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Living Ted #1
Night of the Living Ted
A new action-comedy series about two kids battling an army of evil teddy bears! Can they save the day before bedtime?
After Lisa-Marie and her big brother, Vernon, visit a Create-A-Ted store, the unexpected happens.
Their teddy bears come to life!
But it turns out they aren't the only ones. All kinds of teddy bears--zombies, ghosts, aliens and more--are suddenly alive and creating mayhem . . . and soon there is an army of evil teddy bears on the loose!
Can Lisa-Marie and her big brother Vernon save themselves--and the world?
The Living Ted series appeals to readers of all ages with quick chapters, laugh-out-loud action scenes, and lively illustrations throughout.
After Lisa-Marie and her big brother, Vernon, visit a Create-A-Ted store, the unexpected happens.
Their teddy bears come to life!
But it turns out they aren't the only ones. All kinds of teddy bears--zombies, ghosts, aliens and more--are suddenly alive and creating mayhem . . . and soon there is an army of evil teddy bears on the loose!
Can Lisa-Marie and her big brother Vernon save themselves--and the world?
The Living Ted series appeals to readers of all ages with quick chapters, laugh-out-loud action scenes, and lively illustrations throughout.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2018
9 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 15, 2021
Teddy bears come to life and their intentions aren't noble. Can Lisa Marie, her stepbrother Vernon and her Elvis build-a-bear (aka Bearvis) save the day, rescue their town and defeat the evil army of bears determined to steal and possibly take over the world?
Young scary story fans will want to give this one a try.
Young scary story fans will want to give this one a try.
April 3, 2020
Night of The Living Ted is a funny scary book for children's who like to read spooky stuff. Short but entertaining .
3. 5 stars
thanks to netgalley and Delacorte Books for young readers for providing me with an Arc.
3. 5 stars
thanks to netgalley and Delacorte Books for young readers for providing me with an Arc.
January 2, 2023
Several months before reading this I encountered the works of J.D. Kirk I also discovered that Kirk publishes children’s books as Barry Hutchison, and other adult fiction as Barry J. Hutchison. I have read 20 stories published under the Kirk Name and I am now branching out to the ones under the Hutchinson names, this is the 7 under that name. He is coming up on 175 books across the three pen names. If I had known that or I might not have picked up this first one. But I am very thankful I did. Friends call me a ‘completionist’ in that when I find an author I like, I try to read everything they have published. I have enjoyed all I have read from his pen and this one was no different.
The description of this story is:
“This Halloween season discover a new action-comedy series about two kids battling an army of evil teddy bears! What a nightmare! Can they save the day before bedtime?
After Lisa-Marie and her big brother, Vernon, visit a Create-A-Ted store, the unexpected happens.
Their teddy bears come to life!
But it turns out they aren't the only ones. All kinds of teddy bears--zombies, ghosts, aliens and more--are suddenly alive and creating mayhem . . . and soon there is an army of evil teddy bears on the loose!
Can Lisa-Marie and her big brother Vernon save themselves--and the world?
The Living Ted series appeals to readers of all ages with quick chapters, laugh-out-loud action scenes, and lively illustrations throughout.”
This story is an early chapter book. Or middle grade reader. It has 19 chapters and numerous illustrations by Lee Cosgrove. This illustrations are not scary, but I could absolutely see the story scaring some children. My son would love this story. My youngest daughter would not be happy if I let her read it, and might not sleep well for a while. However that being said, kids that like being scared and can handle the fright factor will love this story and I assume series. It is less dark than some of the goosebumps stories and is even less dark than what I have read from Hutchison’s Invisible Friends series.
The story is very humorous in places, and thought I did not laugh out loud there were more than a few chuckles along the way. Every time the word Bearvis came up you picture him there on stage in Vegas. He constant way Veron refers to Lisa Marie as his step sister, and she never makes the ‘step’ distinction. The neighbourhood bully getting his own. How many times does Vernon faint or nearly faint. How many ways can a flick of a wand go badly. And Can Vernon and his sister Lisa Marie save the town from the Night of the Living Dead? To find out you will need to read this darkish tale!
