Sleepover Takeover
by Simon James Green, illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff
Interest age: 8 to 11
Reading age: 8+
Published by Scholastic, 2022
About this book
Otis and his mate, Jagger, are the class dorks – and very happy about it. But when they get an unexpected invitation to cool-kid Rocco’s birthday sleepover, they can’t resist the temptation to go along.
The party is spectacular. That is, until Otis wakes next morning to a scene of absolute carnage: a rampant donkey is wrecking the marquee and plastering everything with chocolate from last night’s fountain, Rocco has a new tattoo on his forehead, and Otis is inexplicably wearing a wedding dress. But, oddest of all, no-one can remember what happened.
As the rest of the guests make a hasty exit, Otis, Rocco, Other Chloe and Tiana must team-up to try and solve the mystery, clear up the mess - and find Jagger.
This is a fantastically funny, exciting, unexpected, and sometimes touching, mystery thriller which leads the youngsters to some very strange places before culminating in a dramatic, slapstick finale. With non-stereotypical gender representation and important themes of self-discovery and the real nature of friendship, this is a book to inspire you to wear your weirdness with pride.
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Cold Turkey
by Simon James Green, illustrated by Tosin Akinkunmi
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The Double Life of Ted Amos
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Lists of recommended reads
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Books with LGBTQ+ characters for ages 8+
All children deserve to see themselves and their type of family set-up depicted in books, but for many middle-grade readers, finding stories with LGBTQ+ characters can sadly be difficult. Here, we've picked out our favourite middle-grade books which show, and celebrate, LGBTQ+ characters and families.