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Archie #1
I Don't Believe It, Archie!
Odd things happen to Archie every day. Some very odd things.On Monday, a piano rolls down the hill and traps his new friend Cyd in her mum's car. And then a lorry tips a load of gravel on top of it.At least Cyd finds it exciting. Though of course she doesn't believe that this sort of thing happens to Archie every day.Until Tuesday, when Archie finds a dead dog in his pocket . . .Join Archie and Cyd for a whole week's worth of completely surprising and outrageously funny escapades.
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 23, 2012
I wavered between 3 and 4, then decided because they save a library in the book, I'll round up to the 4. This is a fun story that could easily be read a chapter at a time. Archie and Cyd are "victims" of several mistaken identities and situations on consecutive days of the week. I did like the way everything came together in the end. It would be great to have students write their own "Archie stories" after reading this. I, too, place it as ideal for 3rd graders. As the author has been a winner of the Whitbread award, I think I'll look for some of his other books.
August 9, 2016
Hilarious!
July 3, 2017
I think this would be a good book to read at bedtime each night. Kids will really enjoy all of Archie's adventures. It would also be a good book for reluctant readers. Cute story!
December 19, 2016
Every single day, no matter what, something absolutely unbelievable happens to Archie. In this book alone, which takes place over the span of just one week, Archie finds himself accused of killing a dog, glued to the door of the public library, and mistaken for a kidnapping victim. Though Archie often finds his hectic life a bit overwhelming, this week is different because he meets Cyd. As Archie’s new best friend, she is there for every strange occurrence and helps Archie get out of trouble and back home again.
The clever premise combined with truly entertaining storytelling make this book really shine. Each of Archie’s unlikely experiences is sillier than the last, and not one episode feels weaker than any other. They’re all laugh-out-loud funny and equally exciting and engaging. Each chapter ends with the same punchline - Archie comes home not having completed the task he was sent out to do, and his mother says, “I don’t believe it, Archie!” Even this repetitive joke is funny each time it is delivered; kids will find themselves anticipating the moment and, if the story is read aloud to them, chiming in on the refrain
What makes me love this book is not just the silly occurrences, but the fact that they all add up to something. At the end of the story, we see each of the previous chapters’ events come full circle, and Archie actually develops friendships with some of the people he’s met during the week. There’s a clear “what goes around comes around” type of message, but with a very positive connotation.
I Don’t Believe it Archie is a great title to suggest to fans of Mercy Watson, Dr. Seuss, and Louis Sachar. Crowding the Book Truck also recommends it to readers who like Amelia Bedelia, which is a great thought that hadn’t occurred to me!
The clever premise combined with truly entertaining storytelling make this book really shine. Each of Archie’s unlikely experiences is sillier than the last, and not one episode feels weaker than any other. They’re all laugh-out-loud funny and equally exciting and engaging. Each chapter ends with the same punchline - Archie comes home not having completed the task he was sent out to do, and his mother says, “I don’t believe it, Archie!” Even this repetitive joke is funny each time it is delivered; kids will find themselves anticipating the moment and, if the story is read aloud to them, chiming in on the refrain
What makes me love this book is not just the silly occurrences, but the fact that they all add up to something. At the end of the story, we see each of the previous chapters’ events come full circle, and Archie actually develops friendships with some of the people he’s met during the week. There’s a clear “what goes around comes around” type of message, but with a very positive connotation.
I Don’t Believe it Archie is a great title to suggest to fans of Mercy Watson, Dr. Seuss, and Louis Sachar. Crowding the Book Truck also recommends it to readers who like Amelia Bedelia, which is a great thought that hadn’t occurred to me!
