R. A. SprattReviews

Sixteen-year-old Selby stopped doing her homework six months ago, and when her parents find out, they hit the roof - and get her a tutor, who happens to be her older brother Eric's friend Dan. Dan tells Selby to read aloud from Hamlet, and as she does, the two of them fall into the play - literally. They appear on the battlements of Castle Elsinore and see Hamlet and his father's ghost, then follow the action of the play - and get involved. They bring Hamlet back to the bookstore with them, then decide on a course of action that will save Ophelia and reveal the truth about Claudius and the poisoning, leading to a somewhat happier ending without destroying the western canon. They also save Ophelia from drowning, and drop her into Pride & Prejudice instead, where she takes her mother's name, Katherine, and becomes fifth Bennet sister Kitty.

Selby's parents, book-lovers and bookshop owners, don't understand her lack of passion for reading, but Dan helps them see that Selby's love for stories is the important thing - not the form in which she consumes them. (And Shakespeare's plays really are meant to be performed aloud, not read.) It's also Selby's knowledge of science that helps her sort out that the poison hebenon, poured into an ear canal, could not kill a man - but small consistent doses of it in food could alter someone's (cough-HAMLET-cough) behavior. A fascinating new perspective on the play!

Quotes

"They don't feel fictional...In this world they are as real as us. This is reality for them."
"If this is their reality then we should leave them to it." (91)

"It's like a giant sinkhole has opened up in the history of literature and books are just disappearing into oblivion." (149)

"We have to let the story play out...because, in the world of books, Hamlet is one of the most important stories ever told. And books are important. The advance of ideas and literary expression is how civilisation evolves....you don't get it. You live here in a building surrounded by books, but you can't see how important they are. You can't see the wood for the trees. Books are time capsules of ideas. They are how knowledge and wisdom and art are transferred through time. They are important." (150-151)

"That's how storytelling works - it's rewritten and retold to make sense to each generation. But the kernel holds true through the ages." (199)

When girl Detective Friday Barnes solves a bank robbery, she uses the reward money to send herself to the most exclusive boarding school in the country, Highcrest Academy.
On arrival, Friday is shocked to discover the respectable school is actually a hotbed of crime.
She's soon investigating everything from disappearing homework to the Yeti running around the school swamp. That’s when she’s not dealing with her own problem - Ian Wainscott, the handsomest boy in school, who inexplicably hates Friday and loves nasty pranks.
Can Friday solve Highcrest Academy’s many strange mysteries, including the biggest mystery of all - what’s the point of high school?

Getting arrested was the last thing Friday expected after solving the swamp-yeti mystery at her boarding school. But she better clear her name fast! She’s got new cases to investigate, like a scandalous quiche bake-off, a decades old mystery buried in her school’s backyard, and why the new boy, Christopher, is being so nice to her.

Loved the concept but not so much the actual story. A very niche target audience for this one perhaps: teenagers with enough of an understanding of Hamlet to get into it?½

I read this book because my 9-year-old son told me I should. I can see why he thought it was funny, but it didn't do much for me. All of the mischief was just too EASY (how many times in one book can it really seem like great fun to eat huge quantities of cake and candy instead of meals?) and not especially exciting or imaginative. As a mom, I cringed at some of the ideals Nanny Piggins espoused, but of course this is what makes it so silly for some kids.

Warning: This one ends in a cliffhanger! Personally, I wouldn't start it unless you have book #2 ready to go right after.

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

FRIDAY AND IAN THO 😭 ♥️♥️

OMG I LOVE THIS BOOOKKKK I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEW SERIES TO STARTTTT

Mary Poppins is probably rolling over in her grave. Nanny Piggins turns logic on its head: up is down, right is left (or is it wrong?), forwards is backwards, and cake is king.

In this second volume of pure absurdity, Nanny Piggins and her three child charges - Derrick, Michael, and Samantha - and Boris the dancing bear (Nanny Piggins' brother, of course) march themselves into one adventure after another. Nanny Piggins breaks into prison (oops!), gets fired from a cannon over Dead Man's Gorge, serves on a jury (watch out, judge!), competes in the Westminster Nanny Show, and acts as headmistress for a day at the children's school. And that's not even the half of it.

Don't worry, there are no lessons to be learned in this book. Well, except that whoever you are, you need to be eating more cake.

Friday Barnes returns as inimitable as ever. She solves a series of small mysteries most of which have a link to the big mystery of holes appearing all over the boarding school grounds. Fun.

