 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Nasty Book
- By Barry Yourgrau
- Genre: Humor
Common Sense Media says
Wicked, wildly funny stories with gross-out humor.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this book is specifically designed to entertain in a campy, horror style. There are killer pets, ghosts, uncaring parents, decapitations, murders, thefts, and other unpleasant events. The stories are designed to be unnerving, so if you have a sensitive child you may want to read along with caution.
What's the story?
This collection of off-beat stories range in their subjects -- skateboarding ghosts, killer pets, murderous kids, goofball criminals -- but all have a basic premise: they are funny, creepy, and nasty.
Is it any good?
NASTY BOOK will capture the attention and imagination of a wide variety of readers, including reluctant ones, who will like the short, attention-grabbing scenarios. Author Barry Yourgrau's work is often compared to quirky Shel Silverstein's, but Yourgrau's stories are much more cynical and feel more like mini-scripts for "Tales from the Crypt." There are a lot of stories of "people getting what's coming to them," and then there are some that are just so bizarre that readers will find themselves giggling and shaking their heads at the twisted subjects, events, and outcomes.
The book fits right in with its target audience's idea of humor, and though some situations -- like a kid freezing to death or an escaped convict threatening two kids and their mom -- might make parents think twice, there really is no need to worry. The stories are so wildly weird and extraordinary that there's little chance kids will take them to heart.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about humor. What makes a book funny? Why are gross things like gas or dark themes like murder sometimes used to make people laugh? When does funny cross the line?
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| Author: | Barry Yourgrau |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Humor |
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Children's Books |
| Publication date: | May 1, 2007 |
| Number of pages: | 192 |
| Paperback price: | $5.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 9 - 12 |
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