Sleep-Over Take-Over

When dorky, unpopular 11-year-olds Otis and Jagger, a team of two against the world, are unexpectedly invited to cool rich boy Rocco’s extravagant birthday party, little do they expect the mayhem that ensues. Otis wakes up on the morning after the sleepover to discover that Jagger is missing and that the party marquee is a scene of carnage. There is a donkey drinking from the chocolate fountain as doves fly everywhere and a giant inflatable helium sausage floats overhead. Rocco has ‘loser’ tattooed on his forehead and Otis is wearing a wedding dress. No one can remember anything that happened the night before, apart from having to go on stage with a hypnotist. All of Rocco’s cool friends disappear at the first sight of the chaos, so Otis and Rocco team up, aided by Tiana and Chloe, to solve the mystery and make amends.

Simon James Green’s latest title is a skilfully written, hilarious, anarchic, and fast-paced middle-grade story that will have the reader laughing out loud from start to finish. One madcap episode follows another to build to an action-packed crime-busting finale. The action is interspersed with sparkling dialogue, hilarious quips, and repartee while Aleksei Bitskoff’s vivid, humorous cartoon-style illustrations complement the text perfectly. Beneath all the madcap mayhem lies a warm-hearted, empathetic story of insecurities, self-discovery, and the joy of finding true friendship. This is a joyous, must-read book that will lift the spirits of anyone who reads it.