The world's worst superheroes by David Walliams

In David Walliams' mind there must be an alarming superpower to create idiocy!  In this super silly and eccentric collection of short stories there are many opportunities to chortle, giggle, be disgusted and roll your eyes. In a collection that only a reader who loves extreme silliness would enjoy, there are many kid-friendly, impossible adventures involving unexpected ‘super’heroes and weird villains. 

This is an extreme example of eccentricity from Walliams. He is happy to add farts and disgusting snot and ear wax into his stories, so you can expect this book to be enjoyed by young readers, who laugh at grossness and grot. Readers  in the 9-11 age band will be reading this book and sharing its oddities with their friends. With quirky illustrations by Adam Stower there are lots of moments to laugh at as each page is turned. This is not the kind of book a teacher will read out loud (especially as  teachers appear in one story as villainous dinosaurs), but it will be a book that even reluctant readers may enjoy. My favourite superhero was the boy with Scrabble superpowers who defeated the gods using his effective brain power (and his Scrabble dictionary). Not a book for adults … but if it gets kids loving reading and smiling while they turn the pages … It is a winner.

Recommended (for the fun factor).

Themes: Humour, Superheroes, Villains, Dinosaurs, Robots.

Carolyn Hull