The Parent Agency

by David Baddiel, Jim Field (Illustrator)

Overview

A boy travels to an alternate world where kids get to choose their own parents in this zany, internationally bestselling adventure, which combines the be-careful-what-you-wish-for humor of The Chocolate Touch with the classic appeal of Roald Dahl.

Barry Bennett is sick of his parents. They’re boring, they’re too strict, and it’s their fault his name is Barry. So he makes a wish for better ones—and is whisked away to the Parent Agency, where kids get to pick out their perfect parents.

For Barry, this seems like a dream come true. But as he’s about to discover, choosing a new mom and dad isn’t as simple as it sounds…

The Parent Agency is the first children’s book by British author and comedian David Baddiel, and it includes illustrations by Roald Dahl Funny Prize–winning artist Jim Field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062405432
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
File size:	23 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

David Baddiel is a comedian, the host of numerous TV and radio shows, and the writer of four critically acclaimed novels. The Parent Agency is his first children’s book. David lives in London with his family. He hopes his own children won’t be applying to the Parent Agency anytime soon.

Editorial Reviews

This best-selling British import is a hilarious, fast-paced read perfect for middle-graders who like their stories on the silly side.” — ALA Booklist

“A good jumping-off point for chapter book readers who want to expand into full-length novels. Full of adventure.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

This best-selling British import is a hilarious, fast-paced read perfect for middle-graders who like their stories on the silly side.

ALA Booklist

04/01/2016
Gr 3–5—Barry Bennett is not happy with his parents. In fact, he blames them for so many bad things in his life that he keeps a list hidden under his pillow. His parents are poor, boring, tired, and really, really strict. He hates that they named him Barry instead of something cool like his friends, Jake, Lukas, and Taj. On top of all that, they are always much nicer to his twin sisters than to him. But his biggest gripe is that they never make his birthday good enough. Six days before he turns 10, Barry gets grounded for having a tantrum. He fumes in his bedroom and wishes for better parents. Suddenly, he is transported to another world and finds himself at the TPA (The Parent Agency), where children get to choose their parents. The agency places him with parents each day based on the criteria from his list. But finding the best parents is harder than Barry thought. This story is a good jumping-off point for chapter book readers who want to expand into full-length novels. It is broken down into short chapters that are full of adventure. Ample black-and-white drawings throughout make this title appealing to graphic novel fans as well. VERDICT The underlying lesson about learning to appreciate what you have—and being careful what you wish for—is good discussion fodder for this age group; a solid additional purchase for middle grade collections.—Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY

School Library Journal

2016-02-17
The hazards of wish fulfillment come, as usual, home to roost when young Barry gets a chance to replace his parents with a new set. A week before his 10th birthday, Barry hits his head in a fall and wakes in Youngdon, capital of the United Kid-Dom, where grown-ups eagerly vie to be selected by onesie-wearing children. Working down a previously compiled list of grievances against his original parents, Barry opts to try out a different set each day—and so goes from the dizzyingly aristocratic Rader-Wellorffs to a celebrity couple dubbed "Vlassorina" and a succession of other couples who let him try out sports and do whatever he wants, as well as openly favoring him over younger sibs who bear strong resemblances to his own sisters. Predictably, all prove disappointments, and he wakes up at the end a wiser, more loving son. Baddiel crams his pointed allegory with jokes that not only will likely fly past American readers, but display questionable taste: Barry dubs his sisters "The Sisterly Entity" in imitation of the hostile Arabic term for Israel, a teammate's "Que pasa?" as he trots into Wobbly Stadium for a match with rival Boysnia-Herzogeweeny is dubbed "some kind of weird language," and for his birthday party at the end he's delighted to get a toy pistol. Personal development, Three Stooges style. (Fantasy. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews