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Cyclops on a Mission (Monster Doughnuts 2) by Gianna Pollero ill. Sarah Horne

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Tenth-generation monster-hunter Grace has a unique way of bumping off monsters. She and her sister run a bakery, Cake Hunters, where they make fabulous creations full of a special exploding baking powder that will get rid of any troublesome monster! And now Grace has a new and unlikely partner in crime – 360-year-old cyclops Mr Harris.

They have a new and perilous mission from the Secret Service – to rid the city of a pesky Bottom-Biter who is causing havoc. If only Mr Harris would stop just eating the monsters and honing his advanced patisserie skills in Grace’s bakery, what a team they’ll make!

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Sarah Horn is on Instagram too:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahbhorne9/

The Incredible Record Smashers by Jenny Pearson ill. Erica Salcedo

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“This funny, moving novel brilliantly combines humour and empathy to give children a realistic but hopeful depiction of parental depression that they can understand and discuss with others.”
BfK 5-star review 

A record-smashing, feel-good adventure packed with heart, humour and Guinness World Records from Costa Award-shortlisted Jenny Pearson, and Kid Normal illustrator Erica Salcedo.

Lucy is a fixer of broken things. But there’s one thing she can’t fix and that’s her unhappy mum. Until she comes up with an INCREDIBLE plan. Along with her best friend, Sandesh, Lucy is going to SMASH a world record. Because she’s convinced that starry Paul Castellini – Record Smashers TV host and singing legend – is the answer to her mum’s problems. But breaking a world RECORD when watermelons, kumquats, two baddies and a 30 cm shatter-resistant school ruler are involved isn’t quite as easy as Lucy thought. Can she learn that sometimes happiness doesn’t come with a plan?

Follow the illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericasalcedoillustration/

The Exploding Life of Scarlett Fife by Maz Evans ill. Chris Jevons

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Scarlett Fife has BIG feelings. And she’s about to get into BIG trouble. From the bestselling Maz Evans comes a heartfelt and hilarious new series, perfect for fans of Roald Dahl’s Matilda.

Scarlett’s in big trouble after a BIG FEELINGS episode leads to a runaway hamster getting into the vicar’s trousers at her aunty’s engagement party. If she loses her temper ONE MORE TIME, she’s going to miss out on her trip to Mega Awesome Sicky Fun World, the best theme park on the planet. But feelings are like slime in a party bag. No matter how much someone tells you to keep it in, it’ll always find its way out. And very soon, Scarlett notices that every time she pushes her feelings down, something explodes. Like … really, properly explodes. It might be her teacher’s slimy green smoothie. A huge pot of purple paint. Or a massive pile of elephant poo at the zoo. And let’s hope Scarlett doesn’t get mad at Aunty’s wedding – that wedding cake is HUGE …

Follow Chris Jevons on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisjevonsillustration/

The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. (Paperback) by Jen Carney

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The start of an exciting new series full of Billie’s laugh-out-loud observations and doodles!

There is a new girl at Billie’s school, and Billie takes it upon herself to show her around, teach her the Biscuit Laws, and remind her that yes, two women can get married (after all, Billie’s mums’ wedding is the event of the year). But then suspicion sets in. The new girl seems very close to Billie’s best friend Layla. And doesn’t she know a little too much about the latest big school heist – the theft of Mrs Robinson’s purse…?

Follow Jen Carney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jencarney76/

The Best Ever Book of Funny Poems chosen by Brian Moses

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 18 Mar 2021

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A new anthology of humorous children’s poems from Macmillan, curated by Brian Moses, who has been a Macmillan children’s poet for many years. Check out Lost Magic: The Very Best of Brian Moses, a collection which includes performance stalwarts such as ‘Walking with My Iguana‘ ‘The Lost Angels’, ‘Aliens Stole My Underpants’, ‘Behind the Staffroom Door’, ‘Lost Magic’, ‘The Sssnake Hotel’, ‘A Feather from an Angel’, and ‘Cakes in the Staffroom’:

Perfect d for reading aloud. Explore poems about pets, peculiar creatures, school, family, fantasy, dinosaurs, dragons, space, and just plain NONSENSE.

