Mijn 9-jarige zoon en ik zijn grote fans van de boeken van Sam Copeland. We lazen samen zijn vorige werken over Kasper (Kasper wordt een kip, een T rex, een mammoet,…) en we lagen regelmatig in een deuk over de humor en de absurde situaties.

Heel leuk is ook dat er veel illustraties in het boek staan, die alles nog wat levendiger maken. Die werden getekend door Robin Boyden en Katie Kear. The ending was exciting, fun, but I also foresee some trouble on the horizon given that last illustration. Een belangrijk thema in Het raadsel van de boosaardige onderbroeken is ook de vriendschap tussen Agatha en Lenny. Ze zijn eigenlijk heel verschillend maar stiekem beginnen ze elkaar ook wel leuk te vinden. En onder al de humor raakt het boek ongemerkt toch ook wat zwaardere thema’s aan. Lenny’s ouders zijn gescheiden en zijn vader heeft weinig tijd voor hem, het gebeurt regelmatig dat hij een gepland uitstapje met Lenny op het laatste moment afzegt. Lenny fantaseert dan maar dat zijn vader ook een spion is die af en toe op een geheime missie moet vertrekken. Aangezien hij alleen woont met zijn moeder, is zij dan net extra bezorgd over hem wat hij dan soms weer verstikkend vindt.Het raadsel van de boosaardige onderbroeken van Sam Copeland en Jenny Pearson is een echte aanrader voor alle jongeren én hun ouders die houden van een spannend, grappig verhaal. Ik zei tegen juf Appelgat dat Ralph de Maltesers van Thomas had opgegeten en toen ze uitgegild was en snapte dat ik het over chocoladesnoepjes had en niet over kleine hondjes…” Spy-detective Agatha Topps is determined to find out. She's the only person who doesn't forget the Strangeness as soon as it's over. At least, until new boy Lenny Tuchus turns up and remembers too. Agatha Topps knew there was a mystery to solve the day the 'shiver' happened. There she was, sitting in her classroom, minding her own business, when the strange feeling spread around the room. The next thing she knew, everybody was dancing. And then, as if they were in a huge game of musical statues, the shiver happened again, and everybody stopped. But the strange thing was that nobody could remember what had happened. Nobody except Agatha and the new boy Lenny Tuchus.

Hij maakte mij nieuwsgierig en toen ik het boek zelf aan het lezen was in mijn klas kwamen de kinderen al snel vragen wanneer zij het boek mochten lezen. Ze waren enthousiast! In turn, Agatha and Lenny narrate their first detective case in alternating chapters throughout The Underpants of Chaos. At times, each disputes the other’s recall. What’s more, each has their own illustrator to describe their story. Yet, not only are they drawn together through the fact they alone remember the Shiver and then the Strangeness, but also, because they are lonely. While Lenny is new to Little Strangehaven Primary School and dealing with a negligent father, Agatha’s coping with the arrival of twin siblings, and in need of sleep! But also a great adventure! What is happening with this shiver? Why do people not remember what they do? What or who is causing the shivers? Can they solve the case? Sam:Jenny already told you what it’s about because she gets to answer first and give all the easy answers. Ask a difficult question like ‘What’s the capital of Togo?’ and guaranteed I’ll be the one who has to answer it first.Jenny:Sam might find it easy because he doesn’t have to go through the soul-destroying task of editing his chapters. We have had many a Zoom meeting when we’ve hit a difficult moment in the story. Countless times, I have had to sit in silence, watching Sam whilst he lies on his sofa, massages his temples and enters his mind palace to come up with a solution. The winners of the Diverse Book Awards 2023 have been announced, with one winner from each of the four categories announced: Picture book, Children... Their spy-detectoring leads them to the Book of Chaos, an ancient text which has been hidden away in the Room of Forbidden and Dangerous Books. I should have realised that there was going to be something SERIOUSLY weird about a town called Little STRANGEhaven."

The story follows Agatha and Lenny who choose to investigate a strange happening in the school where shivers and strange things keep happening. We get to see each of their perspectives through alternating chapters and discover the reason for these strange events. I wanted to really enjoy this book but I didn't think much of it. I found the writing and story were OK but not so amazing that I'd want to tell everyone about the book like other of Sam's books. I think the book would appeal to children with the silliness of it and the humour within the story but I would have preferred some more serious or realistic topics intertwined within it or something that we could learn from. Curriculum links: friendship, family life, separation, loneliness, perseverance, kindness, hope and determination.

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Sam:What Jenny said is literally true! That’s actually exactly what happens. I then usually repeat an idea that Jenny came up with an hour earlier.