Review by Azura Crawford, Yr 6, Byron Bay Public School
Do you bounce so high on your bed that your head hits the ceiling? Do you ever look in the mirror and see a crazy maniac staring back at you?
In his simply insane book, Andy Griffifths writes ten very crazy stories that occur in the fictional life of his twelve-year-old self. Throughout the mishaps and mayhem of indestructible band-aids, lucid dreaming, uncontrollable cousins and pulverising mashing machines were some rather interesting stories.
Although Just Crazy! was aimed at an audience of good-humoured, avid readers, I still found enjoyment in the pure insanity of the whole concept. Because of the fact that the writer based the character on himself, I saw the more humorous side of things that I normally wouldn’t, and it had a huge effect on my outlook.
The constant use of immature humour was something I didn’t like; however considering Just Crazy! is a book that advanced readers wouldn’t find to have a challenging enough plot, I can imagine reading it to my younger cousins and having them enjoy it thoroughly.
For a reader, being able to relate to the characters or situations is an important element in being able to enjoy a book. Many of the stories in Just Crazy! are easy to relate to for younger children. For instance, we’ve all had that moment where that crazy idea has come to our minds, but we usually don’t follow through on it. That’s where the magic of Andy Griffifths’ writing begins. He takes those silly moments into the realm of the fantastical by asking What If?
I loved Just Crazy! and would recommend it to any child up for a laugh.