This book marks the 29th offering from Hutchison I have read in the last 10 months, under the three names he publishes under. They have all been entertaining reads. Many an easy 5/5 stars, this a very solid 4. This story was a very entertaining read, but with the ending it will leave you desperate for the next installment, and it appears to just be a trilogy so three and done. A good read from the pen of Barry Hutchison, aka Barry J. Hutchinson
aka J.D. Kirk.
The description of this story is:
“This Halloween season discover a new action-comedy series about two kids battling an army of evil teddy bears! What a nightmare! Can they save the day before bedtime?
After Lisa-Marie and her big brother, Vernon, visit a Create-A-Ted store, the unexpected happens.
Their teddy bears come to life!
But it turns out they aren't the only ones. All kinds of teddy bears--zombies, ghosts, aliens and more--are suddenly alive and creating mayhem . . . and soon there is an army of evil teddy bears on the loose!
Can Lisa-Marie and her big brother Vernon save themselves--and the world?
The Living Ted series appeals to readers of all ages with quick chapters, laugh-out-loud action scenes, and lively illustrations throughout.”
This story is an early chapter book. Or middle grade reader. It has 19 chapters and numerous illustrations by Lee Cosgrove. This illustrations are not scary, but I could absolutely see the story scaring some children. My son would love this story. My youngest daughter would not be happy if I let her read it, and might not sleep well for a while. However that being said, kids that like being scared and can handle the fright factor will love this story and I assume series. It is less dark than some of the goosebumps stories and is even less dark than what I have read from Hutchison’s Invisible Friends series.
The story is very humorous in places, and thought I did not laugh out loud there were more than a few chuckles along the way. Every time the word Bearvis came up you picture him there on stage in Vegas. He constant way Veron refers to Lisa Marie as his step sister, and she never makes the ‘step’ distinction. The neighbourhood bully getting his own. How many times does Vernon faint or nearly faint. How many ways can a flick of a wand go badly. And Can Vernon and his sister Lisa Marie save the town from the Night of the Living Dead? To find out you will need to read this darkish tale!
This book marks the 29th offering from Hutchison I have read in the last 10 months, under the three names he publishes under. They have all been entertaining reads. Many an easy 5/5 stars, this a very solid 4. This story was a very entertaining read, but with the ending it will leave you desperate for the next installment, and it appears to just be a trilogy so three and done. A good read from the pen of Barry Hutchison, aka Barry J. Hutchinson
aka J.D. Kirk.
November 2, 2018
Lisa Marie and her step brother Vernon don't see eye to eye. On this occasion they can't decide what to buy for her dad for his birthday. They stumble upon the Create a bear shop offering free Halloween Bears. Lisa Marie makes a witch bear called Henrietta and Vernon makes a very grisly bear and names him Grizz. They make a bear for their Dad who loves Elvis and name him Bearvis.
On the stroke of midnight the bears come alive and Henrietta the witch bear turns their Mum and Dad into a frog and a slug. Vernon can't handle the situation and faints. Grizz wants to take over all the bears in town who are now stealing from their children. Can Lisa Marie, Vernon and Bearvjs save the town? Can they return their Mum and Dad back to their former selves? ......
This book was wonderfully written and the illustrations were great. It's a wacky children's Halloween read which is funny from beginning to end.
Lisa Marie always manages to get the better of her step brother Vernon and is much braver than him throughout the book.
I loved all the bear characters when they came to life too they were funny and would keep any child engaged in the story.
This story is ideal for children 8+ and would be a good read for boys especially but girls will love it too.
Even as an adult I found myself sniggering throughout the book and this is the testament of a good story.
January 13, 2023
A cute book about a girl, her stepbrother and a stuffed Elvis bear named Bearvis.
Lisa and her stepbrother, Vernon, are shopping for a present for their dad. They stop at a local build a bear type store which is offering free Halloween bears for everyone. What a deal!
