to decide that David Walliams is a bloody marvellous children's writer, despite having never read one of his books

[dietcokeandwine]

DS1 is 9, has Aspergers and is currently struggling with a few school-related issues that we are trying to help him with. We've had a nice family weekend, but as Sunday bedtime drew nearer I could tell he was thinking about school, and feeling a bit apprehensive. So we had a bit of a chat, and a hug, and I reassured him that I'm going to go into school and talk to his teacher this week. He went off to bed reasonably happy.

A little while later I hear what sounds like sobbing coming from his room and my heart drops like a stone

So I go running up the stairs.

He isn't sobbing

He is reading David Walliams's 'Billionaire Boy' and is literally snorting with laughter at one particular chapter, giggling so much he is practically incoherent, and has to point to the various sections to try and explain to me what is so funny.

So maybe IABU, and I certainly have no real idea whether his books are actually any good, but I now officially luffs David Walliams and think he is the best writer ever.

For no other reason than that he has taken DS's mind off the challenge of school tomorrow and made him laugh.

yanbu!

You are not being unreasonable. Ds1 really loves his books!

He is, he is.

I haven't read them either.

DS loved his books.

Thats brilliant!
My 11 year old loves his books and he hates reading normally.

worth reading, my son got all of them &I read 2 and loved them too

YANBU, his audiobooks are great for long car trips too.

I am reading Gangsta Granny to ds1 (8 but finds reading a challenge, although has made great strides in the last 18months). We are both enjoying it!

YANBU. Have read a couple to my DS but now he wants to read them himself, am gutted. Hope dd will let me read them to her when she's a little older.

Aww how lovely

That is lovely! Mr Walliams gets my vote too. I'd just about given up hope of DS ever reading a book for pleasure, but he actually went to bed early last week so he could read Billionaire Boy. He's now taken the Demon Dentist up to bed tonight after I bought it for him today. Quite what he has that other authors don't, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

YANBU

My 11 year old DS got some David Walliams books from his teacher as a Christmas present and he loves them.

My 14 and 22yr old DS's loved them to when they borrowed them.

YANBU

DS2 (8yrs) totally loves his book. We have both laughed and I have cried at a few too.

YA sooooo NBU - my 9 year old is a bit of a reluctant reader - she read Demon Dentist in 4 days she LOVES his stuff and it's really ignited her interest in books (school kept giving her really dull books which she didn't read and thus was held back in the reading scheme)

YANBU - My DD has read all of his books and loved them. I read Ratburger (on my own, not even with DD ) and it was pretty good. We watched the tv adaptation of Gangsta Granny with my family over Christmas - DD said it wasn't as good as the book but my DSis and I loved it, and both cried like babies at the end!

YANBU. I know nothing about his books, but I love David Walliams.

YANBU David Walliams writing is superb! DD has them and each time they came out she was so excited! They're even on the accelerated reading list at her secondary school so she gets to read them again, instead of the "boring" school ones!
I know he was a huge fan of Roald Dahl, and I read his books throughout childhood, he is very similar but in a unique new slant!

YANBU

That's lovely. Ds1 just read Gangsta Granny and is reading Billionaire Boy and begged me to leave the light on for half an hour more tonight. I am reading GG to DS2 and DS1 is still listening in too.

Someone got ds8 'The Boy in the Dress' for Xmas, but it seemed a bit too old for him - he was baffled by the porn magazine reference near the beginning and we decided together to shelve it until he's older.

Are the others more suitable for a fairly sheltered Y3 child?

Yanbu. We met David Walliams recently at a book signing, and he was lovely. There were masses of people in the queue waiting to see him, and the bookshop were going to cut off the queue at a certain point, but apparently he insisted on staying to see everybody. :)

DD adores his books!

He is an awesome writer!

Mr Stink made me cry, Gangsta Granny too! The Demon Dentist is awesome.

He's the best modern day children's writer i've read. Faultless.

Yanbu my dd is 9 too and not a keen reader at all but she read Billionaire boy by herself and really enjoyed it.

Ahhh!

I was all ready to say that YABU because my dc thought his more recent books have gone downhill, but I would be wrong, and YANBU!

Great thread! After 8 months of back to back Roald Dahl (who is also a genius) I have bought the David Walliams audio books for the half term trip down South.