Legend of the Worst Boy in the World

Legend of... #3

by Eoin Colfer, Glenn McCoy (Illustrator)

Growing up with four complainers for brothers, Will Woodman has a hard time getting an audience for his own troubles. He has to wait in line to gripe to his mom--and that leaves his dad. But since his dad is so busy, Will has to defer to his older (and faster) brother Marty. Will decides that what he really needs is his own grown-up to complain to. And he has the perfect guy for the job--someone who's a good listenener and has a lot of free Grandad. But swapping sob stories with Grandad doesn't prove to be as satisfying as Will thought. Grandad has tons of pathetic stories to choose from, and one is worse than the next! But when Will hears the legend of the worst boy in the world, he knows he has finally hit the jackpot....

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Humor, Juvenile, Kids, Middle Grade, Family

101 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) was born in Wexford on the South-East coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four brothers were brought up by his father and mother, who were both educators.

He received his degree from Dublin University and began teaching primary school in Wexford. He has lived and worked all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. After the publication of the Artemis Fowl novels, Eoin retired from teaching and now writes full time. He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Zohreh Hanifeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

دیشب که رفتم خونه ی برادرم، دیدم برادرزاده م رو تختم سه تا از کتاباشو گذاشته. چون هر بار بهش میگم کدوم یکی از کتابات قشنگه بده بخونم. یکیش سی و پنج کیلو امیواری بود که خونده بودم. این یکی از اون دو تای دیگه بود.
ببینید چه مزه ای میده خوندن کتابی که برادرزاده تون پیشنهادش میده :))))

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too bad but not brilliant either. The ending ruined it all...

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

دوست داشتنی

[Payam Ebrahimi · Rating 1 out of 5]

بدترین کتاب دنیا
شاید نه به این شدت
یک مقدمه‌ی طولانی برای تعریف کردن یک قصه‌ی خیلی معمولی و در نهایت اصرار و اصرار و اصرار و تاکید و تاکید و تاکید برای این‌که پیام اخلاقی به مخاطب خرفهم شه. نویسنده یک خانواده‌ی خوب، با پتانسیل عالی برای یک قصه‌ی فوق‌العاده ساخته، اما گویا داستان‌نویسی رو تا پایان خلق شخصیت خونده و با بقیه‌ی اصول آشنایی نداشته. از همه‌ی ضعف‌ها که بگذریم، این کتاب یک نمونه‌ی آموزشی برای نشون دادن بدترین شکل تمام کردن کتابه.
مخاطب ۷،۸ ساله شاید کمی جذب قصه شه. چون شخصیت‌ها و روابط بین خواهر و برادرها توی خونه ممکنه کمی براش ملموس باشه، یا بحث این‌که خوبه آدم کسی رو برای گفتن حرف‌هاش داشته باشه. اما در نهایت همه‌ی این‌ها اشاراتی جزئی از ابتدای داستانن و در ادامه چیز دندونگیری وجود نداره. خصوصاً این‌که قصه، مربوط به روایتی در گذشته‌ست و ما مطمئنیم که برای شخصیت اصلی داستان هیچ اتفاق خاصی نیفتاده و صحیح و سالمه. پس همون دو فصل دور شدن از خانه و یک فصل تعقیب و گریز مادر و بدتر از اون تعلیق مبتدیانه‌ی لباس خرگوشی هیچ هیجانی به مخاطب نمی‌ده.

[Anna Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World’ is a wonderfully written book centred around Will Woodman and his family. Nine year old Will is the second oldest of five boys. While Will’s younger brothers constantly crave the attention of their mother, Will’s older brother Marty seizes any spare moment his father has. Therefore, Will feels as though he has no grown-up to tell his problems to. However, Will then decides that his grandfather is the perfect person to share his troubles with. Grandad agrees to listen to Will’s stories but with the added condition that he too be allowed to tell Will some of his own stories. So they begin; one story from each of them every Saturday morning as Will helps his grandad with his work at the lighthouse.

