WARNING: Grandma's Gone Bonkers

by B. Ware

Nero fears his grandma may be losing her mind. After all, she’s been acting very strangely…

But when his parents vanish and top-secret government agents are called in to investigate, Nero begins to question everything. Are his mum and dad responsible for the recent spate of burglaries in the area? Is his headteacher really a vampire? And what’s with the mysterious cloak hanging in his grandma’s hall closet?

Determined to get to the bottom of things, he and his best friend Jess are left with no they must enlist Grandma’s help and launch an investigation of their own.

Will their quest for the truth send the old lady over the edge? Or could there be more to Grandma than meets the eye?


Praise for Grandma's Gone 'Engaging, charming and utterly bonkers! Grandma is such a fun character, the pace never lets up and the mystery will keep you guessing till the end.' - Jack Jackman, author of Maisie vs Antarctica

'Funny, fast-paced, and full of surprises! With unforgettable characters, a page-turning mystery to enjoy together, and Grandma at the heart of the chaos, this story delights kids and grown-ups alike.' - Jen A. Egerton, author of Bonds of Blood and Duty

'Funny, bouncy and chatty, I couldn’t stop smiling as I read this rollicking story.' - Megan Hopkins, author of the Starminster series

'Hilarious, charming, and, well, utterly bonkers! The new must-read addition to B.Ware's Words of Warning collection!' - Simon Batsman, author of the Sarsen series

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Fatguyreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well what an absolutely fantastically funny, fun read this was.

I read this with our 9 year old Daughter over about a week of bedtime stories and we both really enjoyed it.

This is our first read by this author, but we'll definitely be looking up her other books for some more bedtime laughs.

It's a real gem of a book and kept us both wonderfully amused during those few hours it took us to read it.

There's sleuthing, bungling criminals and plucky, zesty senior citizen, all wrapped up in a fun mystery adventure that I'm sure, like us, will have you laughing out loud.

A big 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from us.

[Alice Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited to be part of the unofficial book tour for WARNING: Grandma’s Gone Bonkers — especially after loving B. Ware’s other books through the Rebel Reading Society and hearing brilliant feedback from my class.

Despite not being my usual genre, this book completely won me over. The title alone hooked me and it delivered laughs, mystery and chaos in the best way.

Perfect for LKS2 readers: funny, easy to read but with some lovely stretch vocabulary too. I can see this working brilliantly as a Year 3/4 shared read or a giggly 7+ bedtime book.

I loved how it shifts from comedy into a proper little detective story — piecing clues together was great fun. Plus the cheeky narrator interruptions (from a very funny old man!) keep you turning pages.

A harmless, hilarious adventure full of teamwork, mystery and plenty of bonkers oldies. Definitely recommend — and thanks again for letting me join the ARC fun! ⭐

[Mikhaila Kizer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning: Grandma's Gone Bonkers is just full of fun, mystery, and mischief!

This book is very fast-paced. I read it in one sitting! There is constantly some new theory or mysterious event or just straight up funny moment happening (I actually laughed out loud!). Nero and Jess were wonderful characters, and I enjoyed following them as they uncovered the many secrets in Nero's life.

One moment that touched my heart as a parent was when the narrator discussed that everyone cries, but grown ups hide their tears so kids learn that they need to do that too. "Which is rather silly, if you ask me," the narrator says. I love a book that teaches emotional skills!

Kids and parents alike will enjoy this book, and I plan to purchase a physical copy for my daughter when it is released on February 24th!

Thanks to the author and publisher for sending me an ARC.

[Bookworm86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Warning Grandma's Gone Bonkers' by B.Ware'.

WE ALL ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOOOVVVEEE , LOVED THIS BRILLIANT BOOK!!! A HUGE WELL DONE B.WARE ON AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC BOOK ♥!!!

What an absolutely brilliant, fun and adventure packed absolutely fabulous children's book that all children and adults will all love!!

