View source for Archie's Unbelievably Freaky Week by Andrew Norriss

{{infobox2
|title=Archie's Unbelievably Freaky Week
|author=Andrew Norriss
|reviewer=John Lloyd
|genre=Confident Readers
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=9780857560117
|pages=128
|publisher=David Fickling Books
|date=August 2012
|aznuk=0857560115
|aznus=B008I33WPQ
|cover=0857560115
|summary=Seven episodes in the life of the biggest mishap in short trousers, and a wonderful, warm-hearted hit for under-tens.
}}
Archie Coates has the most amazing talent for trouble, and whatever he does in all innocence, it's other people that suffer.  On Monday he ends up with a teacher sitting on him, on Tuesday another one ends up half-naked.  Both these and a lot more are shown with all the justification you need - and more humour than you could wish for - in this brilliant little book.

As you can tell it's one mishap after another for a remarkable boy and his friend Cyd.  Fires, knife attacks, dangerous animals - health and safety would have a category just for him.  But his extraordinary abilities don't stop there - as the week that sees him drive away supply teacher after supply teacher progresses, he even turns into a dog.

Andrew Norriss is another with brilliant talents too.  Structured as seven short stories, with a set pattern in beginning and end, the book, however small, burgeons with wacky invention, cleverness - and, as I say, a delightful amount of humour.  Never getting too silly, or slapstick, it just hits the mark and moves on, forever sprightly, always believable, and surprising to the end.

It has a weird fixation on ending up minus your clothes, something thankfully not carried over into the excellent illustrations.  All the same, this freaky week is a charming way for youngsters to spend some time.  It's a finely-judged success and on its way to being my favourite title for the under-tens for quite some time.

I must thank the publishers for my review copy.  we also have a review of [[Mike by Andrew Norriss]].

[[Pizza Cake by Morris Gleitzman]] has similarly inventive, small tales for small readers, mostly set in and around school.

{{amazontext|amazon=0857560115}}
{{amazonUStext|amazon=B008I33WPQ}}

{{commenthead}}