The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates

I had been looking for a book to tempt a reluctant reader who I know is coming into my Year 6 class and who mainly reads 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' - this is perfect. It's fast-paced and laugh out loud funny (with plenty of 'toilet' humour') but it also has a great plot and heart-felt message about what makes a family. Children who come from blended-families would recognise themselves amongst the characters and it also deals very tenderly with the deaths of a grandparent and parents. Excellent read.

Alison D'Urso

Really good fun story that also dealt with serious themes including blended families/body image and grief in a very sensitive way. Freddie, Ben & Charlie show that even the best of friends have disagreements but the friendship is still solid. It also demonstrates what can be achieved when you have others to support you on your journey.

Algibson3

This book was easy to read and really funny with lots of twists and turns.

Ms C King

A really intriguing and exciting book following the journey of 3 friends. The journey is comical and fun, and really hooks you in to what happens next. The book carefully highlights some challenges young boys face such as weight, step parents and death of family members - although the book isn’t directly about these issues, it makes the characters feel real and you feel empathetic towards them.

KelseyBarham

This was an adventure full of challenges for our group of Freddie Yates and his 2 best mates. Freddie was more emotionally complex than I expected, as this was not an adveture embarked on just for larks. Freddie's beloved grandma died on day summer holiday started. In a letter she revealed the name of his birth father, so Freddie convinces his friends to join his quest. Recommended for a surreptitious way to discuss loss and emotions (particularly for males), plus issues such as honesty and blended families. Plus there are very amusing adventures on the way!

[email protected]

Very well written tale of three friends on a physical and spiritual journey. Filled with humour, which I feel children will love. The author painted pictures in my mind that had me laughing out loud at times.

Steve Ely

My students told me I kept reading sad books so after lots of Twitter recommendations I decided on this. It is a fabulous book to read aloud that has you belly Laughing at times .

Jo Tregenza

Fun and entertaining. Does include bereavement and adoption but affirming.

MrsAMcG

What a caper! Fred and his mates have so many funny scrapes - this is a comic take on a road trip that will make you snort. It reminded me of Holes, and also involved raw onions in a hilarious scene where the boys enter an onion-eating contest in Barry, south Wales. The zany illustrations by Rob Biddulph match Fred's fact-obsessed, slightly incredulous take on all the characters they encounter from "the Gaffa" who might be a dangerous criminal who's after them, to Sheila the sheep who comes to their aid when they least expect it.

liberryan

This is a fast-action, funny adventure, which also sensitively covers difficult subjects such as bereavement and adoption. It is essentially a story about friendship. Although the main characters are all male, it can be enjoyed by any gender.

LouiseRyall76

I did not really like this book until the end. I thought the humour around death was insensitive and flippant and it really upset my nine year old son. He refused to read more. At the end, I think it was sensitively dealt with and some beautiful parts. I get that it was probably very funny for most - but not my son!

karentulloch

This is by far one of the most powerful books I have read in a long time. I picked it up at the library as I had heard it mentioned by an indie book shop on Twitter. Oh my goodness I was not prepared for this. I was expecting a comical tale of some young boys on a silly adventure. This book is so much more. Yes they are three best friends (year 6) on an adventure and plenty of comical things happen. I laughed a lot whilst reading it. However this book really is so much deeper. This is a book about dealing with loss, dealing with family separation, body image, wanting to know who you are and where you fit in. This story is a must read for any primary school class from year 4 up. It is an ideal class read and I am going to shout about it to the KS2 staff in my school and anyone else who will listen. I laughed and I cried - if I’m honest I feel like I cried more but it was powerful. Also I have gone to bed singing ‘One more step along the road I go’ with a strange sense of sorrow and happy memories. I’m not sure children still sing that song in school but they should. Thank you Jenny Pearson for reminding me of it. Jenny Pearson has got the balance just right if serious and outright outrageous. I’ve always loved seagulls it’s about time one saved the day as a hero rather than being a villain. The church report in the news was inspired and I can genuinely see that little old lady from church in my mind. An added bonus was I did not know that it would be set in South Wales - maybe not relevant to all readers but for someone who is always looking for Welsh connections for our pupils it was amazing. Buy this book (or like me borrow it from a library) but make sure you read it and share it with the children in your lives.

Mrsd271015

I really liked the way this book dealt with a tough issue in a fun and understandable way for children. The characters gave everyone someone to relate to and the story kept me engaged right to the end.

MissVParker

Funny, heartwarming and full of fascinating facts

Erinlyn