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A review by aelynreads
Birthday Boy by Jim Field, David Baddiel
3.0
Birthday Boy is a funny, unique book for middle graders. Fans of David Walliams will enjoy this slightly outrageous story that is sure to appeal to both boys and girls.
Liked
1. The premise of wishing that it was your birthday everyday is brilliant and something that the reader will relate to and enjoy. It is handled well, detailing how that wish plays out and demonstrating the good and bad points.
2. Baddiel successfully contrasts the mundane everyday lives of Sam and his family with the fantastical, almost outrageous occurrence of the birthday wish. This gives the book a realistic tone that is relatable to young readers, despite the crazy events that are going on.
3. Sam's family are very real and vibrant. The grandparents particularly are funny caricatures that will have young readers laughing.
Disliked
1. The book seems rather long. I feel that the story was dragged out a bit longer than it needed to be and this is reflected in other reader reviews saying that they become disinterested or bored part way through.
2. I was pleased to see the inclusion of a POC (a young immigrant girl), but I wish that her character and the concept of immigration had been explored further.
3. On a similar note, the inclusion of Sam's Grandpa, who has dementia, was very interesting. It was actually mentioned that he had dementia and this plays a crucial role in the plot, but I wish it had been explored further. I did feel it was a little brushed off as "crazy old Grandpa", which I'm sure is not what Baddiel was going for, given his experience of his own father having dementia.
4. I found that Sam was lacking in character without many personality traits or likeable qualities. This made it hard to relate to him or root for him in anyway and I suspect this is why readers may become bored or disinterested in the story.
Ideal for: middle grade readers aged 9-13 years old.
Liked
1. The premise of wishing that it was your birthday everyday is brilliant and something that the reader will relate to and enjoy. It is handled well, detailing how that wish plays out and demonstrating the good and bad points.
2. Baddiel successfully contrasts the mundane everyday lives of Sam and his family with the fantastical, almost outrageous occurrence of the birthday wish. This gives the book a realistic tone that is relatable to young readers, despite the crazy events that are going on.
3. Sam's family are very real and vibrant. The grandparents particularly are funny caricatures that will have young readers laughing.
Disliked
1. The book seems rather long. I feel that the story was dragged out a bit longer than it needed to be and this is reflected in other reader reviews saying that they become disinterested or bored part way through.
2. I was pleased to see the inclusion of a POC (a young immigrant girl), but I wish that her character and the concept of immigration had been explored further.
3. On a similar note, the inclusion of Sam's Grandpa, who has dementia, was very interesting. It was actually mentioned that he had dementia and this plays a crucial role in the plot, but I wish it had been explored further. I did feel it was a little brushed off as "crazy old Grandpa", which I'm sure is not what Baddiel was going for, given his experience of his own father having dementia.
4. I found that Sam was lacking in character without many personality traits or likeable qualities. This made it hard to relate to him or root for him in anyway and I suspect this is why readers may become bored or disinterested in the story.
Ideal for: middle grade readers aged 9-13 years old.