Flember: The Secret Book
Jamie Smart
David Fickling Books

Flember is a mysterious island, the setting for this story: it’s also the life force on which the island is dependent. On this island in a village called Eden lives Dev, who loves to invent things. We first meet him as he’s jumping from a steep cliff face wearing wings made of chicken feathers and cheese powered boots. He’s only sixty-three per cent sure these inventions will work, but work they do sufficiently well to enable him to chase and catch a flemberbug and land in the market place to the relief of his mother. (It’s from her that we discover that books are banned in Eden).

Further experiments ensue and following a carrot incident and its resulting chaos, the Mayor bans Dev from Flember Day, instructing him to clean out the antique shop he wrecked. In this shop Dev comes upon lots of books, in particular an ancient volume containing information about Flember, the life force and its titular Island. Excited by his discovery, he persuades little Mina, owner of a teddy bear to allow him to bring the bear to life to help clean up the mess and this he proceeds to do in true Frankenstein fashion.

This turns out to be his greatest invention in size at least. But despite Boja the robot bear being built to protect the village, with its unrestrained impulses, it ends up causing mayhem instead, and giving grief to both Dev’s mother and his elder brother Santoro, a member of the Youth Guild who has big ambitions. Moreover Dev and said Boja Bear with his Flember consumption have used up almost all that’s available. Now what? Can the village be fixed? Think waffles …

With crazy village characters aplenty, this story is overflowing with ideas, incidents and weird humour but equally important is the message concerning taking responsibility for your mistakes. I look forward to the next adventure of Dev and Boja.