Books like 'The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket'
Readers who enjoyed The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fantasy action / adventure comedy magical-realism family children humor lgbtq friendship
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Good Omens by Dirk Maggs, Terry Pratchett
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman’s celebrated apocalyptic comic novel, with bonus length episodes and outtakes.According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday in fact. Just after Any Answers on Radio 4….Events have been set in motion to bring about the End of Days...Categorized as:
friendship humor lgbtq low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure angels apocalyptic -
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 87 ratingsMatilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure -
The Midnight Gang by David Walliams
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWelcome to the Midnight Gang! Midnight is the time when all children are fast asleep, except of course for… the Midnight Gang. That is when their adventures are just beginning…When Tom gets hit on the head by a cricket ball, he finds himself at Lord Funt Hospital, and is greeted by a terrifying-looking porter... -
Si llevas un raton a la escuela by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThe Barnes & Noble ReviewBringing a plucky mouse to school isn't the wisest idea, no matter how much fun it might seem. Thankfully, the bestselling duo of author Laura Numeroff and illustrator Felicia Bond -- creators of If You Take a Mouse to the Movies and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie -- have teamed up to show us the hijinks a whiskered school guest could cause... -
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The BFG by Roald Dahl
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 79 ratingsCaptured by a giant! But the BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants—rather than the BFG—she would have soon become breakfast...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure -
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsA hungry little mouse appears on the doorstep. What can you do but give him a cookie? But then he will ask for a glass of milk, and when he’s finished it he’ll have to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn’t have a milky face. Of course, he’ll then want a pair of scissors to trim his hair...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor 20th-century action-adventure animals anthropomorphism -
Resurrection by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe skeleton detective is coming back to life...again! It's the tenth, triumphant novel in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, and it will rearrange your world.Skulduggery and Valkyrie are back in the tenth instalment in the best-selling Skulduggery Pleasant series - an incredible and unexpected treat for the legions of fans around the world... -
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 61 ratingsFarmer Brown has a problem.His cows like to type.All day long he hearsClick, clack, MOO.Click, clack, MOO.Clickety, clack, MOO.But Farmer Brown's problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes....Doreen Cronin's understated text and Betsy Lewin's expressive illustrations make the most of this hilarious situation...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor action-adventure animals anthropomorphism audiobook -
The Good Egg by Jory John
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn this follow-up to Jory John and Pete Oswald’s popular picture book The Bad Seed, meet the next best thing: a very good egg, indeed!The good egg has been good for as long as he can remember. While the other eggs in his carton are kind of rotten, he always does the right, kind, and courteous thing... -
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsLibrarian's Note: For an alternate cover edition of the same ISBN, click here.This beloved story -first published more than fifty years ago- introduces readers to Milo and his adventures in the Lands Beyond. For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure -
This Book Is Not Good for You by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBetween the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you..Categorized as:
children family friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure animals -
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsOfficer Buckle knows more about safety than anyone else in Napville, but his dull presentations put his audiences to sleep. Enter Gloria, Napville's new police dog. Gloria knows just how to liven up the safety speeches--as long as Officer Buckle's back is turned! Full color... -
Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsHere is the book that launched a thousand chimichangoes - the first in the best-selling series about the rambunctious Skippyjon Jones, the Siamese kitty boy with the overactive imagination. He would rather be El Skippito, the great sword fighter, who can do anything. Like saving a roving band of Mexican Chihuahuas from a humongous bumblebeeto that is tormenting them...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor action-adventure animals anthropomorphism audiobook -
Once Upon a Crime by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSabrina and Daphne's adventures continue in their hometown of New York City as they bring Puck to Faerie to cure the wounds. With the help of Granny Relda, the girls must figure out who killed Puck's father, King Oberon, while navigating the warring factions of Everafters that make their homes in every neighbourhood of New York City... -
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If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff, Felicia Bond
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsMoose makes his debut in this picture book in the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling If You Give... series! This oversize (15- x 17-inch) big book edition is the perfect size for sharing in a classroom.If a big hungry moose comes to visit, you might give him a muffin to make him feel at home. If you give him a muffin, he'll want some jam to go with it... -
A Mind Full of Murder by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA bone-shaking new trilogy begins – the latest adventure in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant seriesSIX YEARS AGO, THE UNIVERSE ENDED.When it restarted, blinking back into existence, it brought with it a darkness that remains hidden from the mortal population.A week ago – fuelled by unimaginable hatred and unstoppable rage – a masked sorcerer killed one of those mortals. Then he killed another... -
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIt was time for the three little wolves to go out into the world, so off they went and built themselves a splendid brick house. But they hadn't reckoned on the big bad pig who soon came along and knocked their house down. The little wolves built a stronger house of concrete, in which they were sure to be safe. But that didn't stop the big bad pig, who made short work of it with a pneumatic drill... -
