Winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013 for the funniest book for children aged seven to fourteen. Barry Loser perfectly combines the random inner thoughts and outer goofiness of a schoolboy set on being the ‘keelest’ kid in school, but thwarted by friends, enemies and his gran. Full of crazy cartoons, chaotic situations and hare-brained schemes, this diary will make you laugh out loud, cringe and snigger, all at the same time!
You know when someone's horrible to you in a dream and you wake up really annoyed with them? That's what happened to me with my best friend Bunky. Barry has a new problem: Gordon Smugly - who's got the most perfect name for himself ever in the history of having a name, because he looks like a Gordon and is smug and ugly - has stolen Barry's best friend. Join Barry as he attempts to get Bunky back, organises a girly-screamvoice test and tries to avoid seeing his teacher kissing his gran.
'Twice as good as my other favourite book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid' (Ben, aged 7)
Author
About Jim Smith
One of the World Book Day 2014 Authors After graduating with a first class degree in advertising, graphic design and illustration in 1997, Jim Smith was spotted by the owner of a small coffee shop chain and brought in to fill the walls of their flagship store with his paintings.
It was a three month contract; fourteen years later, Jim is head of design at Puccino's Worldwide Ltd, now an international coffee shop franchise with stores in the UK, Europe and Egypt.
In the meantime he's illustrated kids' food packaging for M&S, drawn cartoons on the sides of PJ smoothies, created in-store graphics for Orange phone stores, designed book covers and branded a New York based Iced Tea company.
In 2010, Jim launched the hugely successful Waldo Pancake range of stationery and gift products, now sold in the UK, Australia, Singapore, Europe and the US.
'I am not a Loser' by Barry Loser, the first of a series of children’s books 'spellchecked' by Jim, was published in 2012, having already sold rights to nine countries. The sequel, ‘I am Still Not a Loser’ was the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013 and declared the funniest book for children aged seven to fourteen.