Diary of a Real Kid: The Stranger Than Weird Story of How Billy Smudge Turned Into a Goat

By J M MacDonald

Tired of being a wimp? Try being a goat

April Fools Day will never be the same. Welcome to Raybury Village where corn is king and strange is normal. Billy Smudge and his best friend Shamus McNutt are about to have an adventure they will never forget. Someone is experimenting on animals in a secret laboratory and Billy is convinced that HE is one of the experiments But the trouble is double when the boys find out that the mad scientist is someone they thought they knew and trusted

Diary of a Real "Kid" pokes fun at the multitude of "diary" books available in a light and humorous way. Twelve-year-old, Billy Smudge is a wannabe writer with a passion for "Stranger Than Weird" magazine. Billy's well-fed imagination takes a wild leap though when he wakes up one day and discovers that he is turning into a goat. Yep, a real "kid."

Along with his best friend, Shamus McNutt, the boys navigate a series of misadventures on their way to discovering what caused the mysterious transformation. There is plenty of fun, a sprinkling of light sarcasm, friends, teachers, siblings and even a mad scientist. Everyone learns something about the 'power of suggestion' and how it might just be possible to become what you 'think' you are.

It's a wild escape with lots of visual cues. Cartoon characters further the plot and make funny commentary. As the story is written from Billy's point of view, the comics mimic his narration and allow deeper insight into his feelings. Educators and parents will find this book suitable for most readers in the 8 - 12-year-old range, including reluctant readers.

5 Stars - Congratulations on your 5-star review

Reviewed by Donna Gielow McFarland for Readers' Favorite

Watch out for the puns In the tradition of the "Diary of" books comes this one-of-a-kind Diary of a Real Kid: The Stranger Than Weird Story of How Billy Smudge Turned into a Goat by J. Garden Macdonald. When Billy Smudge and his best friend, Shamus McNutt, break into the school (to retrieve Billy's stinky gym clothes so Mr. Atlas won't say Billy smells like a farm animal), Billy topples into the science lab and accidentally swallows some purple goo. That night Billy dreams he's a goat and the next day he has goat hairs on his chin. And he starts eating really weird stuff. Billy and Shamus try to get help from their science teacher, Dr. Prankenstein, but he's just too weird. Billy starts fainting (apparently he's turning into a fainting goat) and everything just goes from bad to worse. Before it's all over, Billy is surprised to learn about who certain people really are and who he himself is becoming.

Diary of a Real Kid is a quick, light read that should appeal to preteens, especially boys. Cartoon drawings are scattered throughout and they further the story as some of them show what Billy is thinking. True to the cartoonish feel, most of the characters are one-dimensional, but it all works. You have the boys, who spend their weekly allowance on "Stranger Than Weird" magazine, a giggling girl gang, a bossy older sister and her pizza-delivering boyfriend, and a mad scientist with a talking cat. Diary of a Real Kid doesn't take itself too seriously and yet Macdonald sneaks in a really positive message to kids (real kids, not goat kids) about who they can become. Diary of a Real Kid should find a place on the bookshelves of 4th-6th grade classrooms everywhere.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1985282267
• ISBN13: 9781985282261
• Release Date: March 2018
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.3" x 8.0"