I'm not sure what it is about the diary format that appeals to kids but so many well loved works of kidlit use the diary format, how can you possibly say whether one is better than another?

Quite simply, "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid" broke the mould for the diary format - away from stuff like "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole" and more towards "Dork Diaries" in making excellent use of visual markers, doodles and cartoons within the body of the text to drive a story along.

Jeff Kinney's best selling series is still as popular as ever, and new volumes have always been received with sheer delight here at ReadItDaddy Towers (C even has a soft spot for the movie versions though I think a lot of that has to do with just how utterly ADORABLE Manny's movie iteration is).

So this is the story all about Greg Heffley, his mildly dysfunctional family (including his older and younger brothers) and the plight of being the 'middle child', the trials and tribulations of school, of having a slightly eccentric bestie (let's face it, Rowley Jefferson is a bit of a scene stealer at times, and his own "Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid" is brilliantly funny stuff too) and of course all the dealings with girls, school bullies and embarrassing parents, brilliantly observed and chronicled by Kinney over his colossal series.

Like "Dork Diaries" these books speak to C in a voice she fully understands, and again despite the US location, fully identifies with (though hopefully we're not quite as embarrasing parents as Greg Heffley's mum and dad - well meaning though they are).

Original review links: 

ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book of the Week - Week Ending 10th November 2017 - "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway" by Jeff Kinney (Penguin Books)

Kicking off the long summer break with a selection of super sizzling summery school holiday reads from Penguin Random House

It's a little-known fact that the late Professor Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy Hawking wrote a series of fantastic children's books with an inquisitive character named George delving into the mysteries of science, time and space.

We're also delighted to find that "Unlocking the Universe" by Stephen and Lucy is finally finding its way into print in a new hardbacked edition from Puffin, out today and absolutely crammed with astonishing information about our humble planet, and the Universe beyond.

Perfectly pitched at inquisitive kids who love science, the book engages their curiosity, posing big questions such as "What would it have been like to walk on our ancient earth, four and a half billion years ago?" (the answer, quite hot as it was almost a fluid lava-filled landscape with very little life to speak of). 

The effects of global warming on our planet are examined in great detail here

We do love a spooky read or three at Halloween, and Penguin have a dazzlingly brilliant selection of books to tempt kids this year, truly something for everyone and all ages.

We'll kick off with "First Prize for The Worst Witch" by Jill Murphy.

Released back in September, this is the latest outing for Mildred Hubble, the titular magical mighty girl who never seems far away from chaos and cauldrons.

Even though she's the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, her heart is always in the right place and she's the best friend anyone could ever wish for.

The story begins as summer term has started at Miss Cackle's Academy. Astonishingly, Mildred has made it through to Year 4 without being kicked out - and this year she has her eyes firmly on a very particular goal. 
But the Detective Society is never far away from danger, and it's clear there's trouble afoot at the Rue.

Jealousy, threats and horrible pranks quickly spiral out of control - and then a body is found.

Now Hazel and Daisy must take centre stage and solve the crime before the murderer strikes again.

Everyone has a favourite Roald Dahl book, and virtually everyone will always  pick "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" as their overall favourite.

But high on everyone's list must surely be the classic "James and the Giant Peach" - First published all the way back in 1961!

We're taking another look at this fantastic story to celebrate it being the focus and theme for this year's Roald Dahl Day so let's dive in.

I first read this to C when she was tiny, many years ago and it was lovely to revisit it - and whizz through it as it's such a nice easy and breezy read, the perfect book in fact if you're new to Dahl (where have you been!) and want a good jumping in point.

It's the story of young James, who lives with two horrible aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker.

James' parents were killed, apparently by a rampaging rhinoceros, leaving the poor little lad with his guardian aunts who are cruel and heartless, and treat him like a live-in slave.

James longs to break free of his miserable life, and his opportunity arrives after a brush with magic - and the discovery of a single peach growing in Spiker and Sponge's scruffy garden.