All is not how Will had imagined though, as Grandad’s stories always appear to be more outrageous and unbelievable. However, when Will finally has an opportunity to spend some time alone with his father, he learns of the 'Legend of the Worst Boy in the World'; a story about an incident involving Will that happened when he was just two years old. Will is delighted with this story and is sure it will be better than any of the remarkable tales his grandfather will be able to recall…

This book is an excellent read. The moral of the story is clearly defined at the end and there are clear lessons to be learned throughout. Although the book is 86 pages long, it is divided into seven chapters which makes it easily accessible to young readers. This coupled with the large print and interesting illustrations will keep even the most reluctant reader interested. A book that can be read aloud to those under 7/8 but can also be prescribed to 8-12 year olds as directed reading, it is suitable for boys and girls between 4 and 12 years of age.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would be a good story to read aloud with Grade 3/4s. Interesting the me, me, me attitude and the moral at the end.

[Serena.. Sery-ously? · Rating 5 out of 5]

Io VENERO Eoin Colfer. Penso che sarei disposta a tutto pur di incontrarlo una volta, avere un autografo e poter dire "Io l'ho conosciuto!" *_*
Tornando a noi.. Questo libro è semplicemente delizioso! Nessuno al mondo sa scrivere come scrive Colfer, poco ma sicuro!
Sento che dovrei provare un po' di imbarazzo per essermi cimentata in questa lettura, ma la verità è: datemi qualsiasi cosa che Colfer ha scritto e sarò la donna più contenta al mondo XD
L'ho letto in mezz'ora scarsa, ma ciò è dovuto al fatto che a) è per bambini di SETTE anni (coff coff); b) è scritto con carattere 36 minimo e c) ci sono una serie di disegni (meravigliosi, tralaltro! Alcuni di una tenerezza incredibile..).
Avrei tanto voluto averlo letto all'età giusta, ho letto in rete una serie di commenti entusiastici di mamme/insegnanti che hanno letto il libro ai loro bambini, i quali si sono divertiti tantissimo.. Ne ho fatto un punto d'onore, e quando avrò un figlio, giuro che glielo leggerò!
Will, il protagonista della storia, è arrabbiato perché la mamma non ha tempo di sentire le sue lamentele:

I have four brothers and they are always complaining about something. If I ever have a problem, and I go to my mom to talk about it, there are generally at least two brothers in line before me, moaning about something totally stupid. I could have an actual problem, like an hangnail or a missing sock, and there they are wasting Mom's time with silly stuff, like jam on their faces or sweaters that are on backward.

Decide così di rivolgersi al nonno, il custode di un faro, che vede tutti i sabati.. ma il patto è che ognuno può raccontare un solo problema. Quando Will racconta i suoi problemi, il nonno se ne esce fuori sempre con storie più problematiche e convincenti delle sue. Fino a quando Will non si fa raccontare dal padre una storia che sarà sicuramente la migliore.. :D
Colfer usa una narrazione semplice (adattandola ovviamente al giovane pubblico!), ma assolutamente coinvolgente.. E poi traspare pagina dopo pagina la sua grande abilità di utilizzare al meglio l'ironia, che già ci aveva deliziato in Artemis Fowl.. In certi punti ho riso come una povera demente!! :D

"I love you Mommy. And Daddy and Will and my little baby brother, I forget his name. But I love him too."

"There's a moral for you in that story, you know."
"what's the moral in the story?"
Grandad stood. "You need to work that out for yourself."
I frowned. "No, Grandad, I mean what is a moral? What am I supposed to figure out for myself?"
"A moral", said Grandad, "is a secret message inide the story"
"Like a spy code?"
"No," said Grandad, pretending to strangle me. "It's like the story itself paints a picture that's not in the words".
"Like hieroglyphics?"
Grandad made a face. "Are you sure you're my grandson, dopey?" I give up. Ask your mother, she's the teacher in the family".

Tralaltro, non so perché non l'ho mai fatto prima, ho letto la sua biografia a fine libro.. Ebbene, ho scoperto che ha due figli.. Non so quanto ho invidiato queste due creature.. Avere come padre Eoin che ti racconta le storie.. Che FIGATA!!! Quando sarò ricca e famoso lo assumerò a tempo pieno per raccontarle a me, la sera :D

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of fun.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to think how great it would be to have a big brother. Now, not so much. These books are delightful and hilarious!

