‘Weir, what’s your surname?’ she asks again.
‘Do.’
‘Do? Rhymes with GO?’
‘Uh-huh…’
‘Your name’s … Weir Do? It’s not really, is it?’
‘Yes, actually, it is,’ I reply.
‘Weirdo?’
Get ready for it. In exactly three seconds all the kids will start laughing…
Every year, Weir’s school year starts the same way – with questions and jokes about his name. This year it’s even worse because he’s in a new town, at a new school.Fitting in is not going to be easy, especially when you add in a crazy family with some weird habits.
WeirDo is a quick to read, really funny story from comedian Ahn Do. There’s lots of silliness about names, and ‘thingies’ getting slammed in toilet seats, cleverly delivered in a manner sure to keep young readers turning pages and, of course, giggling. There’s also some character development and messages about friendship, acceptance and family, but these are not oevrpowering.
Illustrated on every page in black and white, with red embellishments within the texts for emphasis and humour, this is an excellent offering for lower and middle primary aged readers.
WeirDo, by Anh Do
Scholastic Australia, 2013
ISBN 9781742837581
Available from good bookstores and online.