About The Book:

Title: SHOE WARS

Author: Liz Pichon

Pub. Date: March 2, 2021

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 448

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Readers who have devoured Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the works of Raina Telgemeier will love the high-energy, hilarious antics of the Foot family from one of the largest names in the UK.

Step up to the challenge . . . win or shoes! Meet Ruby and Bear. Their dad has just invented the most amazing thing ever -- flying shoes! But his horrible boss Wendy Wedge knows that entering flying shoes will guarantee the Golden Shoe Award, and she will do anything to win the trophy. Ruby and Bear must outwit a bully, infiltrate a shady company, and rescue their dad all while keeping the shoes hidden. This can only mean one thing. It's . . . shoe wars! The brand new, laugh-out-loud, spectacular stand-alone story from multi-million copy bestselling author and illustrator Liz Pichon.

 

Praise for Liz Pichon’s SHOE WARS:

THE SUNDAY TIMES ‘Book of the Year’ Selection

‘Jokey text does [SHOE WARS] fancy footwork on every illustrated page. Reluctant readers will march through it. – THE SUNDAY TIMES

‘Every page here is dynamic and attention-grabbing, packed with cartoons and typeface trickery’ –FT

“An original and outrageous storyline gives plenty of scope for absurd inventions, loathsome baddies and heroic deeds from underequipped underdogs. This is a tale oozing creativity and packed with pen and ink illustrations, exciting and expressive typography and visual jokes.”

 –BOOKTRUST

“Bursting with imagination and fabulous gadgets, SHOE WARS is full of Pichon’s characteristic warmth, humor and quirky illustrations.” –THE BOOKSELLER

“SHOE WARS is an exciting story with lively characters that offer plenty of laughs […] Like Pichon’s other books, it can be enjoyed as a funny, action-packed page-turner, but also as a comic book of cartoons so that children can keep returning to their favorite bits again and again.”–BOOKS FOR KEEPS

THE IRISH TIMES ‘Best Books for Christmas’ Selection

THE SUN Christmas Gift Guide’ Selection

MY REVIEW
Shoe Wars is a strange but quirky book about two kids and their dad. They live in Shoe Town, which has been taken over by a woman named Wendy Wedge. Wendy is a nasty piece of work. She's an egomaniac who thinks she's entitled to the Golden Shoe Award, something she's never won even though she enters every year. She's also got a son named Walter, who is a giant bully. Wendy, though, makes sure Walter gets whatever he wants, whenever he wants, because he's a "genius" and is her "perfect boy." Can we say ugh? 
Ivor, the dad, is a shoe inventor. He's stuck working for Wendy now because his wife died (due to a mysterious snake bite) and Wendy came along and basically manipulated him into giving up his shoe store. Blech.
Bear and Ruby (the kids), have to suffer through Walter's pranks and nonsense every day. But when they discover their dad's flying shoes and get revenge on Walter, that's when they set off a chain of events that lay out through the rest of the book. 
Just how far will Wendy go to win the award? How can Ivor get out from under Wendy's rule? And what sort of hijinks will happen along the way?
I found this to be a very interesting read. It's a bit wild at times, but in a fun, crazy adventure sort of way. I really liked it.
I have to say, Wendy and Walter were awful I hated both of them immediately. It's like if Cruella de Vil was obsessed with shoes instead of Dalmatians, and he had a son, that would be Wendy Wedge.
I think my favorite character in the book was Bert. He was a good guy who refused to let Wendy get to him. 
There are a lot of fun and entertaining illustrations throughout, as well, and that amde the book even more fun and enjoyable while reading. 
Sometimes odd, sometimes crazy, and sometimes heartwarming, Shoe Wars has it all. 
Middle-grade readers (and young-at-heart adults) will find themselves eagerly flying through the pages to see just what might happen next.
4.5 stars!

 

About Liz: 

When Liz Pichon was little, she loved to draw, paint and make things. Her mum used to say she was very good at making a mess (which is still true today!). She kept drawing and went to art school, where she earned a degree in graphic design. She worked as a designer and art director in the music industry, and her freelance work has appeared on a wide variety of products. Liz is the author-illustrator of several picture books. Tom Gates is the first series of books she has written and illustrated for older children. They have won several prestigious awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, and the Blue Peter Book Award. The books have been translated into 43 languages worldwide. Visit her at lizpichon.com.

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Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of SHOE WARS, US Only.