Book reviews: Magic, mayhem and summer romance with Simon & Schuster

Age 8 plus:

Invisible Inc. by Steve Cole

Totally mad and totally magical… the wonderful Steve Cole is back with more Magic Ink mayhem!

Invisible Inc. is the fourth book in a hilarious, high-energy, all-action series that sees this ‘slightly crazy, highly frantic, million-selling, non-stop’ children’s author at his famously chaotic best.

Each standalone story in the Magic Ink series, packed with funny, anarchic adventures, wacky characters, and hilarious illustrations, is carefully created for reluctant readers who like their books to have both visual and verbal appeal.

Tailor-made for every boy who ever dreamed of saving the world (almost) single-handedly, and who ever wondered why action heroes never need to go to the toilet, this latest adventure stars the weirdest cast of characters you might never ever see… because they’re all invisible!

Welcome to the crazy world of Noah Deer (sounds like ‘No Idea,’ it was his parents’ attempt at a brilliant joke). Noah’s life has become an action story and it’s tough going. His madcap inventor mum lives in her lab in the basement of their house, an old, dark, creepy Victorian lodge.

Noah, who seems to get forgotten when his mum is working on a new invention, has the strangest feeling recently that he is being watched by something invisible. And then he learns that her new invention can zap anything into a ghost of its former self. It’s still there, but you can’t see it and you can’t touch it.

The trouble really starts when the sinister Seerblight Solutions steal her invention and Noah is zapped, only to find that he is not the first person to have been turned ‘invisible’ through the ages. With all humankind in terrible danger, Earth’s last line of defence is one never before seen or heard of…

Invisible Inc. A medieval knight, a Victorian inventor, a poetic pony and an ordinary boy. How can they possibly save the world?

Chaos, wizardry, a gang of sort-of ghosts and Jim Field’s brilliant black and white illustrations are just some of the many reasons why kids will love this fantastic, fantastical adventure story.

(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £6.99)

Age 8 plus:

Holiday Ha Ha Ha!

Here’s a sparkling, sunshine book that guarantees youngsters will have the first and last laugh this summer.

A top class selection of much-loved children’s authors have pooled their talents for a super selection of eight sunny, funny reads to keep youngsters entertained during the long summer holidays.

Perfectly pitched for middle grade readers in search of some enjoyable comic relief from pesky parents and exasperating siblings, these short and humour-packed stories will induce plenty of giggles and guffaws.

The stellar line-up of authors includes Steve Cole, David Solomons, Joanna Nadin, Jeremy Strong, William Sutcliffe, Steven Butler, Candy Harper and Jonathan Meres and with a jump-for-joy book cover from illustrator Jamie Littler, children will be smiling even before they turn to the first page.

From disastrous car journeys, super-powered grannies, ghoulish ghost hunters and amazing aliens to fantastical forests, crazy creatures, tiresome traffic jams and terrible talent shows, there is something for everyone in this side-splitting selection.