The Book That No One Wanted to Read

Product Information

My first book from Ayoade, and I could not help but hear his voice in my head while reading it! ( He has a very distinct tone.) Once upon a time, there was a book that no one wanted to read. Maybe it was dry and boring. Maybe the cover was unattractive. Maybe the book was high up on a shelf where no one could reach. Or maybe the book was biding its time until a special reader came along.... YOU! Good to see what he can do in a new medium. Now how do I categorise this.... age 7 or 8 and above I suppose. And for adult fans too - you won't feel it's just for children. He asks us what's underneath our covers? What are we actually like? ( I love how he's making us go deeper, into ourselves to dig more into who we are, inside.)

My favorite part of the story is when the book and the reader begin to really connect through sharing their worst fears and anxieties. They have to be vulnerable with each other and trust that the other one will accept them and encourage them. To read or write is to open your heart and share a story with someone else, and that takes courage. Simply beautiful!

Overall, this has been an entertaining read and I am sure it scores with the children with its fantasy and imaginative storytelling also the funny drawings. A great way to inform our young readers to explore more of their reading choices, and probably to start writing stories (you would understand once you know the ending). Thank you #pansing for this review copy in exchange of an honest review. This book will be available at all good bookstores. I like that (underneath the silliness) we get to explore some deep ideas about why we love to read and what is truly important in the stories we write or share. Imagination and courage are essential in life, and we get those from the books we read. The length of the book is just right for middle-graders and the writing was aimed at the right level, especially the humour. I can see children laughing along with Book and his tales.

Throughout the book, Ayoade includes elements such as characters who are aware they are in a book, and they also comment on the plot and the other characters, making the book more of an exploration of storytelling itself. I found it quite clever and original, it makes you think about the creative process of writing and the purpose of stories. As a teacher, I think that this meta aspect would be something that children in KS2 will enjoy and can spark conversation about the nature of books.This is perfect for kids 9+, and adults too, who love goofy yet thought-provoking humour. I absolutely loved this most bookish of books and can’t wait to see what Ayoade does next in children’s books. The book goes on to play some goofy games with the reader, very clearly citing fooling around as their course of action. The book suggests that the best way to deal with the boredom they both have is to play some games. And the games are engaging. But, what I loved most about this book is that it doesn't just begin and end with the conspiratorial nature and games.

We become, per the book telling us to, the "you" of the story as we go into an imaginary library to discover this book no one want to read. I do judge my books by cover before opening to see what lay inside. A cover can say a lot about the story inside. He says " How would you describe YOU? Not the you in the reflection of your mirror, as that's just your cover, and by now we know about the trouble with covers - they don't tell the whole story.The beginning of the tale is all about how the book feels and thinks about the contents and the readers. Then we move onto the telepathic section, before ending on what felt like quite a low. I often get (slightly) annoyed when a cover and/or the title seem to have little to nothing to do with the story. Argh.