After seeing the success of Cheungs'Chinglish, the follow-up is just as great and important to have on the bookshelves. Fun, exciting and engaging - something I wish I had when I was younger!

The world built around Maddy isn't really unique - she has a family (parents, brothers and grandfather), even a grumpy neighbour. One day Maddy discovered that everyone around her had some talents, but she couldn't find anything that she was good at. She began a hilarious adventure with her best friend Dev to find her talent from that moment.
As much as the plot seems very simple, the book itself touches on more essential aspects. Maddy belongs to a mixed-race family Anglo - Chinese family, which could be seen differently. Agung, her grandfather, came from Hong Kong to live with her family. He represents a different culture, has difficulty communicating - this character reminds us about empathy for older people and respect for others without looking at the ethnic background. Maddy knows and understands the differences between working-class and mixed-race people- as much as it is sad, this is the real-life issue between children.
The book is written as a journal, which presents a fascinating layout. Juvenile humour and writing style made me laugh - it is definitely written for children 7-10 years old. The whole story is supported by interesting illustrations and mini-comics created by Cheung. Many funny situations and unpredictable observations show that laughing at our own mistakes is important. Kids will surely giggle while reading this book, I am sure they will be eager to seek out their talents.

Thank you, NetGalley, Anderson Press and Sue Cheung, for an ACR of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes there is nothing quite like a funny, quirky middle-grade read and that’s exactly what I was expecting from Maddy Yip.

Maddy lives with her parents, two brothers and grandfather who speaks very little English. She has a best friend called Dev, a cat called Fuzzface and a grumpy next door neighbour called Mr Pike. The only thing she really doesn’t like about her life are the annoying evil twins who her mum often babysits. Then Maddy realises that everyone in her family is good at something -except her! Along with Dev, she becomes determined to discover her true talent.

At the start of the book, we’re immediately introduced to the eclectic cast of characters via Cheung’s beautiful illustrations. These illustrations are scattered throughout the book and they made me laugh several times while bringing the words to life.

The humour is very juvenile which is perfect for the 7-10 age range that it’s most suited to. Even as an adult, I smiled at a lot of the jokes, so I’m sure parents will enjoy reading it to their kids too. The language is also wonderfully British which gives it a certain charm and eccentricity. Perhaps it will introduce kids to words like ‘codger’ and ‘plonker’ which will no doubt produce laughter.

There are some lovely mini comics in the book too. They’re not part of the main story but they’re related to either an immediately preceding or upcoming scene. They’re funny, smart and add an extra dimension that gives it a little something extra over other books like it.

Dev is a wonderful best friend to Maddy and wants nothing more than for her to be happy and do well. He is fantastically camp and I’m sure there will be many young readers who can directly relate to him. Their friendship felt very real and I loved how they were so supportive of each other’s dreams. Dev manages to pick Maddy up when she’s feeling completely useless and is proactive about bringing her into the light, which is what the very best of friends do.

Maddy’s grandfather Agung is a fantastic character and although some may read him as a bit of a tragic figure, I think he’s just a very realistic depiction of getting old. I think it’s important that kids see the realities of getting older because it builds empathy and hopefully leads to deeper relationships with their elders. Agung has recently come from Hong Kong to live with Maddy’s family, so he is a very confused, displaced man and this provides another source of humour in the story. His presence represents the importance of keeping traditions alive and the merging of cultural identities within one family.

There is also some commentary on class relations, although I did feel that this could have gone a little deeper. Although she is still just a kid, Maddy is very aware of what other people think of her and seemingly the prejudice that other people hold towards working class, mixed-race people. It’s a sad reality that she knows this but it’s also very true to life as a kid like Maddy.

Maddy Yip’s Guide to Life is a silly, funny story about learning where your light shines brightest. It’s also a lovely celebration of family and friendship that will make you laugh multiple times. I’m not sure the title of the book quite fits the narrative but that’s not particularly important. Cheung is clearly a very talented writer and artist with a wicked sense of humour. I’m sure we’ll see many more of her books on the shelves soon!

Whilst Maddie is helping to clean up the house she spots the trophy cabinet and realises that she is the only member of the family without a specific talent, so best friend Dev, who believes he is destined for Broadway stardom, resolves to find out what it could be. It does not appear to be babysitting the “Evil Twins”, who manage to let out the school hamster that Maddie’s little brother Oli is looking after. Attempts to retrieve the hamster and save Dev’s drama club are the plot devices around which much of this book revolves, but the real joy of the book is Maddie’s self-deprecating humorous voice narrating the day to day, believable disasters that befall her. She is an engaging character, the middle child of a warm and loving Anglo-Chinese family that she describes with all their apparent eccentricities. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times as I read this book, and I am sure it will appeal to a wide readership in our school library.

Hilarious and packed with hijinks, this book is non-stop fun! Surrounded by people who have their own 'thing', Maddie Yip is desperate to find a talent and her friend Dev is determined to help her. With some very funny consequences! A lovely light summer read!