This may be the first book that myself or my 13 year old son Malaki has read by this absolutely incredible author but it most certainly will not be our last!! This absolutely fantastic book may be aimed at children with the age rating Amazon has given being 6-12 but, sadly, at the age of 39 I am no longer classed as a child or even as a young adult but I really enjoyed it as did my 38 year old partner!! My 13 year old son Malaki also really enjoyed reading it so I would say it was suitable for ages 6-166!!! It really is an absolutely brilliant and fun filled storyline that both boys, girls, women and men will all love reading. It is absolutely hilarious and we all loved the fantastic and unique storyline!! In this fantastic and fun storyline we meet Nero who worries that his Grandma has gone bonkers, is stressed that his parents have gone missing and scared that his Headteacher is a vampire. One of the things that we all thought was an absolutely epic and unique part of this book is that the reader keeps getting "interrupted" by the storyteller which definitely added more depth, reality and fun into the story and it made it feel like you were being told it over a cup of tea!! This is the third book in B.Ware's 'Words Of Warning' series but each book can be read as a standalone. The bonus of reading this one first is that once you have finished and you and your child have become hooked on B.Ware's stories is that you can then go back and read the first two books in this series while impatiently waiting for her to bring more out! There are brilliant illustrations dotted through the book at the start of each chapter and these have been done by the extremely talented Theo Jarvis. They are brilliant, especially the front cover which is extremely eye catching so well done Theo!! This book has been extremely well written using language that is easy to understand end in a fun way, it even includes some rhyming sentences! It is very well laid out with chapters that are the perfect length for "just one more" before bedtime. However there was no way that we could stop at "just one more" as we were so hooked and ended up completely devouring it in one day each!! The storyline itself is ram packed with mischief, mystery, action, fun, a book club, fun, bizarre characters, spies, invisible cloaks, kidnapping, possible vampires, humour, friendship, family and absolutely everything that any reader young or old could ask for!! The storyline and the way it has been narrated is completely unique to myself and Malaki which is definitely a bonus! We have both read so many books that it is getting harder and harder to find a completely unique storyline but B.Ware has definitely managed it in this page turner!! We are definitely looking forward to reading her previous two books which are called ' Warning Magic Can Be Dangerous' and 'Warning May Contain Dragons' which both look just as brilliant as this! If you are looking for a good read that will keep your children entertained for hours will bringing their imagination to life and having lots of fun doing so then go ahead and grab your copy of 'Warning Grandma's Gone Bonkers' today and I can promise that you will not regret it! In fact, you may as well grab all three books in this series to save you coming back and doing so after you have loved and laughed out loud at this brilliant book!

An absolutely addictive, fun, magic and adventure packed laugh out loud page turner perfect for anyone looking for a brilliant read!!

Overall an absolutely hilarious, one of a kind book that children and parents will love!!

#GrandmasGoneBonkers #WordsOfWarning #BWare #BWareAuthor #TheoJarvis #CranthorpeMillner

@BWare @BWareAuthor @TheoJarvis @CranthorpeMillner

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[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

👵🏻 🤪 Warning: Grandma’s Gone Bonkers by B. Ware 👵🏻 🤪

ARC I AD I PR

🧐 Well I have no idea if I am unofficially on the official book tour, or officially unofficial- but what I do know is that I want to shout LOUD and PROUD about this hilarious book.

💛 From the moment Warning: Grandma’s Gone Bonkers arrived on my doorstep, the excitement was there. I knew I was in for a treat after reading the blurb and admiring the awesome front cover by Theo Jarvis.

🥸 From shady characters, magical cloaks, questionable moustaches, bonkers OAPs (who are actually SUPER cool IMO - and not because I am old, thank you very much!!), vampires, rotten teachers, spies and more… there is something for everyone in this book.

🤩 Nero and Jess are the heroes of the story. Nero has somehow managed to get through his life without knowing much at all about his mysterious parents - even though they live together in the same house. Super sus! He is loyal, loving and I think very much crushing on Jess. Jess has the BEST active imagination and conjures up some absolutely laugh-out-loud moments. Some of her ideas are so far fetched and hilarious. She might be a little gullible too… 🤷🏻‍♀️

👵🏻 Gran is a legend! 🙌🏽 Resourceful, flexible and cunning. If you want to know if she is actually bonkers, then you must read the book for yourself. If I told you she has a secret underground laboratory under her bungalow, would that help?! How cool! 😎

👴🏼 My favourite part of the story was the narrator’s voice. They added so many brilliant asides, explanations and reflections. Sometimes a little sarcasm, sometimes a random tangent. He reminded me of myself when teaching, because I totally over-share all of them time.

💛 I adored Jo’s writing style and great sense of humour throughout. This book will definitely be a hit with confident readers in Y3 upwards, so 8+. I can’t wait to share it with my class.

Check out: @bewareauthor and @the_rebel_reading_society on Instagram for more reviews and book fun.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic read from this wonderful children’s author! Now, I say children’s author but you know what, I absolutely loved this! I decided to read without my son as I was reading a digital copy (he will want to read the ‘proper’ book!) and I devoured it within 24 hours. I laughed out loud, I was drawn into the plot and couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

The book starts off with a poem, which is brilliantly written and has the narration parts throughout, like the previous two books. Although written in a similar style (which I absolutely love!) all 3 books are wildly different so you just don’t know what to expect!

This time we are following Nero, as he starts investigating some strange goings on! But not only that, his grandma appears to have gone bonkers! Everyone is concerned for her, but nothing is as it seems!

We are led straight into the mystery and action, which will keep any young reader engaged. This book is perfect for younger readers who will want to cuddle up and share the story being read to them, but also the older child who can read to themselves.

The author is always so clever with how she ‘removes’ the parents so that the children can take centre stage throughout the book.

This time however, the children are assisted by some fantastic older people. They bring such humour and joy to some very precarious situations!
Grandma and Charlie are my absolute favourites.