The peach grows to enormous size, and with the help of insects who are also gifted with giant size and the ability to speak and think by the same magic that affects the peach, James soon finds himself on a journey of discovery, and a destination set in his mind - New York, New York.

What always drew us in were the amazing descriptions of James' first bite of that peach and if you've ever enjoyed these fuzzy little fruit you'll know that Dahl's mouthwatering prose captured the feeling of biting into a juicy peach perfectly.

We also love a classic Dahl villain (or two, in this case) and Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker are just brilliantly realised.

But the true star is James, given a smidge of hope of a better life and grasping the opportunity with both hands, and making a stack of very special friends along the way.

The book was successfully translated into a brilliant animated film by Henry Selick, and it's also worth checking that out if you haven't seen it.

But as it stands, the book is potted perfection, a peachy treat that definitely bears reading and re-reading and belongs in your book collection without a doubt.

"James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, is out now, published by Puffin (Self purchased, not provided for review). 

It's coming up to a very special date in any book lover's calendar. Roald Dahl Day will once again be upon us on the 13th September 2018 - and this year's theme centres around one of Dahl's best known and most loved books (and one of our personal favourites too!) - James and the Giant Peach!

This year there will be tons of fun things to join in with, and lots of different events in and around London and throughout the UK. So let's take a look at a few...

JAMES AND THE GIANT WEEKEND at the Natural History Museum - a family festival exploring the natural world, as featured in the story, on the weekend of September 8th and 9th. Loads of opportunities for kids and parents to meet Museum scientists, see real specimens and learn more about the fascinating real lives of James’ minibeast friends.

PUFFIN VIRTUALLY LIVE - the annual Roald Dahl Show streams live at 14:00 GMT on September 13th but is also available “virtually live” afterwards. Guests include comedian/actor/author Adrian Edmondson and Rachel White (archivist from the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre) plus scientists from the Natural History Museum!

FORESTRY COMMISSION - exciting partnership launching on Roald Dahl Day itself, which will see Forestry Commission sites across England running JAMES themed events over weekends in September and into October half-term, including peach volleyball, centipede races and crafting creatures.

DAHLICIOUS DRESS UP DAY - children and teachers in schools throughout the UK will be dressing up as Roald Dahl characters to help mark Roald Dahl Day but also to raise funds for Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity to support seriously ill children through its Roald Dahl Nurses programme.

ROCOCO CHOCOLATE WORKSHOPS - Rococo Chocolate is running JAMES inspired chocolate-making workshops in their flagship London store on the weekend of September 15th/16th.

Tons of extra details on all the events and a special downloadable Roald Dahl Day Party Pack can be found over on the official Roald Dahl Day website. 

It's never too soon to wean your little ones onto the genius books of Roald Dahl (and of course Quentin Blake)...

Our Chapter Book of the Week dropped like a bomb on Charlotte's little world earlier in the week. It's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway" by Jeff Kinney...

Today is Roald Dahl Day! Celebrations always take place on the birth date of the world's most famous children's author, so we're joining in with a review of a book that's coming out today to celebrate the author's fantastic stories...

Our Picture Book of the Week this week delves into the machinations of a hugely complex biological machine. Our bodies!

What a fantastic idea! A book full of fizzing whizzing science experiments based on one of our favourite Roald Dahl books! You bet we're in!!

A delicious set of poetic odes to childhood, brilliantly written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin Blake? Of course we're excited!!

Thankfully Fred Blunt is not only an extremely talented illustrator, he's also a flippin' brilliant storyteller. Introducing us to his very first picture book, Fred Blunt has come up with a pirate captain called Captain Falsebeard, singular master of "The Pretty Polly" with a fearless crew and a ton of parrots.

He's been on a lifelong quest to find The Crossbone Treasure but he has some competition, in the form of dastardly no-gooder Admiral Swinetoes.

When Captain Falsebeard joyfully finds his long-searched-for booty, he might have trouble keeping it from his evil nemesis who comes up with a corker of a plan involving a rather...er...unique mermaid!

Will the Captain win the day? He might need a little help from his brave crew and an awesome flying flotilla of poopy parrots too!

We love Fred's work, his illustrations grace many children's books so it's great to see him putting together his first title for Puffin with such expertise, weaving not only a highly funny and original pirate yarn but a booty-ful book too! Yo ho ho and a passel' of poo!

Charlotte's best bit: The beautiful mermaid who has a rather, er, interesting 'secret'

Daddy's Favourite bit: Tons of little details made us giggle in this. Fits the bill for the sort of pirate book we can really get behind! Fabulous stuff!

"Captain Falsebeard in: A Very Fishy Tale"

Written and Illustrated by Fred Blunt

Published by Puffin Books

Release Date: 2nd July 2015

(Kindly sent to us for review by Puffin Books)

Muhahahah! This book is PERFECT for catching your children out. To give you an idea of what I'm getting at, this is how things 'went down' at ReadItDaddy Towers when this book arrived.

Me: "Charlotte, we've got a GREAT new book to review! It's called 'The Book with No Pictures'"
Charlotte: "I don't like books with no pictures!"
Me: "Trust me, you're going to LOVE this one though! It's hilarious!"
Charlotte: "No I won't! Don't like! Wah wah wah (or words to that effect)"

Some cajoling and convincing later, we snuggled down with B.J. Novak's book which has caused quite a calamity over t'pond, and rightly so - it's a work of genius.

It's worth saying at the outset that this book is probably a real win for parents who love reading aloud (and also a real win for kids who do too!) - Like a piece of performance art, "The Book with No Pictures" lets big show-offs (like me) really go to town with gusto when reading through.

It starts off subtly. No pictures (as promised), fairly plain text, like an introductory passage tucked into the end papers of a weightier tome. As I read, Charlotte wore the expression of someone who would rather be cleaning her teeth with a hedgehog than listening to me read - but then the first snigger arrived. On its heels the first giggle, then the first guffaw, and after that - completely uncontrollable laughter which carried on right through till the end of the book when Charlotte shouted "AGAIN! AGAIN!" - as your children probably will too.

"The Book With No Pictures" shows just how brilliant B.J. Novak's inner knowledge of what makes people (particularly children) laugh, without resorting to fart, bum and poo gags. It comes with a bit of a warning though, the 'reader' must be self-deprecating enough to take the book's focus on making them look a bit daft in good stead (of course, I love anything that forces people to laugh at themselves as well as everyone else, so does Charlotte!)

It's a great idea, one that could easily become a series, one that children may initially be sceptical about but will ultimately fall about laughing over. Most of all though, it's a gorgeously potted piece of performance art wrapped in book covers. The only negative I'd have on it is that it might not stand up for re-reading as once the gag is given away, kids will know what to expect (which is all the more reason for B.J to get cracking on "The Next Book With No Pictures" as soon as possible!)

Charlotte's best bit: Finding out that my head is made of blueberry pizza! Charming!

Daddy's Favourite bit: It's a real hoot to 'perform' this book, I just absolutely loved that initial grumpiness that Charlotte had when she heard that the book wouldn't have any pictures - turning to giggles, snorts and outright guffaws of laughter once the book shifts into gear! What an awesome idea!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Puffin Books)

I begged. I pleaded. I frantically scrabbled around for alternative books to add to our library pile, but it was no use. Charlotte spotted "Here Comes the Poo Bus!" by Andy (Mr Gum) Stanton and Noelle Davies-Brock and that was pretty much that. I mean the title alone would be a pretty good indication that this isn't going to be one of those cuddly books to snuggle down with before bedtime. Nope, it's about a bus. Made of poo.

