Will Shakespeare Mysteries: The Stinky Stolen Toenails
by Kaz Penney, illustrated by Sammy Elgie
Interest age: 7 to 11
Reading age: 7+
Published by Andersen Press, 2026
About this book
Young Will Shakespeare is bored of his dull life with his annoying family in uneventful Stratford-upon-Avon. He longs for bigger, better things, and is determined to find fame and fortune by becoming the greatest person-who-solves-crimes in the world. His big break comes when the priceless Moundsofgoo Treasure – a bag of Henry VIII's old, stinky, fungus-covered toenail clippings, which allegedly contain magical healing powers – is stolen!
Ronaldo Moundsofgoo, who is madly in love with Judy Catapult, is desperate to get the treasure back, as he has promised it to Master Catapult, in exchange for his daughter's hand in marriage. Will and his best friend Tybalt embark on a convoluted quest to catch the thief and retrieve the toenails.
This rip-roaring Elizabethan adventure is bursting with revolting yet hilarious escapades, involving slimy snot, putrid farts and globs of earwax, not to mention an unscrupulous alchemist and a high-risk hostage situation involving an enormous Christmas Pie. Packed full of energetic drawings which bring the story to life, the tale even contains a handful of historical facts to give readers a glimpse of what it may have been like to live in this era.
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Great Books Guide 2026-27: for 8 to 9-year-olds
Here’s a round-up of new children’s books from the last year, which we think any child aged 8 to 9 will love