What have our Children's books site members been gleefully gobbling up this past month? Why, it's none other than our favourite marmalade-loving bear from darkest Peru – Paddington by Michael Bond. Described by our reviewers as "funny", "dazzling" and "quintessentially British", this collection of heartwarming stories follows Paddington's adventures with the Brown family after being found at Paddington station with a tag saying "Please look after this bear".
In these stories Paddington keeps having wild adventures, said site member Groovy Dhruv: "For example falling in tubs of hot water, creating havoc underground in the subway stations, having funny shopping expeditions, painting first prize paintings and dropping marmalade sandwiches on top of people's heads in the theatre!"
Part of their charm for our readers was the side-splittingly funny tales. "'My favourite part of the book is when Paddington goes to Mr Gruber's mystery tour about marmalade and Paddington is so eager to taste some of the very fresh marmalade but then unexpectedly rolls down in a wooden barrel!" explained Mimi123.
Similarly, pinkbookworm enjoyed the light-hearted nature of the stories: "there is very little in the world that can't be solved by reading a chapter of Paddington. In between all the brilliant hard-hitting, emotional and controversial novels, a little patch of blissful normalcy and sweet nothing is exactly what most people need, and Paddington provides it in abundance."
So what makes this treasured bear so well-loved by our readers? "I like the books because Paddington is always getting mixed up! He is very funny," commented SuperCellaBella. Ronaldo agreed in his review: "You should read this book because it's very cute. I didn't want to take my eyes of it because it was marvelous!"
Elsewhere, Bond's writing style was also praised by our readers: "The author has described everything just right," said Mimi123. Groovy Dhruv concurred: "this is a truly dazzling book! A very very rare book to find."
Summing up the effect of the series, Pinkbookworm stated: "this is one of those novels that people read and love, and re-read and re-love – a heartwarming and hilarious novel about a small bear in a big city."
Still looking for something good to read? Other popular books this month included:
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
• Harry Potter by JK Rowling
• We Were Liars by E Lockhart
• Panic by Lauren Oliver
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