-
Why comics matter for young readers 02/12/24
The Accidental Diary of B.U.G: Basically Famous
Publisher: Puffin
Billie Upton Green – aka B.U.G. – returns for more madcap fun in this very silly sequel to Jen Carney’s bestselling The Accidental Diary of B.U.G..
Stardom beckons at Billie’s school when a fancy TV company wants to make an advert about school uniforms – but with her mums constantly distracting her with a Big Juicy Secret, and Janey McVey doing the splits every five minutes, can Billie be the biggest star of them all? Meanwhile, her trusty metal detector starts picking up some interesting clues in a neighbour’s garden – could it be dead man’s treasure?
This super-silly and gently inclusive book features a same-sex, adoptive family as well as positive depictions of lots of children with disabilities – Billie herself, who it’s suggested is dyslexic, finds ways to understand and spell new words throughout the book with her fun lists of words that look like pictures and tricks to remember difficult spellings. Written in diary form with short chapters, Billie’s little scribbles and doodles are irresistible – as is her undying love for biscuits and cats. There’s enough daft toilet humour to keep young readers cackling all the way through the story, too.