The anthology includes work by Brian Bilston, Sue Hardy-Dawson, Pie Corbett*, Paul Cookson, Liz Brownlee, Mike Jubb, James Carter and Rachel Rooney.

*Corbett’s Wikipedia entry is in need of amendment/updating

Love is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann

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“This debut has a terrific voice: very funny and spirited with a sex-positive message.” The Bookseller 
“Exactly the book everyone needs right now. Witty, light, clever and absolutely absorbing.” The School Librarian 

Love is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann is a hilarious, life-affirming debut novel about all the big stuff: love, sex, death, family, heartbreak, kittens . . . and kisses that turn the whole world upside down.

As far as Phoebe Davis is concerned, love is to be avoided at all costs. Why would you spend your life worrying about something that turns you into a complete moron? If her best friend Polly is anything to go by, the first sniff of a relationship makes you forget about your friends (like, hello?), get completely obsessed with sex (yawn) and bang on constantly about a person who definitely isn’t as great as you think they are.

So Phoebe isn’t going to fall in love, ever.  But then she meets Emma . . .


 

Toffle Towers 1: Fully Booked by Tim Harris ill. James Foley

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Fawlty Towers meets Treehouse in Tim Harris’s brand-new series…

Toffle Towers is about to be inherited by the next generation. Chegwin Toffle is only ten years old but he isn’t going to let that stop him from turning this run-down hotel into a success. Chegwin is determined to transform Toffle Towers from a boring hotel for grown-ups into an incredibly exciting destination for children (and their families). But Chegwin has a lot to learn and his tendency to drift off into daydreams isn’t helping. He has plenty of ideas but can he turn his madcap daydreams into reality?

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Lollies Award Winners

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Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book

Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory by Elys Dolan 

Mr Bunny's Chocolate Factory book cover
 
 

Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6-8s

The Big, Fat, Totally Bonkers Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp 

The Big, Fat, Totally Bonkers Diary of Pig book cover
 
 

Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9-13s

Tom Gates: Epic Adventure (Kind Of) by Liz Pichon 

Tom Gates: Epic Adventure (Kind Of) book cover
 

Lollies Award Shortlist

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The shortlist for the 2018 Laugh Out Loud Awards (The Lollies) -a set of awards, now in its third year, created by Scholastic UK, to celebrate the funniest children’s books – was announced today.
 
The Lollies are awarded in three categories:
Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book
Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6-8 year olds
Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9-13 year olds.
 
The shortlisted books in each category are as follows: 
 
Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book
  • Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory by Elys Dolan (OUP)
  • The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright and Jim Field (Hachette)
  • Oi Cat! by Kes Gray and Jim Field (Hachette)
  • I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt (PRH)
 
Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6-8 year olds 
  • Barry Loser and the Birthday Billions by Jim Smith (Egmont)
  • The Big, Fat, Totally Bonkers Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp (Scholastic)
  • There’s a Werewolf in My Tent! by Pamela Butchart and Thomas Flintham (Nosy Crow)
  • Lyttle Lies: The Pudding Problem by Joe Berger (Simon and Schuster)
 
Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9-13 year olds
  • Tom Gates: Epic Adventure (Kind Of) by Liz Pichon (Scholastic)
  • My Mum’s Growing Down by Laura Dockrill and David Tazzyman (Faber)
  • Uncle Shawn and Bill and the Almost Entirely Unplanned Adventure by A. L. Kennedy and Gemma Correll (Walker)
  • Football Season 2: Where Football Saves the World by Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton and Spike Gerrell (Walker)
 
The winning book in each category will be decided solely by children’s votes, cast via the Lollies website, www.scholastic.co.uk/lollies, or via the Lollies PopJam channel.
 
The winning books will be announced in January 2019.