My Life and Other Exploding Chickens

My Life/Tom Weekly #4

by Tristan Bancks, Gus Gordon (Illustrations)

Have you ever run from the dentist? Are you petrified of clowns? Have giant head lice tried to attack and eat you? Do you ever chew on your grandfather's toenails for short story inspiration? And have you come up with a genius way to never do homework again? All of these things have happened to Tom Weekly. His life is an exploding chicken, and the book in your hands is his attempt to glue it back together again.

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Tristan Bancks tells stories for the page and screen. His books for kids and teens include Two Wolves, The Fall, Detention, the Tom Weekly series, and Nit Boy. Ginger Meggs, Tristan’s 100th anniversary book of short stories, is based on characters created by his great-great uncle, Jimmy Bancks, in 1921. His books have won and been shortlisted for many awards, including a Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, ABIA, YABBA, KOALA, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and Queensland Literary Awards. His latest release is Cop & Robber, a nailbiting crime story for age 10+.

Tristan is a writer-ambassador for literacy non-profit Room to Read. He is currently working with producers to develop a number of his books for the screen. He’s excited by the future of storytelling and inspiring others to create. You can find out more about Tristan’s books, play games, watch videos, join his Young Writer’s StorySchool and help him try to change the world at tristanbancks.com

Reviews

[Gaby]

I now aspire to be a ninja librarian!

[Natalie Woodbridge]

Downloaded the audio book to listen to with the kids on a long car journey, and we all really enjoyed it! Very funny and appealing to all ages.

[St Stephen's C C]

Have you ever done a runner from the dentist?
Are you petrified of clowns?
Have giant headlice tried to eat you?
Have you ever been attacked by Library Ninjas when your book was five years overdue?
And have you come up with a genius way to never do homework again?

All of these things have happened to me. I'm Tom Weekly. My life is an exploding chicken and the book in your hands is my attempt to glue it back together again.

[Judy Wollin]

Tom Weekly’s life doesn’t always run the way he’d like it to. The girl he likes hasn’t noticed him. The girl he doesn’t like has. Can he survive a trip to the circus?

I enjoyed the different stories in this book. The variety of styles was interesting.
Recommended for 8+. A fun read for kids not too keen on reading. A fun book to read aloud.

Illustrations by Gus Gordon

[Connor]

Very funny, a book you can pick up and laugh, i spent a few hours the day I got the book reading the whole thing.

[Yassine]

It was brilliant

[Jayne at the Library In my re reading my childhood books Era]

I read this to my sons, and I'm 75 per cent certain I enjoyed it more than they did.
It was silly and funny.

Now I think I have a fear of giant lice though.