Demon Dentist

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I think David Walliams' best books for kids are the ones that are obviously personal to him (and very touching) or funny without trying stupidly hard to be funny, without villains, that are character-driven, that don't aim towards an over-the-top Indiana Jones chase sequence and lose their unique feel. Demon Dentist, for me, is even better than Gangsta Granny. It's deceptively dark, gruesome and truly frightening when you deconstruct it. It's about a demon masquerading as a crazy dentist hellbent on ripping every child's entire mouthful of teeth out, leaving disgusting, vile 'gifts' under their pillow as a treat (like badger's paws and bat's wings, for example). I'm not sure how a younger reader would take this book, so it might be best to say it's for older children, maybe 10+. The illustrations are fantastically sinister, with Tony Ross perfectly capturing the grotesque Demon Dentist and her creepy cat, Fang. The dentist had gripped so hard he had crushed the tooth. It exploded into thousands of tiny fragments inside Alfie’s mouth. With the ordeal finally over, Mr Erstwhile and all his helpers were lying in a tangled heap on the surgery floor. “Well done, everyone!” he announced, as his assistant Miss Prig helped him to his feet. “Oh, that tooth was a stubborn little blighter!” Just then Alfie realised something. He still had toothache. The dentist had taken out the wrong tooth! Thank yous: A few very impootment* thankingyous*. Firstness*, the greatportant* Tony Ross, for once again bringing my words to life with your fantmazingillicous* illustrawings*. Thankingyou* too to the head of children’s books at HarperCollins, Ann- Janine Murtagh, for all your beliefmentness* in me and my boovels*. The editor Ruth Alltimes must be thankinged * too for her meticuliffilous* editnessment*. Kate Clarke and Elorine Grant, thankingyou both for your incrediment* cover and text designyness*. The publicimitiousness* for this boovel* was organmented* by Sam White and Geraldine Stroud, thankingyou* ladymen*. Thankingyou* too to the desk editor Lily Morgan. Finallingness*, a hugalumptious* thankingyou to my agent Paul Stevens at Independent. You are the bestmentiousness. * Multiple made-up word and phrase ALERTS

But the main book emphasis goes around a very poor boy and his very unfortunate life. I see how this part is set to teach kids sympathy and tenderness, not to bully the ones that don't or can't fit in, be compassionate and understanding. Before ill health forced him out of work, Dad was a coal miner. A great big bear of a man, he had loved working down the pit and providing for his beloved son. However, all those years he spent down the mine took a terrible toll on his lungs. Dad was a proud man, and didn’t let on about his illness for many years. He worked harder and harder to dig more and more coal, even taking on extra shifts to help make ends meet. Meanwhile his breathing became shallower and shallower, until one afternoon he collapsed at the coalface. When Dad finally came round at the hospital the doctors told him he could never go down a mine again. Just one more lungful of coal dust could finish him off for good. As the years passed Dad’s breathing worsened. Getting another job became impossible, and even everyday tasks, something as simple as tying a shoelace, grew to be a struggle. Soon Dad could only get around in a wheelchair. With no mum or brothers or sisters, Alfie had to care for his father alone. Besides having to go to school and do his homework, the boy would do all the shopping, all the cleaning, cook all the meals, and do all the washing up. Alfie never complained though. He loved his dad with all his heart. Dad’s body may have been broken, but his spirit wasn’t. He had a great gift

It's the characters around him that I didn't like. Winnie the social worker is very much a stereotype, and her biscuit munching annoying. I was a bit creeped out by Alfie's dad calling him "pup". And by Alfie constantly calling the underused Gabz, his "friend girl" as a "little girl"... She's in secondary school. I didn't understand why the dentist refers to herself as "Mummy" either. Este livro está cheio de ilustrações, o que faz com que se leia de uma assentada e o faça ideal para meninos da idade de Alfie e Gabz (a amiga (namorada??) deste). Twelve-year-old Alfie hates going to the dentist. His teeth are yellow and brown and he loves sweets. He had an awful experience at the one-and-only dentist in town, Mr. Erstwhile, and has refused to go since then. Erstwhile croaks and a new dentist, Miss Root, shows up at Alfie's school to promote good dental hygiene. Or so it appears. But something is off... she's an odd tooth, saying that she will not give gory details on Erstwhile's death, but then gives the gory details: Erstwhile was found in his surgery room lying in a pool of blood with a dental probe through his heart.

The dentist is a common phobia amongst children, and the more sensitive might find some of the more nightmarish scenes difficult to take, most notably when Alfie gets all his teeth removed without anaesthetic, his arms and legs held in place with metal cuffs. Yet whilst this book is unlikely to dispel any dentist fears, there's enough humour in the mix to prevent it becoming too terrifying for the majority of young readers. And that’s one minute!” the dentist announced. “Thank you, children, you can open your eyes…” Alfie and Gabz looked at each other again. They were the only two kids who had witnessed Miss Root’s peculiar behaviour… Join Alfie and Gabz on this fabulous adventure, as they investigate the strange events happening in their home town! Children are leaving their teeth for the tooth fairy and waking up to find odd things under their pillows! Alfie and Gabz are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery - but no-one could have dreamed what they'll discover when they come face to face with the demon dentist herself, in this hilarious and thrilling story! Book Genre: Adventure, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Middle Grade, Novels, Young Adult Darkness had come to the town. Strange things were happening in the dead of night. Children would put a tooth under their pillow for the tooth fairy, but in the morning they would wake up to find… a dead slug; a live spider; hundreds of earwigs creeping and crawling beneath their pillow. Evil was at work. But who or what was behind it…? Demon Dentist by David Walliams – eBook Details

I didn't like the ending again, as with Ratburger. Too much of a chase (after chase after chase) with an ending I didn't want. Join Alfie and Gabz on this fabulous adventure, as they investigate the strange events happening in their home town! Children are leaving their teeth for the tooth fairy and waking up to find odd things under their pillows! Alfie and Gabz are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery – but no-one could have dreamt what they’ll discover, when they come face to face with the demon dentist herself in this hilarious and thrilling story! Despite the sadness of Alfie’s position, the plot itself is very funny and enjoyable, sending Alfie on adventures to find the truth about the new dentist in town. The plot is not at all realistic, but this is what makes it so fun and unpredictable. I found myself audibly laughing out loud on more than one occasion. The dentist is a really scary witch. Quite a perfect halloweenish witch. And she has a cat named Fang. I just love such evil characters!