as adults, that’s very much what we as people do! Everyone’s got a fear. Everyone’s scared of something (except Sam Wu). Fear, and dealing with fear, would be a great talking point after reading this with kids. 

I loved the way that different cultures were interspersed into this book. Sam’s family are Chinese and Katie and Kevin so seamlessly integrate lots of different elements of Chinese culture into this book. There’s a very funny scene with Zoe and Bernard coming over for a meal that definitely made me chuckle. 

Sam Wu is a brilliantly fun book, which would be perfect for kids who are just finding their feet with chapter books. The pages are beautifully illustrated by Nathan Reed. The illustrations are some of my favourite bits! There’s some brilliant foot notes and side notes that keep the eye busy! The pages are gorgeous and there’s enough words to keep the mind going.

I’m very excited for more from Kevin and Katie. Katie is the author of one of my favourite books, Wing Jones, so when I found out she was writing a MG book I was THRILLED. I now want more Sam Wu in my life NOW. 

What are you DEFINITELY NOT afraid of?
Like Sam Wu, are you definitely not afraid of ghosts?

Let me know on twitter or in the comments the things you definitely not afraid of! 

Thank you so much to Siobhan from Egmont for sending me a copy of this brilliant book! I shall be passing it on to the school library! 

S x