Mistakes Were Made (Timmy Failure #1) - Stephan Pastis
I was not expecting to enjoy this so much! There are a few mixed reviews on Goodreads, but in my opinion this is much cleverer than similar books in its category (e.g. Diary of a Wimpy Kid).
I do think that this is best read by kids with a decent level of humour and comprehension - it's funniest and most enjoyable if you're reading it with the awareness of how very silly Timmy is and can identify the way that his cruelty and ignorance are used to further the plot. Reader's need to be able to sympathise with all the other characters in the text, not Timmy. Without that level of comprehension, Timmy is just a horrible protagonist, systematically ruining the lives of all around him.
Rating: 5 out 5!
Age suggestion: 8+ at least. As I said above, this has to be read with a level of maturity to fully grasp the humour. I've found some of my highest readers among my 10+ year olds are enjoying it the most.
Ability range: 8+. There is certainly some cool new vocabulary, but again it's more about the comprehension than decoding. The fun would be ruined if you had to help explain each joke.
Content notes: This has the potential to polarise some readers, because if you don't laugh at Timmy's ridiculousness, then you'll certainly just be frustrated.
I will continue the series, if only in the hope that at one point I'll discover if Total is a real bear or just a toy brought to life through Timmy's overactive imagination.
Check it out for yourself!
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