BooksforTopics Reading for Pleasure Recommendations
Book Title: My Arch-Enemy is a Brain in a Jar
Author: David Solomons
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Publication Date: June 2018
Most Suitable For: Years 4-6
This is the fourth instalment in David’s Solomons’ popular and entertaining series for children. Earlier books in the series have already proved to be hugely popular in primary classrooms, with the first book My Brother is a Super-Hero (available here) winning Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the British Book Industry Awards Children’s Book of the Year and the second book My Gym Teacher Is an Alien Overlord (available here) scooping a 2017 Lollies Laugh out Loud Book Award.
David’s books are humorous, fast-paced and packed with action and the newest addition is no exception. 11-year-old Luke is still reeling after Zorbon the Decider has robbed him of his claim to superpowers and given the powers to Luke’s totally undeserving older brother Zack instead.
To complicate things further, Zack and Luke have now swapped bodies on their return from a parallel universe, so while Luke is happy to have control of the superpowers, he is definitely not happy about having his older brother’s teenage body, not to mention Zack’s weird feet. Now all he needs is a chance to put the superpowers to the test.
An unexpected complimentary family holiday at Great Minds Leisure Park soon provides the perfect opportunity. Anyone who has ever taken a trip to a holiday park will appreciate the dry humour with which the Leisure Park is portrayed. But behind the pine-scented air fresheners, the food cupboards doubling as bedrooms, the strangely-coloured water in the outdoor pool and the choices of ‘dining experiences’, loitres something altogether more sinister.
Luke soon discovers that his dastardly arch-enemy is lurking there too. What follows is a witty adventure moving at a hundred miles-an-hour, filled with Solomons’ own brand of comedy featuring superhero jokes, witty dialogue and entertaining one-liners.
Fans of the series will not be disappointed with the fourth instalment of Luke’s adventures.
You can order My Arch-Enemy is a Brain in a Jar online or from your local bookshop or library.
Many thanks to the publisher for kindly sending me a review copy of this book.
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