Books For Grandsons

Speed King: Burt Munro, the World’s Fastest Indian.

Burt Munro was 68 years old when he finally achieved his dream and broke a world record to ride the World’s Fastest Indian. He had been tinkering with his motor bike for decades to get it up to speed. David Hill has retold his amazing story in a picture book for young readers and unearthed some interesting facts  

Born in 1899 Burt Munro was brought up on an Invercargill farm. He loved machines from an early age. Too young to fight in the Great War he built a cannon out of an iron water pipe just in case anyone invaded Southland.

When he was 21 he bought his first motorbike, an Indian. It had a top speed of 55 mph and he had to ask people to push it make it start. When Burt took off they often fell flat on their faces.

He occasionally towed his family in a trailer behind his bike when they went off for a holiday. Once or twice, when he went round a corner too fast, they fell into in a ditch.

In his efforts to increase his speed Burt learnt from nature. When he noticed how smoothly goldfish slipped through water in the botanical gardens he built a stream-lined goldfish-shaped shell for his bike.

On the way to the top Burt had many accidents but as soon as he’d recovered he was back on his bike and getting ready for the next race.

It was not just the fact that he broke a word record at such an advanced age that has made him a kiwi sporting icon.  It was his enormous passion and determination to succeed and his DIY approach. He didn’t have much money but still managed to rebuild his motorbike, get it up to record breaking speed and take it overseas to compete on numerous occasions.

I think this book is a lovely book for granddads and grandsons to share together. They will also enjoy the pictures of motorbikes and their riders by Phoebe Morrison.

It should inspire grandsons to think big, and grandfathers not to give up on their own dreams and to retire to their rocking chairs too soon.

Title: Speed King. By David Hill and Phoebe Morris. Imprint: Picture Puffin RRP $25

Charlie and the War against the Grannies

Charlie really wants a paper round.  But a horde of evil grannies have taken over all the local deliveries, not just of newspapers, but all the council newsletters and advertising as well. No kid will get a look in until the war against the Grannies who control all the paper rounds has been won.

According to Charlie the grannies started it when he asked them about a paper round and they sprayed him in the face with rooster brand chilli sauce and made him think that he was dead.

“Hils and I decided to go to war with them,” he says. “But then I discovered one of the grannies had a glass eye and I wasn’t sure if it was okay to go to war against someone with a glass eye. But then I discovered that the granny with the glass eye could pinch bricks in half, turn her snot-covered hankies into deadly throwing weapons and possessed a truly terrible device called the Gnashing Gnet.”

Hills is Charlie’s best friend and his partner in crime. She is not your average kind of girl and is prone to dressing in an ankle length camouflage raincoat, a helmet and her anti-chemical-weapons gas mask. They’re not grannies to her but enemy assailants. She calls them the Stinkly Wrinklys.

The Grannies prove to be tough and crafty opponents so Charlie and Hills need help from their friends to overcome them. But will they come on board in time?

If you are a prim and proper Granny don’t read this book! You will be appalled. It is an outrageous, zany story with plenty of toilet humour and gross acts of violence. I’m in half a mind about it myself but it did make me laugh. And I couldn’t help feeling the teeniest bit sorry for the Grannies despite their vicious ways. Perhaps they were desperate pensioners who were struggling to make ends meet?!

There will probably be lots of boys, 8 years and up who will love it. Especially reluctant readers as the chapters are short and interspersed with lists and notes.

Alan Brough, the author was born in New Zealand, says he is quite a lot older than he would like to be and has come to writing rather late in his life, He is overjoyed that he finally got round to completing this book,

Title: Charlie and the War against the Grannies. Author: Alan Brough. Publisher: Pan McMillan. RRP $19.99

The 78-Storey Treehouse

It surprised me to read that the Treehouse series is more popular than books by JK Rowling in New Zealand. But when I asked my 10 year old granddaughter and co-critic Emily to review it with me she declined and said “This book is for Boys.” At her school they love it.

It’s kind of autobiographical. The two authors, Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, are the main characters.  They are boys again who live in an imaginary world in which they inhabit an ever expanding Treehouse. In this latest book in the series it has reached 78 stories. Among the new additions are a giant unhatched egg, a 78 plate spinning level, a not so tight tightrope, a scribbletorium and a courtroom with a robot judge called Edward Gavelhead.

“Come on up!” they invite their readers.

Their previous Treehouse book is being made into a movie and Andy’s nose is out of joint as he had expected to star in it alongside his friend. But the director soon lets him know he is not wanted!

Andy is a bad loser. Off he goes to plot his revenge. But it doesn’t work out the way he had hoped!

Andy has written the words and Terry drew the comicky pictures which are very appealing with lots of tiny amusing details and an integral part of the narrative .You can tell they have had enormous fun collaborating on this book.

Although The 78-Storey Treehouse is part of a series it also reads well as a stand-alone.

The fact that it is action packed, full of childish jokes and comicky pictures helps it to tick all the boxes for the kind of books many primary school boys like to read, especially reluctant readers.

I like the fact that the violence is not too extreme and the humour is not too gross. And there is some depth to this story. Themes of jealousy and rejection are explored in a playful way with Andy’s immature behaviour showing kids what not to do!

Title: The 78-Storey Treehouse. Author: Andy Griffiths. Illustrator:Terry Denton Publisher: Pan McMillan RRP: $17.99

By Lyn Potter. Read more here.