I also noticed some clever hidden messages throughout this one, like how it is okay to cry, and how, perhaps children hide these things because us adults do the same.

So all in all a brilliant read, this author is becoming a firm favourite in our house (and also those of friends with young children). I know my son will enjoy this and won’t be satisfied with just one chapter at bedtime!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author and publisher for the opportunity to read.

[Claire Smith-Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great fun read that was full of science, technology and fabulous pensioners. I had a great time reading it with Henry and explaining different elements and admitting I didn't know what was happening too but that I wanted to find out. Henry is busy trying to create his own invisibility cloak and be a spy so I'm happy he's been inspired by reading. 

Henry loved the spy elements and kept questioning everything, he loved when Nero played the trick on Miss Jorn early on in the story.

Nero is worried about his gran as he keeps overhearing his parents say that she's going bonkers. On a visit to check on her, he finds her in a precarious position and starts to think his parents must be right. Grabbing a cloak to keep the rain off on his way to school he inadvertently discovers he's picked up an invisibility cloak, which his friend Jess persuades him to use for some fun but it lands him in hot water. His parents are called in and after that they disappear and strange things begin happening, including being accosted by secret agents! With the help of grandma and her book club, Nero and Jess unravel the mystery and set about enacting a plan to trap the bad guys! 

[Katelyn Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

- I received this book from NetGalley -

Warning: Grandma's Gone Bonkers is the first book I have read by B. Ware, but it will not be the last!

I read this book aloud with my son (age 9) and he kept telling me how much he was enjoying the book. He has read/listened to a lot already, so the fact that this one was the one he kept talking about means it left a good impression on him.

The fact that there are parts where the author talks to you the reader directly:
1 - Helps clarify some situations, due to purposefully left out information by the author.
2 - Causes frustration (in a funny way) because they want to stop for tea before continuing, at the most climactic part!!!
3 - Helps push the reader to solve the mystery before it is revealed.

I also found it interesting that the mention of AI is already making it's way into books with it still being so new, but they brought it up in a curious way, and it will be interesting if it holds up as the AI progresses.

Overall this book was smart, sentimental and at times serious. I enjoyed this book as the adult reading, and I know my son enjoyed it as well!

[Julie Ditton · Rating 5 out of 5]

B. Ware has done it again. Mix together middle grade sleuths, feisty senior citizens, stupid criminals and a touch of science fiction and you have one rollicking good time. The author has crafted a fun mystery adventure with outlandish details and fun characters. As usual the book begins with a narrator who relates the goings on and frequently breaks the fourth wall to talk to the reader. Once the actual adventure begins, the book follows a youngster named Nero who is quite worried that Grandma seems to have gone Bonkers! But Mom and Dad seem to be acting strange and secretive. Things aren't always as simple as they seem and when people start to literally disappear, Nero doesn't know what to think. Kids will love this fun adventure where kids have to help save the day. But adults will too. I devoured this laugh out loud book in one day. I received this an electronic advanced reader's copy of this book from the author, but I can honestly recommend this book to any middle grade adventure reader, not to mention the parent who likes to read along.

[Emily Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book follows Nero as he investigates some strange goings on including the worrying possibility that his grandma has gone bonkers. But nothing is quite as it seems. With secrets, surprises and even people mysteriously disappearing, the adventure keeps pages turning!
Beneath the fun and outlandish twists are thoughtful messages about feelings and honesty that resonate with both children and adults, making it the perfect book for confident young readers or to read aloud together as a family.
We were kindly gifted this copy in exchange for a review but no obligation to post a positive review, we just both loved this book!

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have got to be honest, and this is my humble opinion, Grandma's Gone Bonkers is genius story telling. B Ware has written a highly entertaining read which is an absolute delight. It is a story that will certainly entice 9+ readers from their devices and younger readers will enjoy having this shared with them. It really is a story that can bring readers of all ages together. I absolutely loved the character of Grandma and the way that B. Ware keeps the pace of the read. It really does grip you and the interjections from the narrator are fabulous. A wonderfully humorous, mystery page-turner of a read. Stonkingly brilliant.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the content and the illustration. It is a joyful look at dementia. I am getting old, so that kind of made me dread old age a wee bit less. The illustration makes grandma look so endearingly bonkers.

[Tami Wylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cracking read! Nero is convinced something is terribly wrong with his grandma. She’s been acting very strangely: swinging from lights, talking to ghosts and other things. Not to mention he keeps hearing his parents say Grandma’s gone bonkers to people on the phone. Next he gets an invisibility cloak from her house. To top it all off, his parents get kidnapped. Nero, his best friend Jess and Grandma set out to find his parents, stop the bad guys and protect his parents secret invention. There was plenty of humour and some fabulous characters. I loved Grandma and her book club friends. They were gloriously feisty and up for anything! This is a book that I would have happily shared with my class when I was teaching and with my son when he was young. It has everything that children in the target year group will love! A fantastic read for adults too.