Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed

Author: Michael Rosen

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Uncle Gobb lives with Malcom and his Mum, Tess, and polishes his head in the bathroom (why? wonders Malcolm). He thinks Malcolm is a disrespectful little weasel, who should do more homework, and threatens him with the Dread Shed. Malcolm and his friend Crackersnacker aren't keen on working at home; they spend enough time working at school filling in the gaps Mr Keenly's endless worksheets….

But why does it say Gobb Education on each sheet? Are weasels disrespectful? And why does a Genie appear when Malcolm rubs his nose? What is the Dread Shed? And how will they stop Uncle Gobb seizing control of everyone's minds ….?

Defiantly playing with language and narrative conventions, this very silly, bonkers story is itself a joyful rebellion against systematised schemes of learning.

More books like this

Test Trouble

Author: Serena Patel Illustrator: Louise Forshaw

Arun hates tests, so when his teacher sets a timed maths test, he does everything he can to get out of it. This light-hearted chapter book explores the importance of resilience and is ideal for reluctant readers.

Read more about Test Trouble

Hercules: The Diary of a (Sort Of) Hero

Author: Tom Vaughan Illustrator: David O'Connell

Hercules' plan to play it cool when he starts secondary school goes awry when he becomes a target for the school bully. With the arrival of his estranged Greek father, Hercules' popularity surges, but at what cost? With a generous smattering of Greek mythology, this laugh-out-loud tale explores the nature of friendship, love and loyalty with a perfect mix of…