August 30, 2012
This is a fun and funny book for probably early 3rd grade and up. Odd things happen to Archie every day, so often that he doesn't bother telling his parents about them any more. One day on his way to the mailbox down the street, a piano rolls down the hill and traps a new friend in a car. Then the car starts rolling down hill, a neighbor comes by and stops it, and the car gets buried in a dump truck load of gravel. Another day, opening the door to the library, Archie finds his hands glued to the door handles and he can't get loose. Ultimately this leads to a developer deciding not to tear down the library in favor of a parking lot, but in the meantime Archie, still glued to the door, and his friend meet a lot of neighbors with various stories.
The book follows Archie and his friend Cyd for a week, each day with more and more strange happenings. And each day Archie's mother, who is oblivious to those happenings, wonders why Archie never mailed the letter, why he came home with the same library books he left with, etc.
Nice big print, good pictures.
The book follows Archie and his friend Cyd for a week, each day with more and more strange happenings. And each day Archie's mother, who is oblivious to those happenings, wonders why Archie never mailed the letter, why he came home with the same library books he left with, etc.
Nice big print, good pictures.
November 27, 2012
This was a fun and quick read as it is just 7 chapters with white space and illustrations. Archie has amazing adventures that seem improbable. In fact his friend Cyd starts tagging along because she does not believe so many cool things can happen to just one person. The seven chapters (one for each day of the week)are almost short stories by themselves but do intertwine. All in one week Archie helps out in a traffic accident, gets trapped in a house with a lion, helps find a missing boy, captures a jewel thief, and saves a library from being destroyed. Archie does not go out looking for these adventures, they just seem to find him. The stories made me laugh out loud and wish for more adventures of Archie and Cyd. This book was originally published in Great Britain so there a few words such as lorry, mobile, and pounds instead of dollars. This would make a great read aloud..especially since the chapters can stand by themselves (after the first one that introduces the characters).
June 2, 2012
This is a very fun story! Strange things happen to Archie almost everyday. Most of these things are unbelievable. The story is spans one week with each chapter being one day. On the first day he helps a girl named Cyd out. Then during the rest of the week Cyd ends up helping Archie by explaining what happened to the adults accusing Archie. The story wraps up nicely with many of the adult characters reappearing in the final chapter. Archie chases a runaway piano, foils a robbery, finds a lion and a leopard, foils a kidnapping, protests a library being closed, kills then saves a dog, and helps Cyd catch her plane for a vacation- all in one week! Archie's mother's constant refrain at the end of each chapter is, "I don't believe it, Archie!" A sure winner for kids. The story is set in England, so a brief explanation of some vocabulary words, such as lorry and pounds may be needed.
June 18, 2012
Bizarre things happen to Archie each and every single day. Whether he is running to mail a letter, return books to the library or deliver some magazines to the neighbor, something extraordinary will occur with Archie right in the thick of things. Each and every time he arrives back home his mother says, "I Don't Believe it, Archie!" Luckily for Archie, he meets Cyd who fast becomes his best friend and a true believer in the craziness that follows him everywhere.
I, Don't Believe It, Archie! is a fun new series for kids 3rd grade and up.
I, Don't Believe It, Archie! is a fun new series for kids 3rd grade and up.
April 2, 2012
This is a good choice for 3rd graders and reminds me a little of "And To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street" in that seemingly innocuous beginnings turn into wild and crazy experiences for Archie. He doesn't try to explain his experiences to his harried mother when he gets back home,and she ends each chapter by saying "I don't believe it, Archie!" But his friend Cyd watches in wonder and even helps Archie when all seems to be lost. These are fun experiences and kids will enjoy.
April 22, 2012
Truly funny chapter book. Begins as slapstick, naturally turns into a nice friendship story without losing pace. Well-crafted. Humor + not gross = a fabulous classroom read aloud. On the easy end of the Js, great pick for 3rd-4th graders. Bonus: He accidentally saves his local library from being torn down.
June 4, 2012
Unusual premise--unbelieveable things happen whenever Archie walks out the door -- a runaway piano, a robber handing Archie the loot, a house with a lion and leopard in it. This would be a great starting point for a creative writing exercise for 2-4th graders.