It's hilarious though, and though I constantly make mention of the fact that we really don't go out of our way to grab books about poo, there seems to be a huge market for them. The more revolting, the better and there's none more revolting than this rhyming story of Uncle Toad, the driver of the titular plop-covered transport, who picks up bug passengers on his way to the coast (yes, the analogy of a poo heading off to the coast really wasn't lost on us...!)

Uncle Toad is far from the benevolent old stinkard he's portrayed though, and by the end of this book you'll begin to realise that what Uncle Toad has in mind is altogether far more gross than just taking insects out for a ride in his buttock-born bus.

Charlotte does a really great line in gurgling cackles that would warm the cockles of Andy and Noelle's hearts if they heard her. Suffice to say that I didn't really feel much like lunch after this one, but Charlotte consumed it with glee.

Charlotte's best bit: Benign old Uncle Toad revealing his true colours once they arrive at the seaside. GULP!

Daddy's Favourite bit: C'mon, if you don't investigate this book purely on the title alone, at least give it a try for the sheer bare-faced cheek you can imagine it must've taken to pitch this one to a publisher. "It's about a bus. Made of poo!"

Side-stepping the arguments over cats vs dogs, is there anything cuter in this world than a kitten? Particularly a little black kitten with huge eyes and the sort of expression that can reduce a grown 46-year-old man to coos of "Awww" or "lookit his liddle face!"

Max, the kitten in Ed Vere's superb "Max the Brave" is getting really fed up with all this cooing and cutesy-pie stuff. In fact there's one thing Max hates more than anything else. Being tied up with lovely pink ribbons (aw but he does look cute in them, says Charlotte).

Max decides that there's only one thing for it. To shrug off his cute image once and for all by performing the ultimate kitty feat of derring-do. Catching a mouse.

Max begins his quest by asking for advice from the various creatures he meets on his journey. Bird is not a mouse, but is sure he's seen mouse scurrying by. Fish is not a mouse but he's pretty sure he's seen mouse running into the garden.

But when Max actually meets a mouse, what happens?

Oh my, we couldn't possibly tell you. Suffice to say that we have a sneaking suspicion that the mouse in this story is a distant relative (second cousin once removed perhaps?) to the mouse in "The Gruffalo" - relying on his keen wits and sharpness to outwit Max.

That's as much as we can say without revealing the delicious twist in this book that is a really hilarious romp. Ed's characters are always utterly brilliant, his illustrations are wondrous (Max really is the epitome of a tiny dewy eyed kitten - but we should point out that he's brave, not cute, OK?). An awesome book that's going to raise more than a grin or two.

"Max the Brave" arrives on 5th June 2014 from Puffin Books (Hardback).

Charlotte's best bit: Max wearing a big pink soppy bow and looking SO CUTE!

Daddy's Favourite bit: The twist is a lovely surprise, and we rather like the way it plays out too!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Puffin Books)

We're slowly working our way through Roald Dahl's amazing catalogue of stories, and I can't understand how we'd previously missed "The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me" as it's easily one of the best Dahl books ever.

Spinning together the themes that made Dahl such a legendary author of children's books, you'll find a boy hero - an ordinary everyday sort of boy who dreams of owning the world's greatest sweetshop. He always daydreams about a property in his neighbourhood that would be absolutely perfect for the shop, an old ramshackle place that the boy is convinced he can fix up.

He's sad when he notices that someone else has bought the property, and what's more they seem to have fitted it with the strangest door you've ever seen.

All is revealed as the boy meets a giraffe, a pelican and a monkey who own their own window-cleaning business. But how on earth can a giraffe, a pelican and a monkey clean windows? They have no bucket and no ladder so how on earth can they possibly succeed?

The boy joins them as they take on their toughest job yet, cleaning the many windows of a manky stately home. Pelican reveals his amazing slide-top beak that can hold soapy water, Giraffe has the most amazing extendable neck to reach the highest windows, and monkey can shin up that neck and buff windows to a high sheen.

But window cleaning is just one of their many talents, as the rumbunctious owner of the stately home is burgled and calls on boy, Pelly, Giraffe and Monkey to help solve the crime!

We love getting lost in Dahl's descriptions, particularly of sweets. Here he makes your mouth water with descriptions of the finest sweets in the land, that the boy dreams he'll somehow stock in his store. You'll love Quentin Blake's trademark fluid and gorgeous illustrations that feel like they move and flow on the page and there really couldn't have been a better choice to illustrate Dahl's books than Blake.

Above all though, you'll love this book just as much as Dahl's other more well-known classics. Hooray for Giraffe, Pelly, Boy and Monkey!

Charlotte's best bit: The mysterious (and intricately illustrated) method of Pelly's beak deployment - and Giraffe's lovely eyelashes

Daddy's Favourite bit: Sometimes when it's quiet I can hear the great man himself reading his fabulous words in his gentle and lilting deep voice. There'll never be anyone to eclipse Dahl's talent. A booky superstar!

Good bloomin' lord! Can you believe that "Father Christmas" is 40 years old? There must have been something rather special pumped into the water supply in 1973 as so many brilliant and timeless children's books were first published that year ("The Tiger Who Came To Tea" also celebrated its 40th Anniversary this year, woohoo!)

From Raymond Briggs, the genius behind "The Snowman" - something that you can't quite imagine not being on telly over Christmas, comes this tale of a thoroughly bloomin' grumpy Santa and his preparations for his busiest day of the year.

The book doesn't use a lot of text or dialogue, but it's a brilliantly funny book nonetheless. Briggs has a gift for stunning comic timing, and "Father Christmas" has so many giggle-out-loud moments that we've always loved reading it at this time of the year, imagining the real St Nick struggling with his expanding waistline, his ever-increasingly large sack of presents, and of course his restless and fidgety reindeer.

The poor old fellah needs a holiday. Say, there's a good idea for a book...oh.


Charlotte's best bit: Why oh why, of all the great scenes in this, does she always think the bit where Santa is sitting on the loo is the best bit?

Daddy's Favourite bit: Santa's near miss with a jumbo jet. Bloomin' planes!

We've been continuing our journey through early chapter books, digging out a few of my old favourites along the way. You may have recently seen our review of "George's Marvellous Medicine" by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake. We thought we'd tackle the equally brilliant "The Magic Finger" next before moving onto others.

For a fairly short and sweet book, "The Magic Finger" packs a wallop. Detailing the story of a young girl who has an extraordinary secret power, it does what Roald Dahl books do so brilliantly, creates situations and characters that children secretly would love to be able to recreate themselves.

"Girl" (for that is how she's referred to in the book) can concentrate really hard and "put the magic finger" on anyone who upsets her. A nasty teacher (a recurring theme in Dahl's books - and you'll know why if you've read Dahl's "Boy"), a set of rotten neighbours who like to hunt animals with their impressive collection of guns - Basically anyone who crosses "Girl" is in for a very nasty time indeed.

After an incident in class, Girl puts the magic finger on her teacher who grows into a massive and rather whiskery cat. Girl also puts the magic finger on Mr and Mrs Gregg and their sons Philip and William, after they slaughter deer and ducks while hunting for their supper. The effect on the Greggs is spellbinding and astounding, they swap places with the ducks they've been blazing away at - and realise the error of their ways.

Dahl has a way with presenting moral tales that don't wag a finger (magic or otherwise), don't preach, and tales that speak to children in a language that feels like their own. Sometimes very dark, quite often incredibly subversive but always with purpose and meaning. His characters here have impact, and the narrative is often delivered through their eyes as events unfold.

I remember when I first read this book, spending weeks wondering what it would be like to have that sort of power - to be able to right wrongs, become a finger-wielding superhero!

Charlotte liked the fact that the ducks get their revenge, but are actually quite forgiving (more than I would be if my entire family was blasted to bits by some thoughtless hunters). I love the subtle undertones of guilt that "Girl" feels when she wields her power, but always with a sense of right and wrong firmly underpinning her actions (I also love the fact that she mixes up her numbers at the start of the book - you'll see what I mean).

