The Beast of Buckingham Palace

"Now we’re in the realms of the mega bestsellers, books that you see in the window of every British bookshop and for sale at airports. Gangsta Granny , Awful Auntie , The Demon Dentist , Fing : British kids who like to read have often read all of David Walliams’s books. The Beast of Buckingham Palace is the latest and I was a bit reluctant to buy it, thinking that the formula might be wearing thin. But in this book the formula is, according to my kids, different. All Walliams’s other books are about daily life (in some sense). This one is set in the future, in 2120. There’s a king in power but anarchy and revolution rule. And yet, the characters are still funny. It’s one of his best, according to my son, while my 11-year old daughter states unequivocally, “This is the best book he’s ever written.” Finally a roundup of books that the kids read in 2019 and really enjoyed, even though they weren’t published this year. Top of the list is The Snow Angel by Lauren St John. “It’s amazing,” says my 11-year-old daughter. It’s sad (because the heroine is an orphan) but apparently that’s a good thing. Also recommended by the kids: I Am Malala —because it’s a true story about Malala’s life—and The Potion Diaries , a series of 3 books, with adventure and magic. Meanwhile my 13-year old son amassed and read the entire CHERUB series by Five Books interviewee Robert Muchamore."