Pests

Stix is a tiny mouse who lives with his grandmother. They survive by never, ever being seen – they know humans will call Nuke-a-Pest if they see them. But one day Stix wants to see a little bit more of the world… and a horrible rat called Maximus blows his cover! When his grandmother  is flushed down the toilet to save him, Stix strikes out on his own. He joins a secret school for pests just like him, and finds himself caught up in the horrible plots of Professor Armageddon. There is mild bullying in the plot, but like the apparent death of Stix’s grandmother, all comes right in the end.

Hilarious and full of warmth as well as toilet humour, this adventure will appeal to all kinds of readers. The animal characters are vivid and engaging. Readers seeking more gentle, thoughtful boy characters, like Hiccup in How To Train Your Dragon, will find Stix lots of fun to read about. The warm, nurturing relationship between Stix and his grandmother recalls the relationship between the boy and his grandmother in The Witches by Roald Dahl. This book is far less gruesome but has a similar frenzied villain in the fabulously evil Professor Armageddon.