Quentin Blake's scratchy but well-suited illustrations are fab, and though this is one of the shorter Dahl books, it's brilliant for early readers who don't want to have to wade through a book that's going to take ages to deliver its payload.

Charlotte's best bit: Duck dinner time!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Magical and meaningful, with plenty of brilliant moments where you'd really love - or loathe - a power like Girl's

Here's a neatly gender-swapped fairy tale courtesy of one of our favourite book heroes, the awesome, the mighty, the sublime Babette Cole.

Respinning a classic children's favourite isn't always easy, but here we meet Prince Cinders, an altogether familiar character - a wee wisp of a lad who is scrawny, skinny and probably a little bit pimply. Compared to his rugged handsome huge and muscly brothers, Prince Cinders has always been a bit pathetic and rubbish, and never gets asked out on any dates.

He spends his evenings cleaning up after his brothers (and tidying up their magazines - with lurid titles like "Moustache Monthly" or "Muscles for All"). It's a pretty poor existence until one day, coughing and spluttering down the chimney comes his Fairy Godmother.

"Time to get your bum down to the disco, Cinders!" says Fairy Godmo. With a flick of her wand, and a few useful accessories Prince Cinders is transformed into a herculean figure that men want to be, and women want to be with.

Off to the dance he hurries, but his clumsy ineptitude doesn't go away, and though he meets a ravishing Princess who thinks he's a bit of alright, Prince Cinders has to dash just as the clock strikes twelve, leaving his tatty old jeans behind...

You're familiar with the rest of the traditional story (swap jeans for a glass slipper) but Babette gives the tale a lovely comic lustre that will sparkle and enchant you enough to have you diving right back to the first page as soon as you've finished. What happens to Prince Cinders? Will the path of true love prevail? Will the muscly brothers muscle in on the act? You'll have to read and find out...

Charlotte's best bit: Prince Cinders rather groovy mode of transport.

Daddy's favourite bit: I love Babette's characters, particularly their expressions. This is one of the funniest retellings of Cinderella we've seen, and we've seen a lot!

We all know the classic tale of The Three Little Pigs but what exactly did those little fellows get up to once they'd vanquished the big bad wolf?

In Jonathan Emmett and Steve Cox's excellent little book we find out what happens when the pigs enter the great 'Pie in the Sky Air Race' while waiting in the wings, a revenge-obsessed wolf wants to pay those little piggies back once and for all.

Still nursing a rather burnt bum, the wolf hatches a nefarious plan or two to scupper each little pig's efforts to build and fly a prize-winning plane.

The pigs aren't the brightest spanners in the toolbox (bar one, who is obviously a civil and mechanical engineering genius!). So one pig builds his plane out of straw, one builds his out of sticks and the smart one builds his out of bri...er I mean metal.

Come the day of the race, the pigs line up with the wolf who wheels out a rather sleek and dangerous-looking Saab Viggen-alike. They take off, with the roars of the crowds echoing in their ears but wolfie's nefarious plans mean the steel plane has no fuel, the straw plane is destroyed when wolfie flies through it, and the stick plane barely chugs into the sky before it too is ruined.

Can the three little pigs bounce back and win the day? Or will the wolf claim the prize and snaffle the pigs as dessert?

This book is brilliantly paced, full of excitement and a fitting way to revisit well loved characters with a couple of new wrinkles thrown into the mix. We loved the planes (we'd just been watching Porco Rosso when we grabbed this from the library so Charlotte's going through a bit of a 'plane obsessive' phase!) and we almost felt sorry for the wolf at times, I mean who wants to spend the rest of their days rubbing oinkment on a charred bottom?

Charlotte's best bit: Wolf flying through one piggy's plane at Mach 3. Ker-BOOM!

Daddy's favourite bit: What "The Barrel" does on the smart piggy's plane. No spoilers!