This Isn't What It Looks Like by Pseudonymous Bosch, Robert Petkoff
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe Secret Series continues in this dangerous and daring fourth adventure. Cass finds herself alone and disoriented, a stranger in a dream-like, medieval world. Where is she? Who is she? With the help of a long-lost relative, she begins to uncover clues and secrets--piecing together her family's history as she fights her way back to the present world...Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book -
The Son of Sobek by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsIn this audio e-book short story narrated by Rick Riordan, Carter Kane is investigating rumored sightings of a monster on Long Island when he runs into something else: a mysterious boy named Percy Jackson. And their meeting isn't exactly friendly. . . . Includes a sneak peek chapter from HOUSE OF HADES, Book Four in the Heroes of Olympus series...Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy action-adventure anthologies audiobook children-books -
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsOnce upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway.One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go...someplace else... -
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsThere was a terrible mistake - Wayside School was built with one classroom on top of another, thirty stories high (The builder said he was sorry.) Maybe that's why all kinds of funny things happened at Wayside-especially on the thirteenth floor...Categorized as:
children humor low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book -
Olivia by Ian Falconer
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsOlivia is a gorgeous little pig who likes to dress up, sing songs, dance, think, snooze and is even quite good at building sandcastles. At the end of the day, when she snuggles up in bed and her mother reads her a story (or three), Olivia feels very full of love. Ages 3+... -
Midnight by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSkulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are back in their most gripping story yet, as book 11, Midnight, picks up where Resurrection left off – and runs.For years, Valkyrie Cain has struggled to keep her loved ones safe from harm, plunging into battle – time and time again – by Skulduggery Pleasant’s side, and always emerging triumphant... -
Demon Dentist by David Walliams
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis New York Times bestseller from David Walliams, the UK’s #1 bestselling children’s author and “the heir to Roald Dahl” (The Spectator), launched his books stateside in a big way!Walliams makes going to the dentist a wacky adventure with his signature humor—this is one dentist appointment you don’t want to miss.Something strange is happening in Alfie's town...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook -
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Finally by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA humorous look at what it means to FINALLY turn twelve years old.NARRATOR: TBAFORMAT: 5 CDs, UnabridgedYou can pierce your ears when you're twelve. You can go to the mall with your friends when you're twelve. You can babysit little Timmy next door when you're twelve. You can get a cell phone when you're twelve. Hey, you can even ride in the front passenger-side seat when you're twelve...Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book -
Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSal and Gabi have to try to make everything right with our world when there is a rogue Gabi from another universe running loose.Sal Vidon creates wormholes. But Sal's father, a calamity physicist, is trying to shut down all the wormholes Sal creates, because Papi thinks they are eroding the very fabric of our world... -
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsBeware!Dangerous secrets lie between the pages of this book.OK, I warned you. But if you think I'll give anything away, or tell you that this is the sequel to my first literary endeavor, The Name of This Book is Secret, you're wrong...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook -
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 89 ratingsCharlie Bucket's wonderful adventure begins when he finds one of Mr. Willy Wonka's precious Golden Tickets and wins a whole day inside the mysterious chocolate factory...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure -
Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Dan Santat
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCompanion to the hit The Three Ninja Pigs, this fractured fairy tale is a sure-fire storytime hit. Wolf just can’t catch a break! Ever since the three little pigs started teaching everyone Ninja skills, huffing and puffing just hasn’t been enough to scare up a good meal. His craving for meat sends Wolf to classes at the dojo, and soon he’s ready to try out his new moves... -
Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones by Judy Schachner
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAnother fun read-along from Skippyjon Jones and Puffin Storytime book-and-CD library The "New York Times" bestselling Skippyjon Jones books were made to be read aloud, and so we're adding a fourth title, "Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones," to the Puffin Storytime collection. The Puffin picture book is accompanied by a compact disc that features an animated reading of the story by the author... -
Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA dog laments his fate at obedience school through a series of hilarious letters home.When Ike LaRue is "imprisoned" at the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy, he tries everything to get sent home -- from weepy letters to his owner to illness. In reality, Brotweiler is more like camp than prison, but still, Ike's not cut out for life without Mrs. LaRue... -
"Shouldn't You Be in School?" by Lemony Snicket
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIs Lemony Snicket a detective or a smoke detector? Do you smell smoke? Young apprentice Lemony Snicket is investigating a case of arson but soon finds himself enveloped in the ever-increasing mystery that haunts the town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea... -
Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 30 ratings“I like croquet and peanut butter and making my bed.”There is only one way for Chester to do things—his own way. “You definitely have a mind of your own,” said Chester’s mother. “That’s one way to put it,” said Chester’s father.Luckily Chester’s best friend, Wilson, likes doing things just the same way as Chester. When they cut their sandwiches, it's always diagonally...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor action-adventure animals anthropomorphism audiobook -
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsAstrid Lindgren's story of feisty, red-haired Pippi has been given a sparkling new translation by award-winning Tiina Nunnally and engaging pictures by acclaimed Lauren Child.Pippi Longstocking was first published in the United States in 1950, and has been translated from the original Swedish into ninety-one languages... -
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A Dash of Magic by Kathryn Littlewood, Sascha Icks
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRosemary Bliss will do anything to get back her family's magical Cookery Booke.That's why she challenges Aunt Lily to an international baking competition in Paris: If Rose wins, Lily agrees to return the cookery Booke that she stole. If Rose loses...well, the consequences are too ugly to think about.But Lily isn't playing fair--she's using a magical ingredient to cheat...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure animals -
The Complete Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino, Jefferson Mays
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe definitive edition of Calvino’s cosmicomics, bringing together all of these enchanting stories—including some never before translated—in one volume for the first timeIn Italo Calvino’s cosmicomics, primordial beings cavort on the nearby surface of the moon, play marbles with atoms, and bear ecstatic witness to Earth’s first dawn...Categorized as:
humor journey low-fantasy magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure adult anthologies -
I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black, Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere is NOTHING boring about being a kid, but one little girl is going to have to prove it in this anything-but-boring picture book from comedian Michael Ian Black.Just when a little girl thinks she couldn't possibly be more bored, she stumbles upon a potato who turns the tables on her by declaring that children are boring... -
"Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?" by Lemony Snicket
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTrain travel! Murder! Librarians! A Series Finale!On all other nights, the train departs from Stain'd Station and travels to the city without stopping. But not tonight. You might ask, why is this night different from all other nights? But that's the wrong question... -
The Dark Talent by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsI, Alcatraz Smedry, proudly announce the last book of my autobiography, and was the hardest one for me to write. Because, in it—I’m not a hero. In fact, I’m the one who screwed everything up for everyone else.First off, my Talent for breaking things got a little out of hand, and I ended up destroying everyone else’s Talents...Categorized as:
children family humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure animals audiobook -
The Swap by Megan Shull
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"You be me . . . And I'll be you."Ellie spent the summer before seventh grade getting dropped by her best friend since forever. Jack spent it training in "The Cage" with his tough-as-nails brothers and hard-to-please dad. By the time middle school starts, they're both ready for a change. And just as Jack's thinking girls have it so easy, Ellie's wishing she could be anyone but herself... -
The Buying of Lot 37 by Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the authors of the New York Times bestselling novels It Devours! and Welcome to Night Vale and the creators of the #1 international podcast of the same name, comes a collection of episodes from Season Three of their hit podcast, featuring an introduction by the authors, a foreword by Dessa, behind-the-scenes commentary, and original illustrations... -
When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsI should have asked the question "How could someone who was missing be in two places at once?" Instead, I asked the wrong question -- four wrong questions, more or less. This is the account of the second.In the fading town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea, young apprentice Lemony Snicket has a new case to solve when he and his chaperone are hired to find a missing girl... -
Billionaire Boy by David Walliams
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA hilarious, touching and extraordinary new fable from the author of The Boy in the Dress and Mr Stink.Joe has a lot of reasons to be happy. About a billion of them, in fact. You see, Joe's rich. Really, really rich. Joe's got his own bowling alley, his own cinema, even his own butler who is also an orangutan. He's the wealthiest twelve-year-old in the land.But Joe isn't happy... -
Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsMysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream... -
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The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWarning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances...Categorized as:
children family friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook -
Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom by Louis Sachar
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFor the first time in twenty-five years, Wayside School is back in session in this brand-new, fourth installment in the perennially beloved and bestselling series by Newbery Medal-winning author Louis Sachar.Welcome back to Wayside School!Your favorite students and teachers are all here...Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book -
Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe Evil Librarians are still up to their antics and it's up to Alcatraz Smedry to put a stop to it! This second book will take Alcatraz and company on an exploration of the Library of Alexandria, which -- despite Librarian rumors -- was never destroyed. It is a mysterious place and everyone knows that it holds dark secrets... -
Oma heeft me gestuurd om te zeggen dat het haar spijt by Fredrik Backman
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 70 ratingsElsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy, standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-men-who-want-to-talk-about-Jesus-crazy. She is also Elsa's best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal... -
Camp Half-Blood Confidential by Rick Riordan, Jesse Bernstein
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsIn response to an awful camp orientation video created by the god Apollo, Percy Jackson and other residents of Camp Half-Blood answer such questions as “What is this place?” and “Do I get to keep the T-shirt?” Newbies can check out the section on the Divine Cabins, read up on Magical Landmarks, and consult the chapter of Training Arenas...Categorized as:
children humor lgbtq low-fantasy action-adventure anthologies audiobook children-books -
Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWhen Alcatraz and Grandpa Smedry make a pilgrimage to the Free Kingdom city of Crystallia, the Smedry home base, Alcatraz is shocked to see that he is, in fact, a legend. When he was a baby he was stolen by the Evil Librarians, and his mother, a Librarian herself, was behind the whole scheme...
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