Olly Brown, God of Hamsters
by Bethany Walker, illustrated by Jack Noel
Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 8+
Published by Scholastic, 2023
About this book
Olly Brown adores hamsters but is flabbergasted when a horde of them appear in his bedroom, after crash-landing their spaceship in his neighbour’s garden pond. The small, furry rodents, led by chief hamster Tibbles, are super intelligent, can follow written instructions and, curiously, seem to worship Olly like a god. Although initially delighted with his new houseguests, Olly becomes increasingly stressed as he tries to keep them hidden from his dad and little sister Martha.
Compounding his anxiety is the imminent Year 6 Leavers’ Party, which he has promised to help organise. This fills him with dread, as Olly is intensely shy and any form of social interaction induces furious blushing, sweaty palms and a dry mouth, so he can’t get his words out. However, when he discovers that the hamsters – and the Earth – are in grave danger, Olly must push himself out of his comfort zone and find his inner strength to save the day.
Full of humour, this hugely entertaining sci-fi adventure demonstrates the importance of friendship and having the courage to face your fears. The chapters are interspersed with black-and-white illustrations, contributions from Tibbles and snippets from an online alien conspiracy chatroom, which add to the hilarity.
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