Book Three

The Donut Diaries: Escape from Camp Fatso

Join Dermot Milligan at Camp Fatso in the third hilarious adventure in the brilliant Donut Diaries series.

Like a donut, this book is somehow sweet and disgusting at the same time. Oh, and it's very funny too!

Dermot Milligan is eleven, obese and has just started at Big School. He's a big fan of The Lord of the Rings, and he hates his evil sisters, Ruby and Ella (Rubella). His all-time favourite donut is the classic ring, but he's also very keen on jam.

From the Carnegie Medal 2020 winning author of Lark comes The Donut Diaries. 
Dermot Milligan loves donuts. His nickname at school is Donut. But he knows he needs to lose some weight, so now he's made a promise to stop eating them. And to make sure he keeps that promise, his mum is sending him to the dreaded Camp Fatso during the summer holidays. 
 
When he arrives, Dermot realises the camp is even more horrible than he had imagined. Fed on a diet of gruel and carrots under the strict control of evil Boss Skinner and his paintball-gun-yielding guards, Dermot and his friends are desperate to escape. So together, they hatch a cunning plan . . .

Book Two

The Donut Diaries: Revenge is Sweet

The second hilarious adventure of Dermot Milligan and his battles against his weight, his sisters and the school bullies.

A cheeky and funny delight . . . The author's irreverence will appeal to young and old readers

Plenty of laughs and a plot involving poo so it’s bound to be a hit

Dermot Milligan is eleven, obese and about to start at Big School. He's a big fan of The Lord of the Rings, and he hates his evil sisters, Ruby and Ella (Rubella). His all-time favourite donut is the classic ring, but he's also very keen on jam.

From the Carnegie Medal 2020 winning author of Lark comes The Donut Diaries. 
Dermot Milligan's got problems. He's overweight, and hooked on donuts. His mother has booked him in to see Dr Morlock, a nutritionist who looks like a Dementor. The diary is Dr Morlock's idea. Not only does Dermot have to write down how many donuts he eats, but also - and this is the really rubbish part - HIS FEELINGS! 
 
This is Dermot's second hilarious adventure, featuring his battles against the bullies, and hardest of all, his beloved donuts. After one term at St Michaels, Dermot thinks things can't sink any lower. All his classmates call him Donut, his insane PE teacher Mr Fricker despises him, the evil Floppy-Haired kid is out to get him... and now someone seems to be, er, going to the toilet in inappropriate places around the school. The Head calls in the services of internationally famous poo expert Dr Morlock to help track down the culprit - and somehow the finger of suspicion is pointed at Dermot. Can he turn detective and find out who's behind the poo - before his reputation is ruined forever?

Book One

The Donut Diaries

A British Diary of a Wimpy Kid, featuring Dermot, an overweight eleven-year-old. Hilariously funny and insightful.

Laugh-out-loud funny . . . Just the thing to make the childish (of any age) laugh

Easy and plaintive and very funny, and if you're determined to give the young boy in your life a book in his stocking this year, well this might be one he'd actually thank you for

A warm, witty and inspiring tale . . . This is a fine and funny pre-teens book with some lovely zany illustrations by David Tazzyman

A deliciously funny tales of a kid with a super sweet tooth. Perfect for boys and girls, with laughs and fun galore

Dermot's diaries are very revealing as he tells all in hilarious and embarrassing detail

A great read . . . Funny and full of ideas

This book is brilliant for all those who want to laugh out loud . . . This diary has it all including brilliant illustrations

I give this 10/10 (I might not have entirely enjoyed the boy humour but it was well written, suited the style of the book which addresses serious issues with a smile)

Dermot's voice is blunt and hilarious, exactly what you'd expect from a boy of his age . . . The Donut Diaries is the perfect book for readers aged 9+, especially those who will soon be starting big school themselves

A hilarious diary which will have the reader chuckling as events unfold - and empathising with Dermot as he shares anguishes common to many near-teenage boys

This is the funniest book I have ever read, I can't wait until the next book in the series. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a little laugh

Funny and sweet in equal measure and I thoroughly enjoyed it

It's very much that wet sloppy fart kind of humour. Your kids will absolutely love this book. It's a great "next step up" the reading ladder

Dermot Milligan is eleven, obese and about to start at Big School. He's a big fan of The Lord of the Rings, and he hates his evil sisters, Ruby and Ella (Rubella). His all-time favourite donut is the classic ring, but he's also very keen on jam.

From the Carnegie Medal 2020 winning author of Lark comes The Donut Diaries, a British Diary of a Wimpy Kid, featuring Dermot, an overweight eleven-year-old. Hilariously funny and insightful. 
 
Dermot Milligan's got problems. He's overweight and hooked on donuts. He has a pushy, over-achieving mother, and a father who spends all his time hiding in the loo. His sisters, Ruby and Ella (known as Rubella) attack him relentlessly from the opposite directions of Chav and Goth. And now, he's being sent to a nutritionist, Doctor Morlock, who looks like a Dementor from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. 
 
This diary is Doc Morlock's idea. Not only does Dermot have to write down how many donuts he eats, but also - and this is the really rubbish part - he has to talk about HIS FEELINGS! But things are about to get even worse - he's being separated from his friends and sent to St Michael's, a posh school where he just knows he's going to stick out like a sore thumb. A sore thumb with a weight problem . . .

Einstein's Underpants - And How They Saved the World

Alexander saves the world from alien invasion, armed only with the faded underpants of a scientific genius! Hilarious, exciting and original writing from a highly acclaimed author.

It's dirty, inventive and made me laugh aloud . . . Any kid into Andy Griffiths or the Astrosaurs series will be in ecstasy

I loved Einstein's Underpants. It strikes the perfect balance between wacky wahey pants-based fun, and a top quality, energetic sci-fi romp . . . The writing style is dramatic, punchy, and is perfectly pitched at its audience. Anthony McGowan is always excellent, and this is no exception. Highly 
recommended.

If your nine year old has not yet discovered the world of Anthony McGowan, then now might be the time

Einstein's Underpants is zany, irreverent and downright absurd - children will love it

Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester in 1965. Educated at a Leeds comprehensive, he won't say that his characters' schooldays are exactly based on his own but he certainly writes from experience. Before turning to writing full-time, Anthony gained a PhD in Philosophy, worked as a nightclub bouncer, an Open University tutor, a journalist and a civil servant. He won the 2006 Booktrust Teenage Prize and Catalyst Award for his teenage novel Henry Tumour. 
 
He is married to Rebecca Campbell, a fashion designer and novelist. They have two young children and live in north London.

A stinking alien commander. 
Eight freaky kids. 
And a pair of faded Y-fronts. 
 
When crazy Uncle Otto warns of imminent invasion from outer space, his maths geek nephew Alexander takes on the task of saving the world. He recruits a ragged crew of school superheroes to help him, including Tortoise Boy, armed with Cedric the tortoise, the Human Hurricane, who possesses untold power in his bottom, and Really Annoying Girl. But with only a pack of cards, some toy ray-guns and a pair of old pants for help, can they do it? Find out in this nail-bitingly scary but hilarious story by a prize-winning author.

The Bare Bum Gang and the Valley of Doom

More brilliant jokes, gross deeds and plenty of laughs as the gang come together to raid the Valley of Doom!

Steve Cole, author of the Astrosaurs series

Bare Bum Gang is one of our favourite book series

Describes the mingled paranoia and derring-do of den-makers everywhere with evil glee

Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester in 1965. Educated at a Catholic comprehensive, he won't say that his character's schooldays are exactly based on his own but he certainly writes from experience. Before turning to writing full-time, Anthony gained a PhD in Philosophy, worked as a nightclub bouncer, an Open University tutor, a journalist and a civil servant. He is married with two children. He won the 2006 Booktrust Teenage Prize and Catalyst Award for his teenage novel Henry Tumour.

Ludo, Noah, Jamie, Phillip and Jennifer are THE BARE BUM GANG! They have an embarrassing name but a cool Gang Den, so things could be worse. 
 
Ludo leads the Bare Bum Gang on a raid through the Valley of Doom, deep in enemy territory. But as they are approaching their target, the BBG are ambushed by the Dockery gang. It looks like they are about to be annihilated (or pelted with mud really hard), but then they are rescued by a strange boy called Alfie. When they get back to their den, they find that their sweet stash has been plundered. The wrappers turn up in Ludo's binocular case. Added to the military fiasco in the Valley of Doom, the sweet theft is the final straw. Can Ludo keep his position as leader of the Bare Bum Gang? Or will he have to resort to desperate measures?

The Bare Bum Gang Battles the Dogsnatchers

The second hilarious book in this new series from award-winning author Anthony McGowan.

More brilliant jokes and plenty of laughs as the gang come together to battle some evil dogsnatchers! 
 
Ludo, Noah, Jamie, Phillip and Jennifer are THE BARE BUM GANG! They have an embarrassing name but a cool Gang Den, so things could be worse. 
 
The newest member of the gang is Rude Word, the world's ugliest dog - and he's causing trouble. He's throwing up strange furry body parts . . . and Mrs Cake's dog Trixie is missing! Ludo and the gang have to turn detective and get to the bottom of this gross mystery. But when other pets disappear, they realise the mystery is bigger than they thought. Can they get Rude Word off the hook?

The Bare Bum Gang and the Football Face-Off

Pranks, football and fart bombs in the first hilarious adventure of the Bare Bum Gang!

Besides getting the all-male world of small boys to a T, it has irresistible instructions about how to make fart-bombs

Likely to appeal even to reluctant readers because it is funny and uninhibitedly improper, it is also well observed about boys and their attitude to girls

An engagingly witty story, it offers ready boy-appeal - though girls, too, will appreciate its sharp stance on gender stereotyping

There's a fine line between crude and funny, and McGowan treads it expertly. If this doesn't get 7- to 9-year-olds reading, nothing will

Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester in 1965. Educated at a Catholic comprehensive, he won't say that his character's schooldays are exactly based on his own but he certainly writes from experience. Before turning to writing full-time, Anthony gained a PhD in Philosophy, worked as a nightclub bouncer, an Open University tutor, a journalist and a civil servant. He is married with two children. In 2006 he won the Booktrust Teenage Prize for his teenage novel Henry Tumour. The Bare Bum Gang is his first series for younger readers.

Join Ludo, Noah, Jamie and Phillip - the Bare Bum Gang - as they defend their gang headquarters with Smarties tube fart bombs and other ingenious traps. The gang's new (and unwanted!) name is bad enough, but things are about to get much worse. Their number 1 enemies have challenged them to a football match, and the prize at stake is the gang den. And guess what - they're all completely rubbish at football! 
 
How can they save the den? How can they get back their pride? 
 
Find out in the first Bare Bum Gang adventure!

The Knife That Killed Me

A stunning and contemporary new teenage novel from award-winning Anthony McGowan, winner of the Booktrust Teenage Prize.

Every writer hates to hear the words "stunning new talent" applied to someone else, but in the case of Anthony McGowan nothing else will do

Combining brief flashes of ironic humour with the unstoppable momentum of unfolding tragedy, this sadly timely book offers a cogent reminder of the far-reaching consequences of knife violence

This fast-paced topical novel stands out . . . McGowan does not let us down lightly and ends the book with a twist that will leave even teenage boys gasping

What makes you sit up is that its author, Anthony McGowan is one of the most talented new writers around

The narrative skilfully captures the casual violence and shifting loyalties of teen life, while constantly throwing off your expectations about what happens next. Anthony McGowan is a major talent

This is a masterfully written and dark story of contemporary teen life, which deserves to be widely read and discussed

Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester in 1965. Educated at a Catholic comprehensive, he won't say that his character's schooldays are exactly based on his own but he certainly writes from experience. Before turning to writing full-time, Anthony gained a PhD in Philosophy, worked as a nightclub bouncer, an Open University tutor, a journalist and a civil servant. He is married with two children. 
 
In 2006 he won the Teenage Booktrust Prize for Henry Tumour, which was also shortlisted for the Sheffield Children's Book Award, Lancashire Children's Book of the Year Award, Redbridge Teenage Book Award and the Catalyst Award.

Anthony McGowan is the Carnegie Medal 2020 winning author of Lark. 
 
He is coming to kill me. 
Now would be a good time to run. 
I cannot run. 
I am too afraid to run. 
 
Paul Varderman could be at any normal school - bullies, girls and annoying teachers are just a part of life. Unfortunately 'normal' doesn't apply when it comes to the school's most evil bully, Roth, a twisted and threatening thug with an agenda quite unlike anyone else. When Paul ends up delivering a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but when Roth hands him a knife it both empowers him and scares him at the same time . . . 
 
This thought-provoking and original novel highlights the terrible consequences of peer pressure and violence, and casts a spotlight on the worrying rise in knife crime among teenagers.

Henry Tumour

A funny and contemporary tale of Hector Brunty's attempts to survive at school with the help of Henry, his talking brain tumour . . .

For style and wit, it is head and shoulders above most teen fiction published this year

I loved, loved, loved this book. It's vivid, it's anarchic, it's unbearably cool . . . It's also very, very funny. There were moments when I had to put it down because I was howling with laughter . . . And if so much hilarity weren't enough, it's also very clever

A book to get teenage boys reading for the hell of it . . . A dark and funny book

Definitely the funniest, most obscenely wise book I have read in a long time

Theo Temple, Booktrust Teenage Prize judge

Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester in 1965. Educated at a Catholic comprehensive, he won't say that his character's schooldays are exactly based on his own but he certainly writes from experience. Before turning to writing full-time, Anthony gained a PhD in Philosophy, worked as a nightclub bouncer, an Open University tutor, a journalist and a civil servant. He is married with two children. Henry Tumour is his second novel for teenagers, and is set in the same school as Hellbent, which was shortlisted for the 2006 Branford Boase Award.

From the Carnegie Medal winning author of Lark, comes Henry Tumour - winner of the 2006 BookTrust Teenage Prize. 
 
It wasn't my choice: Henry was in charge. 
 
As if school bullies and his mum's tofu sandwiches weren't enough for Hector Brunty, he now has another dilemma: a talking brain tumour. 
 
Henry Tumour turns out to be the perfect alter-ego, advising Hector on haircuts, high-fashion, and tactics for snogging the best-looking girl in school, Uma Upshaw. Controlling his speech and brain chemicals is one thing, but soon Henry Tumour is trying to make more decisions about Hector's life than he'd like. 
 
Can Hector overpower his tumour in order to get what he really wants . . . before they both go under the knife?

Hellbent

A brilliantly funny, occasionally tender and always surprising view of a sixteen-year-old boy's Hell - an explosive cross between Terry Pratchett and Dante!

Anthony McGowan made a hilarious debut with Hellbent, a modern take on Dante which manages to mix existentialist and determinist philosophy with quite surprising amounts of poo

A wisecracking helterskelter . . . Real boys' stuff . . . but watch out for a twist in the novel's devilish tail

A brilliantly nauseating thriller . . . It is a devilishly funny, clever and moving novel

Dante for beginners with a serious moral message

Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester in 1965. Educated at a Catholic comprehensive, some of his school experiences inform his writing now. Before turning to writing full time, Anthony has worked as a nightclub bouncer, an Open University philosophy tutor, a cinema critic and a speechwriter in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. He had his first novel for adults, Stag Hunt, published by Hodder in March 2004. He is married to Rebecca Campbell, a fashion designer and novelist, and they have two small children.

Anthony McGowan is the Carnegie Medal 2020 winning author of Lark. 
Sent to Hell for typical teenage misdemeanours, Conor is surprised to find that it's not all pitchforks and leaping flames. But an eternity in a fusty cave full of philosophy books and obscure classical music is actually worse. 
Then Conor realizes that his personal version of Hell might be someone else's idea of Heaven - and vice versa. He sets out on a filthy, funny and forbidden journey to search for his opposite number, accompanied by his repulsive pet dog, a depressed cross-dressing Viking and a stumpy devil called Clarence. What he sees is disgusting and what he discovers is shocking, but oddly enough Conor learns a hell of a lot about life - now that he's dead!

Anthony McGowan

Crazy capers abound as The Bare Bums battle a group of hostile guards, a Tunnel of Terror and a dog that's most probably Dracula's evil dog, on their mission to save the holy grail from destruction

Ludo, Noah, Jamie, Phillip and Jennifer are THE BARE BUM GANG! They have an embarrassing name but a cool Gang Den, so things could be worse. Join the gang in a new adventure as they battle the forces of the evil Dockery Gang, guard with their lives the secrets of their underground sweet stash, and still get home in time for tea. 
 
Ludo and Noah go to the aid of an old tramp who has collapsed after being hassled by the Dockery gang. Everyone thinks he's a little bit crazy as he dresses in home made armour - his nickname is King Arthur. King Arthur asks Ludo to retrieve his 'treasure' and so the gang have to sneak past security guards and overcome various obstacles to help the old man. But can they get to the treasure before anyone else?

Anthony McGowan

Books by Anthony McGowan

Series by Anthony McGowan

The Bare Bum Gang4 Books

The Donut Diaries3 Books

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