Maisie Mae: No Boys Allowed! by Poppy Harper (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)

April 2014, Little Brown, 160 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: sibling rivalry, pranks, being an only girl, pink explosion, new bedroom competition, stinky socks,

Content: W*rms, epic amount of humour, some regret

 

Summary from Little, Brown

Maisie Mae and her best friend Bethany-next-door like pink, unicorns and heart-shaped cushions. Maisie Mae's five stinky brothers like worms, football and CHAOS!

Join eight-year-old Maisie as she holds her own in a boisterous family where practical jokes are the order of the day. She might like girly things, but that doesn't mean she's above a prank or three - especially when it comes to twins Harry and Ollie who she has to share a room with.

When Maisie's dad inherits some money from a great-uncle everyone had forgotten about, he has brilliant news. They're going to convert the attic into a new bedroom. Maisie and her brothers immediately start arguing over who will get it. Mum and Dad silence them - whoever behaves best in the next few weeks will get the room . . .

With a bedroom of their own up for grabs, Maisie Mae and her brothers launch into full-on warfare to make each other look as bad as they can. Will Maisie get a NO BOY ZONE of her very own? Or will everything end in disaster?

Nayuleska's thoughts

I picked this book off my shelf guessing it would make me smile, and it did. I smiled at every page at Maisie's insane life among her brothers. They play evil tricks involving rabbit poop, but one which freaked me out was the w*rm incident. I had to peek carefully through my fingers which covered up the gross illustration which so far hasn't given me n7ghtmares (a book did that once from sn*kes... *shudders*) That was the only point I'm glad I don't have any brothers. I love books about brothers because they can be supportive, as well as being a huge pain in the neck, which is the category Maisie's brothers fall under. Edited to add finding out a small round 'something' on my cat's tail was indeed a worm ensued a fair amount of freaking out night of the 30th June. I stroked her, I felt something on her tail, I had it in my hand *EWEWEW* then put it in my medicine pot that I use for meals. I was taking it to the bin when it um uncurled from being round and started moving. Took me over an hour to calm down. As a friend told me, phobias aren't logical. It was super tiny but oh boy I was terrified as I put it outside. The medicine pot has been thoroughly washed. I am extremely grateful I didn't have brothers.

I had to give it to Maisie's mother who summed up why her children were doing so badly in the star chart competition for the new room. I did wonder what might have happened if they hadn't been so eager to do the others in, but it wouldn't have been as funny as it is. I'm so excited about the delights which await Maisie in book 2 - no doubt she will cause a similar level of chaos as her brothers, although I'm sure no one will repeat her decorating attempt! 

 

Suggested read

Another hilarious family series, this time of 3 sisters (no brothers whatsoever) who have mishaps and play pranks starts in Pea's Book of Best Friends by Susie Day (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)