But within 24 hours there is an army of monster bears - witches, vampires, aliens - who have come alive in a plot to, at first, rob everyone of their valuables and then later, take over the world.
With only Bearvis on their side, Lisa and Vernon need to fight back and save the world.
Great illustrations, some giggles and just enough of safe scariness to satisfy a young middle grade crowd.
Lisa and her stepbrother, Vernon, are shopping for a present for their dad. They stop at a local build a bear type store which is offering free Halloween bears for everyone. What a deal!
But within 24 hours there is an army of monster bears - witches, vampires, aliens - who have come alive in a plot to, at first, rob everyone of their valuables and then later, take over the world.
With only Bearvis on their side, Lisa and Vernon need to fight back and save the world.
Great illustrations, some giggles and just enough of safe scariness to satisfy a young middle grade crowd.
May 13, 2024
2.6 stars meh
May 15, 2020
Night of the Living Ted is the hilarious first entry in a new middle grade horror-comedy series about some less-than-cuddly teddy bears who come to life on Halloween night and decide to take over the world. After their parents are turned into slimy creatures by a witch bear, step-siblings Lisa-Marie and Vernon must join forces with a teddy ally named Bearvis (as in Bearvis Presley) to defeat the horde of tiny, evil bears and save humanity. With malevolent, wise-cracking toys and kids learning how to navigate a newly blended family, the book resembles a kid-friendly Child’s Play with a sweet family story at its center.
Though the entire book is quite funny, I was slightly puzzled by the fact that a sizable percentage of the humor is Elvis-based. Don’t get me wrong, the Elvis jokes are funny; I’m just not sure whether they’ll go over younger readers’ heads. (I was born years after the King died and I would have gotten the jokes when I was in the target age range for this book, but I honestly have no idea how the plethora of hunka hunka burnin’ puns will play with today’s preteens. If any of my readers have any anecdotal evidence to share on the subject, please do so!) The jokes fit in well with the breezy hilarity of the rest of the story, though, so even if kids don’t catch every reference, they’ll still enjoy the sequined teddy bear karate-chopping his way through a pack of wereteddies.
Lee Cosgrove’s illustrations are a wonderful combination of comedy and horror, depicting menacing alien teddies and ill-tempered witch bears in zany, dynamic scenes that propel the action forward and deepen the characterization of the protagonists. Lisa-Marie and Vernon (you can’t escape the Elvis references!) make a good team as they fight the adorable stuffed menace, and I’m eager to see how they deal with the mad science and unpredictable magic of future teddy invasions. I can never get enough kids’ horror-comedy, so I’m excited about this new series and its zombear potential.
Though the entire book is quite funny, I was slightly puzzled by the fact that a sizable percentage of the humor is Elvis-based. Don’t get me wrong, the Elvis jokes are funny; I’m just not sure whether they’ll go over younger readers’ heads. (I was born years after the King died and I would have gotten the jokes when I was in the target age range for this book, but I honestly have no idea how the plethora of hunka hunka burnin’ puns will play with today’s preteens. If any of my readers have any anecdotal evidence to share on the subject, please do so!) The jokes fit in well with the breezy hilarity of the rest of the story, though, so even if kids don’t catch every reference, they’ll still enjoy the sequined teddy bear karate-chopping his way through a pack of wereteddies.
Lee Cosgrove’s illustrations are a wonderful combination of comedy and horror, depicting menacing alien teddies and ill-tempered witch bears in zany, dynamic scenes that propel the action forward and deepen the characterization of the protagonists. Lisa-Marie and Vernon (you can’t escape the Elvis references!) make a good team as they fight the adorable stuffed menace, and I’m eager to see how they deal with the mad science and unpredictable magic of future teddy invasions. I can never get enough kids’ horror-comedy, so I’m excited about this new series and its zombear potential.
October 10, 2020
Strong 3.5 stars.
Kids will like better than I do. Me- not a fan of the words, "Shut up" and "Stupid". Used quite a bit in this British import. Do they talk like that over there? Does Barry think American kids talk this way? Hope not. Grizz uses "meathead" a lot which is a bit funny. Didn't like when he zapped(killed) a human character, but kids will overlook that in this hilarious illustrated chapter book.
Zany, funny, evil stuffed bears on the loose is irresistible to kids in grades 2-5.
Strong female character with STEM connections and Lisa Marie's use of "big" words- teachers and parents will love this.
When I first started this book (chapters 1-3) almost didn't finish. Thought meh, 2 stars, but will finish it to know whether I should purchase, etc.
Well, after chapter 4- I finished in one sitting. Made chapter 4 my First Chapter Friday read aloud.
Perfect amount of illustrations make this doable for a reluctant reader. Almost every other page.
Will kids gets the Elvis references?- maybe if they have some experience, but I found them hilarious to read aloud. Would make a fun October teacher read aloud if you get the voices just right and mix in some Elvis audio/video! Ending is perfect setup for book 2.
Kids will like better than I do. Me- not a fan of the words, "Shut up" and "Stupid". Used quite a bit in this British import. Do they talk like that over there? Does Barry think American kids talk this way? Hope not. Grizz uses "meathead" a lot which is a bit funny. Didn't like when he zapped(killed) a human character, but kids will overlook that in this hilarious illustrated chapter book.
Zany, funny, evil stuffed bears on the loose is irresistible to kids in grades 2-5.
Strong female character with STEM connections and Lisa Marie's use of "big" words- teachers and parents will love this.
When I first started this book (chapters 1-3) almost didn't finish. Thought meh, 2 stars, but will finish it to know whether I should purchase, etc.
Well, after chapter 4- I finished in one sitting. Made chapter 4 my First Chapter Friday read aloud.
Perfect amount of illustrations make this doable for a reluctant reader. Almost every other page.
Will kids gets the Elvis references?- maybe if they have some experience, but I found them hilarious to read aloud. Would make a fun October teacher read aloud if you get the voices just right and mix in some Elvis audio/video! Ending is perfect setup for book 2.
February 18, 2020
This chapter book would be appropriate for grades one and up. I read it to my kindergartener and it seemed to be a little old for him. The references trend pretty old as well. I'm not sure that a young kid would get the references to Elvis Presley, which feature pretty heavily in the narrative. One of the bears is created as an Elvis Presley lookalike, and is variously called The King and Bearvis. This humour went totally over the head of my kid, and I think a more up-to-date musical reference would be appropriate. (Even though the bear is for the character's dad, still, what thirty/forty-year-old today is a huge Elvis fan?) What did hit the mark was the blended family, with stepparents and two stepkids trying to make it work as a family. Also, the bears coming alive was pretty awesome, too. Nice line illustrations rounded out this chapter book.
September 23, 2020
Lisa Marie and her stepbrother Vernon are shopping for a birthday gift for Lisa Marie's dad when they see a Create-a-Bear store with the sign Free Bears. That means Vernon can keep the money his mom gave him for the present. But there's always a catch. They have to purchase one bear to get the free Halloween bears. Lisa Marie is thrilled to have Bearvis because her dad is a huge Elvis fan. The thrill is quickly gone when all of the bears come to life and take on the roles of the costumes they're wearing - witches, vampires, zombies and more. Lisa Marie must use all of her brainpower to come up with a way to foil their leader Grizz's plan to take over the world. Black and white illustrations create teddy bears scary enough to make kids look twice at their own stuffed animals. A sly salute to Elvis adds a light touch. This is the first in a series. Watch for "Revenge" and "Invasion".
August 15, 2022
This tale of cute halloween teddy bears who are brought to life by a nefarious toymaker was a hoot. The timing of borrowing this one from the library couldn't have been better. The story features a heroic teddy called Bearvis, modelled on Elvis Presley, right down to the quiff and sequinned suit. If we'd read this a couple of months back, my kid would have had no idea who Elvis was, but due to the release of Baz Luhrmann's movie, we've had a few conversations of late about the King of Rock n Roll (he died the same year I was born, and I've managed to convince my boy that the world just wasn't big enough for me AND Elvis), and he knows a few of the big hits now. I even got to do some (to my ears) fantastic Elvis impersonations while we read along. In short, I may have enjoyed this one more than my kid - I regret nothing. Thank you. Thank you very much.
April 25, 2020
Lisa Marie and her brother Vernon stop at a build a bear store as they were trying to look for a good present for their father’s birthday. At night however, the bears come to life. Then Lisa Marie is faced with an impossible mission, stop the bears from taking over the world.
This is just a fun ride of a book! I mean who doesn’t love a scary teddy bear?! The graphics throughout the book was a nice edition and a few little teddy bears that were just adorable. Quite a few funny parts (Vernon passing out multiple times) and some sad parts. I loved the evolution of step-sister to sister and the end to a bully.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is just a fun ride of a book! I mean who doesn’t love a scary teddy bear?! The graphics throughout the book was a nice edition and a few little teddy bears that were just adorable. Quite a few funny parts (Vernon passing out multiple times) and some sad parts. I loved the evolution of step-sister to sister and the end to a bully.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2020
This one is ok, but I can see kids liking it more than I did. Lisa Marie and her new stepbrother Vernon are searching for a birthday present for her dad when they discover a build your own bear store giving away free Halloween themed teddies. Lisa Marie thinks this is great, Vernon could care less, but when the teddy bears come to life and start terrorizing the town both Lisa Marie and Vernon have to fight back.
Good for ages 8 and up - 'scary' bears but not really a scary story
Good for ages 8 and up - 'scary' bears but not really a scary story
January 4, 2021
This book had a good write up which is why I ordered it for my library and thought it might be a fun read to include for younger readers. And maybe kids will enjoy it? The problem is, it is a bit too long for the target audience. Maybe the characters will hold younger readers' attention better than it held mine. There also needs to be a strong understanding of who Elvis Presley is which most of my students do not have.
October 24, 2020
I really enjoyed this humor horror novel where teddy bears come to life and wreak havoc on Halloween. There was a good blend of science fiction, and I loved that the bears came to life based on what they were made of in terms of accessories (like pirates, werewolves, vampires, etc.). Really fun story.
September 15, 2021
Night of the living Ted was a perfect pallet cleanser from reading so many epic fantasy novels. This was a fast pace fun With the whole step-sibling dynamic and the whole coming-of-age trope. With a hint of magic and mayhem from stuffed bears in costumes. Build a bear with cursed teddy bears. I recommend this for anybody who enjoys a good little chuckle.
January 18, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy of Night of the Living Ted.
It is a funny, laugh out loud book, that elementary and tweens will thoroughly enjoy reading. I can see reluctant readers eating this on up.
#NightoftheLivingTed
It is a funny, laugh out loud book, that elementary and tweens will thoroughly enjoy reading. I can see reluctant readers eating this on up.
#NightoftheLivingTed
January 18, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy of Night of the Living Ted.
It is a funny, laugh out loud book, that elementary and tweens will thoroughly enjoy reading. I can see reluctant readers eating this on up.
#NightoftheLivingTed
It is a funny, laugh out loud book, that elementary and tweens will thoroughly enjoy reading. I can see reluctant readers eating this on up.
#NightoftheLivingTed
February 1, 2021
Evil teddy bears come to life! That's really all you need to know, I think. Maybe also there's one good bear who acts like Elvis. Funny horror for kids, somewhere between Bunnicula and Dexter's Laboratory.
August 18, 2020
Felt like a fairy off parent knock-off that I didn’t like
February 15, 2021
Perfectly silly and outrageous story of siblings battling an army of horror teddy bears. Kids will love it.
July 22, 2021
Children’s
August 13, 2021
funny and also surprisingly scary for teddy bears - i'm a sucker for elvis impersonators! sequels should be fun too.
April 17, 2022
My 6 and 8 year old really enjoyed this and gave it 5 stars 😆
June 18, 2022
My rising third grader pressed Night of the Living Ted by Barry Hutchison into my hands, telling me it was hilarious. I’m always up for hilarious so I gave it a go.
This is book one in the Living Ted series and it was a hoot.
It’s Halloween and word-loving, science-loving Lisa Marie and her older brother Vernon make three teddy bears at the local Create A Ted store. They each make a Halloween bear and together they make an Elvis bear as a gift for their dad.
Late that night, long after the Halloween festivities have ended, the bears come to life and they are evil! Thankfully Bearvis bear isn’t and he “rolls up his sequined sleeves” to help Lisa Marie and Vernon.
Full of funny play on words, quick chapters and zaney illustrations (Lee Cosgrove illustrator), fans of Investigators, Dog Man and the likes will enjoy this. Who isn’t in for an Elvis bear fighting hordes of zombie, pirate, and werewolf bears?
This is book one in the Living Ted series and it was a hoot.
It’s Halloween and word-loving, science-loving Lisa Marie and her older brother Vernon make three teddy bears at the local Create A Ted store. They each make a Halloween bear and together they make an Elvis bear as a gift for their dad.
Late that night, long after the Halloween festivities have ended, the bears come to life and they are evil! Thankfully Bearvis bear isn’t and he “rolls up his sequined sleeves” to help Lisa Marie and Vernon.
Full of funny play on words, quick chapters and zaney illustrations (Lee Cosgrove illustrator), fans of Investigators, Dog Man and the likes will enjoy this. Who isn’t in for an Elvis bear fighting hordes of zombie, pirate, and werewolf bears?
July 21, 2022
Great kids book, well written and not too scared!
November 22, 2022
I felt as if the story kind of dragged on a lot more than it should have. My students had a hard time staying engaged with this one.
February 11, 2023
3.5 stars - a cute funny read for kids who like spooky stories. It held Jude’s attention.
May 7, 2020
Lisa-Marie and her older bully of a stepbrother Vernon are small-town suburban kids who don't really get along; Lisa-Marie being too smart for her own good, and Vernon resenting being saddled with a kid sister. When each is given cash to buy Lisa-Marie's dad/Vernon's stepdad a birthday gift, the kids end up at the local build-a-bear type store, where they discover a special is going on: any customer can make themselves a teddy bear in honor of the upcoming Halloween holiday to keep, free! Her dad being an Elvis fanatic makes Lisa-Marie's choice easy, but with no interest in the freebie and only wanting to add his name to Lisa-Marie's gift so he can keep the money, Vernon slaps together a mish-mash of Halloween costumes and accessories and body parts to form a monster bear he doesn't even have an interest in taking home. It's a decision both kids will come to regret however, when soon afterward all the Halloween bears come to life all over town, turning on their makers/owners, robbing and hurting them, and before long the streets are filled with (among others) witch teddies that can fly and do magic ... zombie teddy bears seeking brains alongside vampire bears seeking a meal ... alien teddies in space suits complete with death rays ... all forms of monsters, and all making their way back to the teddy bear store and their leader - none other than the evil, sadistic, biggest and baddest teddy bear of all: Vernon's hybrid monster-bear! Can a smart little girl, her doofus of a stepbrother, and one lone, goodhearted teddy bear in a white-sequined jumpsuit and black pompadour - complete with Memphis accent - thwart out an entire horde of evil teddies determined to take over their town, if not the world? Night of the Living Ted is part of a newer, funny, very well-written middle-grade series featuring equally-funny illustrations by Lee Cosgrove that hint the books would make a good animated series. And this one, complete with stalwart heroes, formidable villains, and kid-friendly Halloween spookiness, will leave readers anxious for the next in the series,Revenge of the Living Ted, due in September. I know I am! (Available May 19) 4.5/5 stars
NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews