View source for The Spectacular Revenge of Suzi Sims by Vivian French

{{infobox1
|title=The Spectacular Revenge of Suzi Sims
|sort=Spectacular Revenge of Suzi Sims
|author=Vivian French
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Dyslexia Friendly
|summary=A story that's going to encourage tween girls to keep reading until they find out what happens.  Best of all, it's dyslexia friendly too.
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=80
|publisher=Barrington Stoke
|date=June 2019
|isbn=978-1781128701
|cover=1781128707
|aznuk=1781128707
|aznus=1781128707
}}

Suzi Simms loved running and it was her ambition to win the 100 metres race on sports day at the end of term - and that was next week.  We're going to read about what happened in her diary, although there's a warning that we really shouldn't be reading it, particularly as it's about Barbie Meek.  To say that the two girls don't get on at all well is a bit of an understatement.  Suzi wouldn't actually do anything about it, but Barbie is a troublemaker and she wants to win the 100 metres race too - by fair means or foul.

I loved this book and I was really behind Suzi.  She's a genuine girl, but more than a bit clumsy and she has a knack of getting into unfortunate trouble.  We've all dashed around a corner and bumped into someone, but when Suzi did it she sent an old lady's shopping trolley flying.  The old lady complained to Suzi's mother and then there was an awful twist of fate.  Their regular teacher had to go home sick and the class got a supply teacher: Miss Grit was the little old lady whose shopping trolley had been sent flying.  Worse still, she knew Barbie Meek who quickly became the class favourite and Miss Grit's spy.  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened next!

The reading age of the book is eight but the interest age is eight to twelve (or many multiples of that if, like me, you're into your eighth decade and still can't resist a good story).  It's an easy read in more ways than one: the story really pulls you in but it's published on cream paper which is easy on the eye and thick enough that you don't get bleed through from the back.  The font used encourages you to read on and the spacing (and lack of text justification) means that it's easy to keep your place on the page.

Vivian French is a master of stories like this: she knows exactly how to pull her readers in.  Her text is supported by black and white drawings by Julia Patton.  There are not too many: this is obviously a chapter book rather than a picture book, but the occasional drawing does help to break up the text.  I liked that they supported the text but were not so detailed that they allow the reader to guess the words.

But what I really loved was that Suzi got her revenge over Barbie Meek.  When you read the book you'll find out how.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals then you'll probably enjoy [[The Girl With The Sunshine Smile by Karen McCombie]].

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[[Category:Confident Readers]]