Review - Super Fly Guy!

Super Fly Guy! (Fly Guy #2)
by Tedd Arnold
Date: 2006
Publisher: Cartwheel Books
Reading level: C
Book type: illustrated chapter book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Fly Guy loves the school lunchroom. He loves the dirty dishes, the smelly mop, and the garbage cans. But when the lunch ladies discover there's a fly in the cafeteria, chaos ensues! Though Fly Guy makes a mess of things, he also shows his powers as a Super Fly Guy!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I think this may be the shortest chapter book I've ever read! Three chapters, and just over thirty pages in total. It's a quick read, that's for sure!

I couldn't get the first book from the library (typical) but they had the second one, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm not sure if I'm sold on the premise of a boy having a pet fly (flies don't live very long, do they?) but the pictures are kind of funny and the whole situation in the story is kind of gross... so kids will probably like it.

Buzz (the boy) takes his friend Fly Guy (a fly... obviously) to school with him. There, Fly Guy develops a sort of romance with the lunch lady, Roz. But when Roz's boss sees that she's allowed a fly into the kitchen, he fires her and replaces her with Miss Muzzle, whose culinary expertise extends to making burnt peas and turnips. So Buzz and Fly Guy concoct a plan to get a rise out of Miss Muzzle. She flips out and tries to swat Fly Guy, but in the process pretty much destroys the kitchen. The boss fires her and gives Roz her old job back. Everyone is happy.

There's not much story here, really, but because of the way the book is divided into chapters, it kind of seems like there's more than there is. I think the pictures are my favourite part of this, though. They're cartoonish and silly... but, then again, this is a story about a fly falling in love with the lunch lady.

This would be a great book for early or reluctant readers. Although, if you're grossed out by the idea of flies landing on your food, you might want to think twice before picking this one up!

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Pace: 3/5
Writing & Editing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3 out of 5