A Lovereading4kids 'Great Read' you may have missed 2011 selection.
Loads of laughs in this new series from best-selling author Jeremy Strong. Casper’s new teacher says everyone in the class is a superhero and together thy can fight injustice. Casper uses his drawing talent to become the Cartoon Kid. Teaming up with his class mates they wage war on their deadly enemies who are lead by Masher in three hilarious battles which they win through all kinds of cunning trickery!
"You'll never guess what Mr. Butternut said at school today: 'This is your first day with me and I can see that there is something amazing about you ...all of you are hiding a big secret'. And do you know what it is? We are all Superheroes. I nearly fell off my chair! Then we had to choose our superhero names. I'm Casper the Cartoon Kid, my best friend's Big Feet Pete and moaning Noella Niblet - she's the Incredible Sulk! Now we can fight injustice and Gory and Tory the Vampire Twins. They've stolen something that belongs to us and we want it back - Wham-Bam-Jelly And-Jam!"
Meet the characters (or click here to see them on Jeremy Strong's website):
Casper - IS Cartoon Kid! Brilliant at drawing and with his pet chameleon at his side, our knobbly-kneed hero fights the forces of evil, eg his big sister or the Vampire Twins.
Pete - Big Feet Pete is Casper’s best friend and lives next door. He’s full of crazy ideas and now he’s in love with Mia. Urrrgh! (That’s what Casper thinks!)
Hartley Tartly-Green - Poor Hartley has always got his nose in the air and tries to show off. No wonder he’s called Snotbox!
The Vampire Twins - Watch out, it’s Gory and Tory and they’re looking for victims! They’ll probably tie you to the school’s climbing frame and snaffle your crisps.
Masher McNee - is built like a tyrannosaurus. He’s the school bully and leader of the Monster Mob. He and the gang are Casper and Pete’s arch enemies.
Mr Butternut - Casper and Pete’s terrific teacher. He is full of surprises and most of all, he thinks all his class are - wham, bam, jelly and jam! - superheroes !
Mia - She has masses of curls, which she DOES NOT LIKE! But she’s fantastic at football and when she becomes Curly-Wurly-Girly she’s even more amazing.
Noella Niblet - is always moaning and complaining about something. That’s probably why Casper calls her The Incredible Sulk!
Jeremy Strong (1949-2024) was a fantastic children's author. His books are side splittingly funny and once you have read one your children will be asking you to get more.
Jeremy was born in Eltham, South East London in November 1949. He has had a varied career path before becoming an author including jobs as a: Head Teacher, Caretaker, Strawberry Picker, Jam Doughnut Stuffer! His first published book was Smith's Tail in 1978.
Jeremy’s work is characterised by humour and direct child appeal. The books are packed with tongue in cheek gags and characters and situations that your children will love. He said of himself "My sense of humour got stuck at age ten." He has said his writing was influenced most of all by Spike Milligan, but also by falling on his head when he was three years old.
When he was about eighteen he started writing very serious stories for adults, but none of them were published. By the time he was twenty-one he was writing stories for children after realizing that he loved writing funny stories and making people laugh.
Five Things You Didn't Know About Jeremy Strong:
1. Jeremy Strong used to be Headmaster to The Diary of Dennis the Menace author, Steven Butler! Steven thanks Jeremy for helping to turn him from a reluctant reader, to an avid reader and finally a writer.
2. Jeremy's first book was called Smith's Tail and it was about a cat.
3. Jeremy once worked in a bakery, putting the jam into three thousand doughnuts every night.
4. Jeremy started writing stories when he was eight years old. When he was eighteen he started writing very serious stories for adults, but none of them were published. By the time he was twenty-one he was writing stories for children, and quickly realized that he loved writing funny stories and making people laugh.
5. If Jeremy wasn't a writer he would have wanted to play the piano really, really well, or be a terrific artist.
AWARDS
The Children's Book Award 1997 for The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog The Sheffield Children’s Book Award 1998 (Shorter Novel category) for Pirate Pandemonium The Sheffield Children’s Book Award 2000 (Shorter Novel category) for Dinosaur Pox