Friday Barnes uses reward money she receives from solving a crime for tuition at a boarding school. Friday is a hoot. She is analytical but lacks in social niceties. She falls in with a great roommate. Her approach to the 'mean' girls is quite funny. The plot involves one big mystery with several 'mini' mysteries.½

If you like Encyclopedia Brown, or are looking for a female version of him, Friday Barnes is your girl! Her ability to solve mysteries has the reader looking for clues throughout the entire story. The vocabulary introduced in the book is sure to enhance young readers' comprehension of the book and new words. Can't wait to share with my students!

smart girl, interesting book.½

In the beggining of the book friday barnes goes to a new hight tech school and everyone is making fun of her because she is the new kid. I also likes it because i like mysterious and funny books. In the middle of the book i talked about how she was trying to solve a mystery about things that go missing. At the end of the book Friday gets blamed for the whole mystery thing and the police take her in. I really liked this book because insted of having a boy person it was all about a girl and there is alot of books in the seris.

This was another great recommendation from my dad! Friday Barnes is a brilliant young detective who has enrolled herself in an exclusive private school, thanks to the reward money she received from solving a diamond heist.

Friday may not understand making friends, or boys, but she understands perfectly well how to go about solving a mystery. Over the course of the book, she solves quite a few small cases, building up to discovering the truth behind the swamp man sightings behind the school.

Friday is absolutely the kind of character you want to spend more time with. I already added the next two books in the series to my wishlist!

Just a farce. Not wise, no subtleties to make it worth a reread or a special place in a child's heart. Read Brooks' Freddy the Detective Pig stories and Travers' Mary Poppins (*not* the Disney version) instead.½

Kooky and cute This series is a sure fire winner for 8-14 yo. Totally recommend for both kids and parents!

Laugh-out-loud funny read-aloud for families and classrooms! Mr. Green is so indifferent about his own children that he hires a pig to be their nanny. Sassy Nanny Piggins feeds the kids chocolate at every meal, keeps them out of school for their various adventures, and is pretty good at scamming Mr. Green. But even with the upfront disclaimer ("kids, don't try this at home!"), young readers and listeners will recognize the true, risky behavior: a father who doesn't spend time with his kids. Great humor, snappy and ridiculous.

How can you not love a nanny who tells her charge: "But you've got all that permanent marker on your arms where I was writing my shopping list on you." It's Nanny Piggins, of course, whose sense of childcare may be unorthodox but has a loving moral core. Second in the series and just as fun. (Although chapter 12's portrayal of gypsies may be of concern for some.)

This was a lot of fun! Though I’m nowhere near as well-read, knowledgeable, or socially awkward as Friday, she reminds me enough of me at that age. My eight-year-old daughter is just at the young end of the age range for this book, though certainly at the right reading level. Like Friday, she is the family surprise baby; unlike Friday, we pay lots of attention to her! In a few months, I am definitely going to introduce her to Friday!

Admittedly, some of the situations are a bit outlandish, but that’s part of the fun. It’s no more outlandish than, say, Pippi Longstocking, and less so than A Series of Unfortunate Events.

There are many sly references tucked in for the adults, as well. I am four times the top of the suggested age range, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Maybe it’s also because I’m a teacher, so some of the descriptions of teachers at Friday’s boarding school were quite amusing to me.

Friday solves many small mysteries on the way to the biggest mystery—the Swamp Yeti. The pacing in this book is perfect, with lots of action, and just enough rests to make the action fun rather than annoying. It’s also well-edited—yay!—and the descriptive passages are easy to visualize.

Also good to note is that Friday develops emotional depth as the book progresses. Her character is allowed to be vulnerable and open to new friendships, and even to develop a crush (without it being sappy).

Possible Objectionable Material:

Mild violence. Crime. Kids sneaking out at night and disrespecting authority. Dishonesty.

Who Would Like this Book:

The suggested age range is a good start. The 1050 Lexile means it might be challenging for the lower end of that range. There is a girl on the cover, but boys shouldn’t be afraid of this book; Friday’s adventures and emotions transfer well, and there are plenty of male characters too. Kids who enjoy solving mysteries in the Encyclopedia Brown vein will probably like this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for a fun read!

I posted my review on my blog
http://ureadmorebooks.blogspot.com

I posted my review on my blog
http://ureadmorebooks.blogspot.com

Nanny Piggins is no Mary Poppins! There is some great dark humor in this book and practically no moral lessons to be had. I read this aloud to my 6.5 year old and can see where it may be a little better for a slightly older audience. It was laugh out loud funny with its unexpected story line. This book is thoroughly for kids and I can see where some Adults would be put off by the tale...but that made it to me almost more fun to read.

Another Piggins adventure. similar writing to the first...just didn't hold our attention as well as the first. The novelty had sort of worn off for me. We didn't make it all the way through.

absurd, funny