Uncanny!: On the Bottom; A Good Tip for Ghosts; Frozen Stiff; Ufd; Cracking Up; Greensleeves; Mousechap; Spaghetti Pig Out; Know All: Even More Surprising Stories Review

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(More customer reviews)"Uncanny" is Paul Jennings' fourth collection of short stories for kids, first published in 1988, a book that has gone on to win at least three awards here in Australia. Here, he's rather famous, and his books have sold millions of copies, and gotten a lot of kids into reading.

"Uncanny" was the first proper novel I really liked. I picked it up in third grade during reading time, and though it took me a while to get through it, I really enjoyed it. I've read it again and again since, and it never gets old for me. It's got action, humour, realistic kids, Australian imagery, plenty of ideas and even a few scary moments. Mind you, they're just creepy enough to get a young imagination going, but not so much as to leave a kid scared awake at night.

Here's a rundown of the nine stories featured in the book:

"On the Bottom" takes place on a fishing trip, and sees a boy discover a tatooed finger in the stomach of a shark. After accidentally throwing the finger away, he discovers that the tatoo that was on the finger has jumped onto his finger. His dad isn't pleased. Stranger still, the tatoo is moving, pointing out to sea...

"A Good Tip For Ghosts" is probably one of Paul Jennings best stories I reckon. A pair of twins have to complete a "nerve test" at their new school, or the local bully James Gribble will thump them one every day. They have to return a pair of false teeth to a haunted tip, whose ghost wanders the grounds, looking for his lost twin children. It's got a great Australian atmosphere, this one.

"Frozen Stiff" is equally atmospheric, and one that I have a soft spot for, as it's set in Melbourne and features a couple of places I see all the time (Flinders Street Station, the West Gate Bridge, etc). It's all about a boy who wants to free a cow from a suburban shed and lead it to the country. There's more than a couple of twists to this story though.

"UFD" stands for "Unidentified Flying Dog". It's short, but really cleverly done. That's all I'll say.

"Cracking Up" is another ghost story of sorts, though the ghost in this one likes to tickle people when it doesn't get its way. Kind of a strange thing to do, as it's a sad ghost pretty much all of the time.

"Greensleeves" is a bit gross, but it could all actually happen in real life. A sperm whale beaches itself in a coastal town, dies, and begins to stink up the place. A boy and his father are hired to blow it up, but things go horribly wrong...

"Mousechap" is a pretty simple story, but it's well told I think. A boy visits his uncle, but is shocked to find that he now acts like a mouse. There are a few other shocks in this story to be had as well...

"Spaghetti Pig-Out" is another classic Paul Jennings' tale, and has gone on to be a pretty influential story, actually. A lonely boy discovers that his remote control for his video can change real life. He can pause his cat, he can fast forward a fly, he can make a man eat backwards. It's all great fun, but in the hands of the school bully, chaos follows. What does this mean kid plan to do with the remote at the spaghetti eating contest?

"Know All" is probably the scariest story Paul Jennings has ever written. It's just something in the way he's done it, the setting, the pace, everything. A family discovers a trunk of circus clothes, and the daughter of the family, Kate, realizes that whoever wears the clothes takes on the abilities of its former owner. Wear the knife throwers outfit, and you'll hit the target every time. Put on a clown costume, and you'll become quite the comedian. Kate's dad has gone and put the tight rope walker costume on their scarecrow, and now it's face has changed. No one believes her, but Kate thinks it looks meaner than it did before...

If you're a newcomer to Paul Jennings, "Uncanny" is a great place to start. It's got atmosphere, some of his best stories, and even some elements he'd go on to use in his TV series "Round the Twist" (the bully James Gribble, the town of Port Niranda, the twins Pete and "Repeat", etc). If you really like this one, check out some of the other books in the series like "Unbearable", "Unreal" and "Unseen".

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Product Description:
A collection of nine quirky, bizarre, and very funny short stories.

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