Recent releases from Matt Stanton

We really enjoy Matt Stanton‘s books and during Melbourne’s insane lockdowns this year we were able to read aloud both Prank Aliens and Prank Ninjas, the latest installments in the Funny Kid series. As with other books in the series my kids were laughing out loud at Max’s antics, Abby’s wit and the situations they get themselves into.

The great thing about a series like this that is still expanding is that when we read the latest addition the kids get interested in the previous books and will bring them back out to re-read.

Also recently released is the second in Matt’s series The Odds. For those who missed the first one, you definitely want to read these in order as you are introduced to the many characters that have come from Kip’s mind to inhabit her reality. The second book, Run, Odds, Run brilliantly explores what each of the characters represents and gives a great cliffhanger about where the story might be taking us.

This book again has plenty of humour and action. iI love the way all the different characters react to each other and respond differently to the same situations. I think it’s great that Kip’s dad has Matt Stanton’s job, I bet that helps him write from a place of authenticity.

In terms of the number of words and the level of reading these books should suit most kids who find Matt’s series, Funny Kid, just right. The only difference is that this new series requires a lot more visual reading. Because the story is told through comic-book style illustrations and speech bubbles there are elements of the story that aren’t spelled out and readers will have to draw their own inferences.