July 10, 2012
Outrageous good fun... what can possibly go wrong in Archie's life today? Spend a week with this Brit and you'll see.. kooky, quirky, impossible. Good for reluctant readers, although they may need a bit of help with the Britishisms.
October 24, 2011
Good early chapter book for boys.
June 19, 2012
Fun book for read aloud! Great adventures! Both boys and girls would enjoy this book.
November 5, 2011
I'll recommend it to kids who like My Weird School, Stink, and George Brown.
September 7, 2018
A 'bad luck' story that we enjoyed so much we're getting the next.
Read over bedtimes in a week, my 7 year old and I both loved the idea and the execution. Each chapter takes place on one day in Archie's life, and each day, something extraordinary happens to him.
Archie meets a local girl called Cyd who notices quickly the outrageous things that can't fail but happen around Archie, and even follows him to see what will happen. Their relationship was actually nicely conveyed as they become friends over the week.
I was wondering how the book would attempt to explain just why Archie ends up becoming involved in a jewellery robbery, stuck in a house with a big cat, mixed up with a kidnapped child. While the 'reason' makes no logical sense, it does fit in with the tone and style of the book, and I was quite happy to go along with it. After all, it wouldn't be much of a book if you didn't just accept the situation!
The repetition is very well done, with refrains occuring in each chapter, and building to a Sunday in which all the previous days' exploits come back to sew up the final day's quandary and knit it all together.
Very funny, some ridiculously outlandish situations, a good pairing of Archie and Cyd to appeal to a broad range of readers, and a story in manageable chapters that primary-aged students should not find too challenging to tackle.
We can't wait for our library copy of the next Archie book to arrive.
For ages 6-11.
Read over bedtimes in a week, my 7 year old and I both loved the idea and the execution. Each chapter takes place on one day in Archie's life, and each day, something extraordinary happens to him.
Archie meets a local girl called Cyd who notices quickly the outrageous things that can't fail but happen around Archie, and even follows him to see what will happen. Their relationship was actually nicely conveyed as they become friends over the week.
I was wondering how the book would attempt to explain just why Archie ends up becoming involved in a jewellery robbery, stuck in a house with a big cat, mixed up with a kidnapped child. While the 'reason' makes no logical sense, it does fit in with the tone and style of the book, and I was quite happy to go along with it. After all, it wouldn't be much of a book if you didn't just accept the situation!
The repetition is very well done, with refrains occuring in each chapter, and building to a Sunday in which all the previous days' exploits come back to sew up the final day's quandary and knit it all together.
Very funny, some ridiculously outlandish situations, a good pairing of Archie and Cyd to appeal to a broad range of readers, and a story in manageable chapters that primary-aged students should not find too challenging to tackle.
We can't wait for our library copy of the next Archie book to arrive.
For ages 6-11.
February 23, 2018
Read this with my son, taking it in turns to read the pages. We loved it - it was clever and witty.
It is sometimes quite difficult to persuade him to pick up a book and read, but this book just clicked with him. He has enjoyed it so much and that pleases me.
Each chapter is a day in one week in Archie's life, from when he meets his new friend, Cyd, to when Cyd goes on holiday. There is a new and highly improbable adventure in each chapter, none of which is believed by his mother, who has no idea of what's really been happening.
There's a sequel, which we've just collected from the library. Looking forward to reading that almost as much as my son is.
It is sometimes quite difficult to persuade him to pick up a book and read, but this book just clicked with him. He has enjoyed it so much and that pleases me.
Each chapter is a day in one week in Archie's life, from when he meets his new friend, Cyd, to when Cyd goes on holiday. There is a new and highly improbable adventure in each chapter, none of which is believed by his mother, who has no idea of what's really been happening.
There's a sequel, which we've just collected from the library. Looking forward to reading that almost as much as my son is.
April 22, 2020
Unfortunately I didn't like this as much as Andrew Norriss' other books. Thought the comment about newspapers liking to take pictures of naked women was inappropriate. Won't be using this one
March 24, 2012
I Don't Believe it Archie by Andrew Norriss is a children's book for children around seven to twelve years old. It is scheduled for release on March 13. The book is all about a boy named Archie that is surrounded by strangeness. While we might be surprised to see a piano roll down a hill, park itself against a car door so that the car's occupants can not get out, and a wacky series of events that follow Archie is not. Odd things happen to him every day, but while his life is interesting it is rare that anyone fully believes his tales of adventure. Most of the time he does not even bother to tell anyone about what happens, because he would spend his days explaining rather than actually doing anything. During our first adventure with Archie we met Cyd, a girl that wants to tag along on Archie's accidental adventures. The two become fast friends, and having Cyd by his side makes each adventure easier to handle and explain. Her efforts and company make the days smoother and much more fun.
See my complete review here on Yahoo! Voices.
See my complete review here on Yahoo! Voices.
December 4, 2012
JF Nor
ages 7-up
Odd things happen to Archie every day. Some very odd things. On Monday, a piano rolls down the hill and traps his new friend Cyd in her mum's car. And then a truck tips a load of gravel on top of it. But don't worry—she's ok. Actually, Cyd finds it exciting though of course, she doesn't believe that this sort of thing happens to Archie every day—until they find themselves trapped in a house with a sedated lion trainer, and a very awake lion. Poor Archie! But as he soon discovers, if odd things have to happen to him, it's a lot better if they happen when Cyd's around. Join Archie and Cyd for a whole week's worth of completely surprising and outrageously funny escapades.
ages 7-up
Odd things happen to Archie every day. Some very odd things. On Monday, a piano rolls down the hill and traps his new friend Cyd in her mum's car. And then a truck tips a load of gravel on top of it. But don't worry—she's ok. Actually, Cyd finds it exciting though of course, she doesn't believe that this sort of thing happens to Archie every day—until they find themselves trapped in a house with a sedated lion trainer, and a very awake lion. Poor Archie! But as he soon discovers, if odd things have to happen to him, it's a lot better if they happen when Cyd's around. Join Archie and Cyd for a whole week's worth of completely surprising and outrageously funny escapades.
October 13, 2012
I can't decide what I think about this one. It is odd. I think 2nd and 3rd graders would think it's funny. I think it could be a good one to booktalk, but I can't decide if I love it enough.
The odd things that happen to Archie are VERY odd. Odd bordering on contrived. Is this a problem? I'm not sure. I guess I'll let it percolate a bit more before deciding if I want to bring it with me to school visits.
The odd things that happen to Archie are VERY odd. Odd bordering on contrived. Is this a problem? I'm not sure. I guess I'll let it percolate a bit more before deciding if I want to bring it with me to school visits.
November 27, 2013
Strange and unusual things happen to Archie everyday. When he saves a girl from a car covered in gravel he meets Cyd. Cyd is amazed at the adventures Archie has just by being himself and begs to tag along anytime Archie goes anywhere. It may be all fun and games for Archie and Cyd, but his mother gets quite frustrated when nothing she asks him to do gets done.
May 11, 2012
Something happens to Archie every day. Odd things. Lucky things? Great things? Too bad his mother doesn't see it that way.
October 17, 2012
Fun bedtime story read.
August 6, 2013
This is a great transitional chapter book. Students will chuckle at the troubles Archie and Cyd encounter throughout this story.
February 2, 2013
A lovely children's book with lots of excitement and never a dull moment.
February 3, 2013
I liked the stories; amusing, quirky, short, and fun. I didn't like the repeating element of the negative and unaware mother at the end of each chapter!
May 7, 2014
My second grade son loved this book. He read it, not I, but when I get the chance, I'm sure I'll love it, too.
May 10, 2015
Read in less than a day. Loved it!
September 14, 2015
I love it and when you read it you will to.
-Ben 7yrs old
-Ben 7yrs old
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews