Villains Academy

Wr. & Ill. Ryan Hammond

Pub. Simon & Schuster

Age Range - 7+

It's werewolf Bram’s first day at Villains Academy. He really doesn’t feel like a villain at all, but the coveted Villain of the Week trophy is up for grabs, and Bram knows he’ll have to dig deep. With the help of new friends Mona the elf-witch, Bryan the lion, Shelia the ghost and Tony the skeleton, can Bram find his inner badness and become the villain he's always dreamed of being?

"It's a walking shop window for World Book Day costumes, and the colourful mix of goofy villains will give everyone someone to root for (and dress up as)."

With names like Master Mardybum, you just know this book is going to be perpetually out in school libraries across the land. It's a walking shop window for World Book Day costumes, and the colourful mix of goofy villains will give everyone someone to root for (and dress up as). Ryan's illustrations are brilliant and plentiful, lending a sense of fun and whimsy on every page.

But while it's clear from the cover that it's going to be a riot, actually there's a bit more going on under the surface than the wacky escapades and abundance of toilet humour. Villains Academy is a book with heart, telling an important parable about being yourself. Obvious without being heavy-handed, it's a message that's not going to be lost on the children that read it.

With a second book already in the pipeline, Villains Academy is a worthy shelfmate to the likes of Laura Ellen Anderson's Amelia Fang series, and the Loki books by Louie Stowell. I also love the "How to Draw Bram" feature at the back of the book - nice touch!

Now, let's reveal your two Character Cards - Jeeves the Cat (Team Overlords) and Mal (Team Cereal Killers)! I like Mal - he has bolts on, and that makes him family.

And finally, take a look at these other stops on the Blog Tour!