Krista Reviews: The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John

Miles Murphy is not happy to be moving to Yawnee Valley, a sleepy town that’s famous for one thing and one thing only: cows. In his old school, everyone knew him as the town’s best prankster, but Miles quickly discovers that Yawnee Valley already has a prankster, and a great one. If Miles is going to take the title from this mystery kid, he is going to have to lift his game. It’s prankster against prankster in an epic war of trickery, until the two finally decide to join forces and pull off the biggest prank ever seen: a prank so huge that it would make the members of the International Order of Disorder proud.

In The Terrible Two, bestselling authors and friends Mac Barnett and Jory John have created a series that has its roots in classic middle-grade literature yet feels fresh and new at the same time.

Miles is the new boy in school, and having been famous at his old school for his pranks, he intends to use those talents to impress. When he arrives and finds that there is already a school prankster, he becomes determined to out prank him and win the glory of popularity. However, what he comes to find out is that the current prankster at school is anonymous. They do their pranks just for the results, instead of for the recognition.

Miles’s new school has had a long line of principals from the same family. It is a tradition that is passed on from father to son and they are very proud of running a tight ship. They already know of Miles’s past at his previous schools and have their eyes set on him and him alone when things go crazy.

Eventually, the two pranksters, after playing pranks on each other, decide to call a truce, and Miles begins to get schooled in the precise ways to play the best pranks while making a friend and cohort along the way. From cars on staircases to fake parties and rubber chickens, The Terrible Two shows us some very elaborate and hilarious pranks; along with illustrations and guidelines, we learn that to be a perfect prankster is an art, not a hobby.

I found the story to be very funny and reminiscent of Roald Dahl. It entertaining and fun with some lessons to be learned I recommend this book for the kids out there who like outrageous comedy and quirky story telling.

Hardcover, 218 pages

Published January 13th 2015 by Amulet Books (first published January 1st 2015)

ISBN

1419714910 (ISBN13: 9781419714917)