Moone Boy: The Blunder Years

Martin Moone has three sisters, problems with bullies, and is in need of a sidekick. So when his friend Padriac suggests he obtain an imaginary friend or IF, Martin jumps at the chance. Loopy Loo turns out to be just what he did not need – an exhaustingly hyperactive clown – and he finds himself much happier with Sean ‘Caution’ Murphy, an Imaginary Clerk instead. As Martin and his IF face bullies, sisters and life in general, and try to deal with Loopy Lou who steadfastly refuses to disappear, they find that although things may not go straightforwardly in life, having an IF by your side makes things a whole lot more fun.

Readers will enjoy getting to know the hapless Martin, sympathise with his trials and laugh out loud at the scrapes in which he lands himself. Written as a ‘prequel’ to the award winning TV series, the story is semi-autobiographical, based on the authors’ experiences of growing up in semi-rural Ireland. As a result, readers may find unfamiliar terms crop up, but tongue in cheek ‘notes’ on pages may (or may not) help navigation for the non-Irish reader. At 370 pages, confident readers of 9+ will be able to enjoy this story, though some adults may feel some of the content may be more appropriate for older children (or some may feel, not appropriate at all), such as Martin’s exploitation of his sisters’ ‘boobs’.