[Jack McKernan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book I read this semester was "The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World" by Eoin colfer. Will and His four brothers grew up to do nothing else than complain. Wills two younger brothers were complaining 24/7 to their mom so Will had to find someone else to complain to. And since his dad is already fed up with Will's older brother complaints he turns to his grandad. Will and his grandad share a good relationship together because they always clean the light house that grandad owns. That each agree to tell their one story every Saturday and these stories get very interesting.
One thing that I liked about this book was how they gave nicknames for his two little brothers that complained the most. What I didn't like about this book was how Will's older brother Marty tricked Will to walk on the new road because he easily could have been hit by a car and killed. One thing that I would change about thing book is that I would have a car have to slam on its breaks and almost hit the baby.
I really liked this book and I would recommend it to people that like to read story books because this book had about three Great stories to tell. Also if you love to read books that have comedy in it you
would love this book. I had a great time reading this book and if you do I hope you will too.

[Anastasiya M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the trilogy, and this final book was such a fun and satisfying way to wrap it all up. Like the others, it was packed with humour, heart, and just the right amount of chaos. The plot followed a familiar, comforting rhythm—everyday disasters turning into epic tales of woe—but there were still enough little surprises to keep it fresh. It’s one of those stories where the drama feels huge to the characters, even though it’s hilariously ordinary to us, which makes it so charming and relatable.

The writing was as sharp and witty as ever, with that perfect tone that speaks to both kids and adults. It never talked down to the reader, and that’s part of what made it so enjoyable. The setting was simple but vivid enough to feel real, and the pacing moved quickly without feeling rushed. The themes—like family, embarrassment, and growing up—were approached with warmth and a good dose of mischief. All in all, this was a clever, laugh-out-loud read that kept the same energy and heart as the first two books. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every one in this trilogy.

Read more here: https://annietheinkdrinker.wordpress....

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My oldest daughter was sick for a week. She was so down, that I wanted something lighthearted to read to her while she was feeling crummy. This fit perfectly. It's a silly story about a boy from a large family who never gets to share his woes with his parents because the line is just too long.

He makes a deal with his grandpa, that he can complain to him, but he has to choose the BEST worst thing that happened that week and share only that. The boy then excitedly anticipates bad things so he can then share that with his grandpa. The problem is, according to their deal, grandpa then gets to share HIS worst story if he has one. Naturally Grandpa has a bigger pool to draw from and is always one-upping his grandson.

That is, until our boy is reminded of a story that happens when he was very young. It's quite a silly story though it doesn't really fit the flow of the rest of this book.

I felt like it could have been a bit better , but my daughters laughed and had a good time. I guess it's a keeper for them.

[Aarne Pohjois-Koivisto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tykkäsin aika paljon tästä kerronnan tyylistä, joka muistuttaa hieman Roald Dahlia. Lastenkirja, jossa on lasten tasoista tosielämän draamaa. Valtsulla ja ukilla on tapana kertoa toisilleen juttuja majakassa, jossa ukki asuu. On vähän kilpailua siitä, kumpi onnistuu kertomaan omista vastoinkäymisistään uskomattomamman tarinan. Liioitella ja kärjistää saa. Ukki on yleensä aina onnistunut kertomaan jännemmän jutun, mutta nyt on Valtsun vuoro onnistua siinä. Hän on selvittänyt äitiltä kysymällä, mitä oli kerran tapahtunut hänen ollessaan vaippaikäinen. Maailman tuhmin poika siinä tarinassa ei ollut Valtsu itse, vaan hänen veljensä. Siihen liittyi viivaa pitkin käveleminen ja vilkas uusi autotie. Kauhistuttava juttu se olikin. Ukki ei voi sen kuultuaan muuta tehdä, kuin tunnustaa Valtsun jutun olevan tällä kertaa se parempi.

[trijnewijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

We lazen deze in het Nederlands, uit de bib van Gent. Zoonlief begon met wat tegenzin (zoals bij elk boek), om dan toch maar elke keer een volledig hoofdstuk te lezen en uiteindelijk de laatste 30 pagina's in één ruk uit te lezen. Boeken die zijn leesgoesting doen toenemen worden hier automatisch graag gezien!

[Veronica Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya con los dibujos de Tony Ross caigo fácil. Ese estilo me gusta mucho, tan de la línea de Quentin Blake.
Y bueno, me sorprendí a mí misma no queriendo pausar la lectura. Lo pasé súper bien leyendo; se me pasaron las páginas volando, me reí y disfruté. Solo había leído dos Artemis Fowl, así que no tenía muy claro qué esperar de Colfer para un público más infantil... Y lo recomiendo.

[Alireza Emami · Rating 3 out of 5]

یکی از کتابهایی که از انتشارات افق هدیه گرفتم
خنده دار بود ولی خیلی ازتوالت و اینا توش گفته بود که خنده دار بشه مثل بعضی فیلم ها
بیشتر چون شخصیت اصلی پسر بود خوشم اومد

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a cute series of books. I would recommend this series to any juvenile reader.

[Taija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pottu-Mäkinen oli ehkä vähän parempi, mutta kyllä tästäkin naurua repii. Ihan omantyylistä helppolukemistoa ja varmaa vinkkauskamaa.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I used to read these when I was really young. Fun throwback!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the previous two, but my 6 year still thought it was hilarious as I read it aloud to him.

[Andy Gore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Priceless.

[Richard Federline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good choice though lacking the mastery of the Fowl series. Good lesson for children.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting but I want a bit more

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the quirky grandparents

[Ofer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but my youngest gives it the thumbs down.

[Suha Star ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

interessant, es war dies schön zu lesen.

[Nathan Willams · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book #5 is called, "The Worst Boy in the World," and it is by Eoin Colfer. This book is about a boy who has a supposedly a very bad life, and has no one to talk to it. This is because he has four other brothers, and they are very crazy and they always have problems that need to be solved immediately. In effect of this whole situation, Will, goes running to his granddad and complains to him about his problems.

This book was really good because I always wanted to hear what Will's problems were funny, and sometimes I could actually relate to them. This book is very enjoyable because it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes funny stories and laughing a lot. This book is like a hook, once your attached you can't get off. I loved this book because it was cheesy and funny, and I Hope you like it as much as I did.

[Naseer Rupani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book enormously. It has great humour and characters children can easily relate to.

The story is of a boy who needs someone to share his problems with. His mother and father are simply too busy, but help is at hand from his grandfather. But every time Marty tells his grandfather of his recent problems, his grandfather is always able recall an event that happened to him which was far worse ! Marty enlists the help of his Dad to recall an event in his early years which surely his grandfather could not beat. The author then takes us back in time, telling us a story about Marty which will compete with the best of his grandfather's. The book ends by Marty finding out why his grandfather was always telling Marty stories which were far worse than his own.

This book is appropriate for years 3 and 4. It is a book which could be easily read to the class or for the class to take it turns to read out aloud. There are interesting details which can be used for retrieval and predictive skills. The language is rich and there is a good use of new vocabulary. I particularly like the way the book ends with an explanation of the moral of a story by Marty's mother. This would be a good place to start a discussion on this subject.

[Pleb Teacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do great writers do? They write for multiple ages and in different genres.

As a fan of the Artemis Fowl series (Sci Fi for middle school), I decided to try a few of Colfer's primary school-age books, starting with this one.

Another few lessons that good writers do: they experience life, and they tell stories.

It was a bit meta – a story about telling stories. The protagonist goes through his weeks trying to come up with terrible things that happen to him. He experiences life by doing so, and he learns that his world isn't so bad because other people have greater experiences.

Storytelling becomes cathartic, because when something bad happens, retelling it can make it humorous.

It is also a good story about bonding with a grandparent, and dealing with a sibling who can be a jerk.

[Maria]

Growing up with four brothers isn’t easy for any young boy, and this is certainly the case for nine year old Will. Will’s brothers enjoy complaining to their parents about their numerous troubles which doesn’t leave Will much time to do the same. Frustrated, Will decides to ask his Grandad if he can confide in him. Grandad happily obliges on one condition; he also gets to share his stories with Will.
However, things don’t work out as planned for Will as each week Grandad has a more exciting and unbelievable tale. Finally when Will gets a chance to speak alone with his father, he discovers an incredible story that happened when he was two years old. For Will this is the ultimate story, outshining all of Grandad’s stories.