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Branching Out: Books for Fans of David Walliams

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books for fans of David Williams
If you like David Walliams, try these…

David Walliams’ books are hugely popular with young readers and he is known as one of Britain’s best-selling children’s authors. From recounts of criminal grandmas to tales of terrible tooth fairy impersonators, Walliams’ stories have hooked in millions of readers who enjoy memorable characters, an easy-to-read humorous style and a good dose of silliness.

We’ve put together a list of ten similar books for fans of David Walliams. Readers who love getting silly with weird and wacky stories like David Walliams’ books could try the Mr Gum books or the action-packed The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates. Those looking for a new child-led funny adventure to read after the David Walliams books might enjoy An Alien in the Jam Factory or Runaway Robot. For children who like giggling at unlikely scenarios, we recommend Charlie Changes into a Chicken or A Robot Squashed My Teacher – both of which meet our approval as laugh-out-loud favourites at BooksForTopics HQ.

Browse the full list below of books for children looking for more books like David Walliams…

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Books for Fans of David Walliams

Joanna Nadin
 & Rikin Parekh
Chapter book
A laugh-out-loud young fiction series from bestselling author Joanna Nadin.According to head teacher Mrs Bottomley-Blunt, 4B is the Worst Class in the World. She says school is not about footling or fiddle-faddling or fun. It is about learning and it is high time 4B tried harder to excel at it. But Stanley and Manjit didn't literally mean to make their whole class sick with homemade biscuits. And they definitely didn't literally mean for Manjit's dog Killer to eat their teacher's shoes or for Bruce Bingley's rat to escape. These things just happened even though they had a foolproof plan. You see, 4B may be the Worst Class in the World, but you wouldn't want to be anywhere else.Highly illustrated and featuring two hilarious madcap adventures in one book, these books are just right for children ready for their first chapter books.
Danny Wallace
 & Gemma Correll
Chapter book
Can you imagine a world with no screens? Don't miss the hilarious new 'what-if' adventure from bestselling author, comedian, and presenter Danny Wallace, with illustrations throughout from Gemma Correll. When ten-year-old Stella wakes up to discover a world full of BLANK screens, her family, town, and in fact the whole world seems to have been thrown into chaos. And what about poor Grandma who is stranded at the other end of the country? Cue a rollicking madcap road trip, full of driving disasters and family fallouts, as they set off on a rescue mission. And along the way Stella and her family discover that being away from screens might not be the WORST THING EVER, and even though they might not be able to rely on technology anymore, they can rely on each other instead.
Sam Copeland
 & Sarah Horne
Chapter book
Charlie McGuffin has an incredible secret . . . He can change into animals. All sorts of animals: a flea, a pigeon, even a rhino. Trouble is, he can't decide when - it only happens when he gets worried. And right now, Charlie has quite a lot to worry about: * His brother (who is in hospital) * His parents (who are panicking about it) * And the school bully (who has Charlie in his sights) And even though every kid wants a superhero power, Charlie isn't keen on changing into a chicken in the middle of the school play. So with the help of his three best friends, Charlie needs to find a way of dealing with his crazy new power - and fast!
Pooja Puri
 & Allen Fatimaharan
Chapter book
A Robot Squashed My Teacher is the laugh-out-loud, wacky adventure by Pooja Puri brilliantly illustrated by Allen Fatimaharan , the sequel to the Marcus Rashford Bookclub Selected book A Dinosaur Ate My Sister .Esha Verma, her snotty apprentice Broccoli and his secretly cunning pet tortoise have a dream. They are going to win the legendary Brain Trophy - the ultimate inventing prize. This year's entry: The RoarEasy - a gadget that lets the user speak to animals.But when Esha's arch-nemesis, fellow inventor Ernie, lands her in detention, the RoarEasy malfunctions and suddenly Monsieur Crepeau is transformed into a pigeon.Luckily for Esha, she knows exactly what she needs to repair her invention and where to find it: locked away in the mysterious Central Research Laboratories.She, Broccoli, Archibald and Monsieur Crepeau will have to go undercover and break into the labs before the competition to return Monsieur Crepeau to his human form. And with Ernie following them, determined to foil their plans as they face giant robots, killer plants, shrinking machines, robo-spiders, clouds that make you float and terrifying twisters, they're going to need all the help they can get to get out of this wacky pickle.
Andy Stanton
Chapter book
Shabba me whiskers! It's a bold new look for Mr Gum, the best-selling cult classic, ready for a new generation of nibbleheads.'It's time for action,' said Mr Gum to nobody in particular. 'Nasty action.'Good evening. Mr Gum is a complete horror who hates children, animals, fun and corn on the cob. This book's all about him. And an angry fairy who lives in his bathtub. And Jake the dog, and a little girl called Polly. And there's heroes and sweets and adventures and EVERYTHING.You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum! is the first book in the internationally best-selling series by Andy Stanton, which has won everything from the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) to the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Red House Children's Book Award.

Jo Simmons
 & Nathan Reed
Chapter book

A laugh-out-loud chapter book that will appeal to anyone who has ever wished they could upgrade their sibling for a better model. Johnny is fed up of being picked on by older brother Ted, so when he stumbles across a website called SiblingSwap.com, he turns to the internet to solve his problems. What follows is a hilarious series of not-quite-perfect alternative siblings. There is also an accompanying activity pack available to go with this book.

Chrissie Sains
 & Jenny Taylor
Chapter book
The first book in a hilarious, jam-packed new adventure series starring Scooter the inventor and his top secret alien sidekick. Scooter McLay's cerebral palsy affects how quickly he can move his body, but his hyper-creative brain is a constant fizz of brilliant ideas. He spends every day inventing top secret recipes and machines for his family's jam factory. There's just one thing missing ... a pet, to share it all with. Or better still, a friend. When a tiny alien named Fizzbee crashes through the factory window, she might just be the answer. Now it's all hands on deck, as they team up to save the factory from dastardly neighbour Daffy Dodgy.
Dermot O'Leary
 & Nick East
Chapter book
Toto is no ordinary cat. After months of keeping London safe from notorious animal bad guys, Toto the Ninja Cat is going on a well-earned holiday to the world's most famous music festival - Catstonbury!But a villain has a dastardly plan to hypnotise the crowd when a world-famous band is on stage, turning them into evil minions. How can Toto possibly prevent the catastrophe when everyone thinks the band is the cat's pyjamas?It will take all Toto's ninja skills - and some help from a friendly otter - to save the day...Ideal for reading aloud or for children to curl up with and read alone, the story features brilliant black-and-white illustrations throughout. With gentle themes of friendship, inclusivity and winning in the face of adversity, this is a hilarious must-read for all animal-loving kids!
Frank Cottrell Boyce
 & Steven Lenton
Chapter book

A funny, inventive tale told in first person by Alfie Miles, a Year 7 boy who discovers a one-legged robot in an airport’s lost property. Alfie’s right hand was amputated in an accident and he has been given a state-of-the-art prosthetic hand, but he is struggling to accept the new limb and he has the feeling he’s forgotten something really important. A fast-paced adventure, inspired by a real-life robot. Steve Lenton’s illustrations are excellent and it is great to see Alfie and his friends positively depicted with their limb differences.

Jenny Pearson
 & Rob Biddulph
Chapter book

This is a must-read for children who love funny books – or in fact for anyone who loves to laugh. Mates on a mission, mistaken identities, raw onion eating contests, taxi-driving-criminals-busting-through-the-rolling-Welsh-landscape and sheep aplenty are all thrown into a melting pot of gaff-a-minute adventuring and stirred through a warm-hearted narrative that focuses on themes of friendship, identity, family and experiencing grief.

Eleven-year-old Fred is heartbroken when his grandmother dies. When he finds a letter from her that reveals details of his own biological father, Alan Froggley (who abandoned his mother before Fred was born), Fred ups and leaves on a mission to seek out Alan for himself. With his two best friends in tow (both of whom have their own reasons for wanting to escape home for a few days), Fred heads to Wales on an adventure of a lifetime.

It’s not clear what Fred is expecting to happen when – or if – he finds his dad. Perhaps he wants an explanation, or simply a connection. Maybe it’s curiosity – or maybe his answer to the sense of loss he feels over his grandmother is to complete this particular part of his family puzzle. Either way, Fred is certain of one thing; he absolutely must find Alan Froggley. What follows is a slapstick romp across Wales, where a wild goose chase powered by a series of incredible co-incidences leads Fred and his friends to re-assess the things that really matter in life.

The narrative is full of fun – from humorous insights into the quirky characters (including the aspects of family life that drive them nuts) to the endless run of blunders by the trio of friends, like accidentally cooking their clothes and ending up on the news wearing superhero costumes. Jenny Pearson’s brand of observational humour is perfectly pitched for the 8-11 readership. But what gives the story a real edge for me is its heartfelt warmth – shown through the authenticity of the boys’ relationship and the value the story places on family life.

A frolic-filled laugh-a-minute tale that will no doubt be in high demand among KS2 readers.


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