Author: Paul Gamble
Publication: Feiwel & Friends (July 26, 2016)
Description: Memo: For Ministry of Strange, Unusual, and Impossible Things Operatives Only
A series of strange incidents have been reported in Belfast:
* Oddball kids are going missing
* There are several unconfirmed signs of pirates.
* A wild bear known to be a very sore loser at musical statues has escaped from the museum and is on the rampage.
Fortunately, our newest recruits, Jack Pearse, a curious boy skilled at logical thinking and seeing what's actually there, and Trudy Emerson, the most dangerous girl in his school, are on the case. As per Ministry policy, they are currently being trained in the use of The Speed (patent pending) and will have full access to Ministry supplies (assuming they manage to navigate the paperwork without going insane), so we are confident that they will succeed in their mission to discover and foil this villainous plot.
Please provide all assistance possible, as a) they don't know who they are actually up against, b) the world is much stranger than they realized, and c) they are only 12 and have to be in bed by 10 p.m.
P.S.-Could all Ministry operatives who have borrowed dinosaurs in the past two weeks please return them? We're running low on inventory.
My Thoughts: This middle grade adventure was one of the silliest books I have ever read. Twelve-year-old Jack becomes an agent for the Ministry of SUITs (Strange, Unusual and Impossible Things) when he saves his friend from being attacked by a bear by using a chair from a bistro to hold him off. According to this story, bears are afraid of wooden chairs because trees are one of the few things they can't overpower.
This book is filled with all sorts of silly things told in footnotes and in pages from the manual of the Ministry of SUITs. I'm not quite sure how much of this is middle grade humor but I did find myself chuckling as I read this one. The Tooth Fairy is a big, burly guy who runs around in a pink tutu and who claims any teeth found under pillows whether or not they have come out of the mouth they grew in.
Jack and his new partner Trudy find themselves up against pirates, dinosaurs, and other strange creatures as they try to figure out who is taking odd kids (including Jack's best friend David) and why they are being taken.
This one was fun and there is room for sequels. I'll be looking for them.
Favorite Quote:
"Does the Minister know what's going on?"I received this ARC from Macmillan. You can buy your copy here.
"Probably not," said Grey. "But he will at least make you confused in a different way. Now follow me."
I hadn't heard of this one. It sounds very cute! I'll have to check it out. Thanks!
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