This review comes by special request from Minishine and Babybows who loved this book so much that they wanted to shout about it. WOAH YEAH!!!
Blurb: The biscuit factory in Haddie’s hometown is absolutely 100% NOT a Super-Secret Science Lab. Or a portal to another dimension. With orange fluffy monsters. OH NO. DEFINITELY NOT. Or … is it? A laugh-out-loud biscuit-bonkers adventure for fans of My Brother is a Superhero and Kid Normal.
I live near a biscuit factory. Sounds like a dream come true, right?
But it’s not all fun and jammie dodgers. You see, the biscuit factory is really a Super-Secret Science Lab. Everyone pretends it makes biscuits. It just makes life easier.
Until today. Because the biscuit factory tore a hole through dimensions, and now HUGE ORANGE MONSTERS are climbing through.
Oh, and if we don’t do something, the world is going to go KABLOOEY in the next thirty minutes. NOT ON MY WATCH. You coming?
Review: This is another absolutely top-notch middle grade book from the genius that brought us Happytown Must Be Destroyed.
It is funny and action-packed from beginning to end, and contains great messages about pursuing your goals but also listening to your friends occasionally. Mainly though, it is a hilarious romp of big orange fluffy monsters, a rabbit who thinks he is a Man and a superhero, scientists who pretend they make biscuits, and the perils of riding the Happybus and pretending that everything is all Normalton when actually things are pretty weird and something needs to be done about it.
I read this aloud to my two as a bedtime story and it was one of our favourites all round. I particularly liked doing my Big Orange Monster voice and have spent a lot of time since finishing the book letting the kids know that ‘I Am Reading This Book’ or ‘I Am Standing In A Very Messy Bedroom’ to groans (them) and hilarity (me).
Here’s what Minishine (12) and Babybows (9) had to say about the it (the book, not my attempts at humour!):
Babybows: This was totally awesome! My favourite bit is ManMan because he is so determined and wants to fight everything all the time. I love this whole book so much though! I mean, there are weird fluffy monsters from a biscuit science factory – SO cool!
Minishine: I liked the big orange monsters too because they always say what they are doing, like, ‘I Am Reviewing A Really Good Book!’ It was a really hectic story – in a good way. Like, CRAZY good!
Babybows: Yep, AND I love the scientists, because I like science, AND the weird one-way wandering way doors.
Minishine: I liked ManMan too and how his superpower was being a man, and definitely NOT a rabbit!
Babybows: And Haddie’s superpower was her guitar – El Jirafa Tremendo – and being determined to not pretend things are okay when they’re not. And she has to learn to be more careful about what she does and to not boss people around all the time… [meaningful look]
Minishine (indignant): I DON’T boss people around!!!
Babybows: Anyway, do you want to know what I DIDN’T like about the book?— [suspenseful pause]
—I didn’t like that there isn’t another one yet!
You heard him, James Harris! When is the next hilarious madcap adventure coming out… we can’t wait!
About the author
Hi! I’m James. I write funny books for kids. I am a writer, filmmaker, performer, pole-vaulter, wizard and exaggerator and I live in Middlesbrough.
I only went and won the New Writing North and Hachette Children’s Novel Award for my first book The Unbelievable Biscuit Factory! I know! I’m as surprised as you, but here we are.
I love comedy. I’ve spent my time making silly short films, comedy sketches and animations, sometimes just for fun, sometimes for places like the BBC and Channel 4. I’ve also run comedy nights in Middlesbrough, and I often perform live comedy with my friends. I can’t stop. I’ve tried.
I am a mentor and workshop leader for Writers’ Block North East, a Teesside creative writing and development service.
My super powers include time travel (forwards), making the most excellent mashed potato and inventing new words like an absolute blambletruff.
Website: https://www.theunbelievablejamesharris.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theunbelievablejamesharris/
