Tag Ben Davis

Lenny Lemmon and the Alien Invasion / Cluedle: The Case of the Dumpleton Diamond

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Lenny Lemmon and the Alien Invasion
Ben Davis, illustrated by James Lancett
Nosy Crow

This is the third in the laugh-out-loud series starring Lenny whose daft doings delight younger solo readers. As this book begins, Lenny is complaining of boredom: it’s the school holidays and his two best mates, Sam and Jess are, so he believes, both away enjoying life in distant parts. His Dad meanwhile is busy inventing crazy contraptions that are doomed to fail. Lenny is sent to return something to his Grandma’s ice-cream shop but unexpectedly, he finds that she’s not her usual cheerful self when he arrives. Due to lack of customers, she realises it’s either do something to boost sales or close down the shop for good.

On his way home, Lenny discovers that Sam and his family are not away, indeed they too are worried about lack of customers, to their bookshop in the town. The boys determine not to let these once much loved shops close forever. On go their thinking caps for project SAVE THE TOWN. To boost sales at the local establishments, Sam reluctantly agrees to don a alien costume and participate in a pretend alien invasion; that will surely attract attention.

Inevitably, things don’t go quite to plan. Yes the town is constantly full of tourists but it becomes under intense scrutiny from the media. With business booming who should return to the scene but their other friend. If Sam and Lenny reveal their doings, will it be a case of game over? Sir Percival Hickenbottom representing the Enormomall, certainly wants it so. Time to take him on: the chaos is only just beginning but friendship is key.

Bursting with James Lancett’s’ crazy illustrations, this riotous romp is great for newly confident solo readers or as a class read aloud.

Cluedle: The Case of the Dumpleton Diamond
Hartigan Browne
Macmillan Children’s Books

Murdle has already established itself as hugely popular with adults and now younger readers have the opportunity to get cracking on a case courtesy of the Hartigan Browne Detective Agency. Herein Dave the dog has been pup-napped and it is up to you, the reader as a newly recruited agent, to find out why and who the culprit is. This is the first of many puzzles that will, hopefully, lead you to the discovery of the Dumpleton Diamond.
To get those little grey cells all a-buzz, there’s a variety of puzzling tasks from codes to logic problems, picture puzzles to anagrams – probably something for everyone, including adults who want to stick their noses into the book. You might even want to make solving this case a joint family enterprise. Better that than cheat and look up the answers, which are given at the back of the book.

My Brilliant Plan to Fix Everything

jillrbennett Leave a comment

My Brilliant Plan to Fix Everything
Ben Davis
Scholastic

It’s the start of the summer holidays – the first since Alex’s mum and dad separated – and the boy is finding it tough. Dad is currently living at Alex’s Uncle Pete’s house, in the granny flat and works as a postie in a small village called Fishwick about a fifteen minute cycle ride from where Alex lives with his mum and older sister, Indie.

Determined to get his parents back together, Alex devises a plan: he just needs his Dad to finish that novel he began writing, way back, thus restoring his self-esteem so he’s back to his normal self – the one Mum fell for. Faking a letter, he tricks his Dad into thinking that he can have a four week sabbatical courtesy of the exclusive ‘Post UK Artistic Leave Scheme’ and thus produce the book he’s always wanted to write. What this means is that Alex will take over his Dad’s postal route and all that entails for the summer holidays. Easy as that!

Convincing Dad’s co-workers, Lloyd and Miriam of the veracity of the scheme is the next step, but having done that Alex realises that what he’s taken on is way harder than he’d envisaged. There are the two biggest bullies in his school who, having mocked him, throw the contents of his delivery bag everywhere, Then he has to avoid bumping right into his Mum showing clients around properties the estate agent she works for, have on their books. Plus the bully boys go on to toss his mail trolley into the middle of the canal; plus, Dad’s boss, Peregrine is getting suspicious.

In addition there’s the girl living on a boat on the canal, Willow. She starts helping Alex with his round but there’s something she keeps from him for some time – something that could wreck the boy’s plan and much more too. Can Alex possibly keep all those plates spinning long enough to accomplish his plan.

Sometimes funny but always full of warmth, love, determination and community spirit, this story has at its heart a very special father-son bond that will have readers rooting for Alex and Carl.