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Beaky Malone #1
World's Greatest Liar
Dylan Malone, aka Beaky, has a habit for telling porkies – every time he opens his mouth, out pops a whopper… But then his long-suffering sister shoves him into the truth-telling machine at Madame Shirley’s Marvellous Emporium of Peculiarities. Now Beaky can't tell a lie – not even a teeny-weeny one – and a truth-telling Beaky is even worse...
- GenresMiddle Grade
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2016
2 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 7, 2017
This book is great fun and made even better by the awesome illustrations
January 1, 2023
Several months before reading this I encountered the works of J.D. Kirk I also discovered that Kirk publishes children’s books as Barry Hutchison, and other adult fiction as Barry J. Hutchison. I have read 20 stories published under the Kirk Name and am now branching out to the ones under the Hutchinson names, this is the 6 under that name. He is coming up on 175 books across the three pen names. If I had known that or I might not have picked up this first one. But I am very thankful I did. Friends call me a ‘completionist’ in that when I find an author I like, I try to read everything they have published. I have enjoyed all I have read from his pen and this one was no different.
The description of this story is:
“Dylan Malone, aka Beaky, has a habit for telling porkies – every time he opens his mouth, out pops a whopper… But then his long-suffering sister shoves him into the truth-telling machine at Madame Shirley’s Marvellous Emporium of Peculiarities. Now Beaky can't tell a lie – not even a teeny-weeny one – and a truth-telling Beaky is even worse..."
This story is an early chapter book. Or middle grade read. It is in a series that currently has four titles:
The World's Greatest Liar
Worst Ever School Trip
Super Creepy Camp 2017
Weirdest Show on Earth
It appears that some of the four are also available in French and German. It is an interesting story. At first I was unsure, for me it started a little slow. Yea Beakey told lies, in fact he seemed to hardly ever tell the truth, maybe never. But after the experience truth-telling machine at Madame Shirley’s Marvellous Emporium of Peculiarities he cannot tell a lie, and even has a compulsion to answer questions. To answer them as bluntly and honestly as possible., for example:
“No, no, wait,” said Dad, holding up a hand. “I’d like to hear Dylan’s thoughts.”
I shook my head quickly. “No, you wouldn’t.”
“Yes, I would.”
“Trust me, you definitely wouldn’t.”
Dad smiled. “I can take a bit of criticism, Dylan. Don’t worry. Go for it.”
“OK. You asked for it,” I said. I took a deep breath, then launched into a detailed review of Dad’s book. I tore apart the flimsy characters, the boring writing, the non-existent plot. I ripped into his mixed metaphors, his rambling sentences, and the fact that none of the story – not one thing – made the tiniest bit of sense whatsoever.
“Oh,” Dad said, but I wasn’t finished.
“And you’ve got a really boring reading voice,” I added, “which made the whole awful experience ten times worse. I even tried faking a nosebleed at one point, but that stupid machine wouldn’t let me.”
Slowly Dad sat down, his face an ashen grey. I looked around at the rest of the family. Everyone – even Max – was staring at me in disbelief. I smiled weakly. “Well, he did ask.””
And things go from bad to worse from there. Soon Beaky and his sister are working together to try and find a way to stop his truth telling. And even though this new Beaky causes some problems his truthful ways also seem to be having some positive effects.
This book marks the 28th offering from Hutchison I have read in the last 10 months, under the three names he publishes under. They have all been entertaining reads. Some have been excellent. This story was an entertaining read, but with the ending it will leave you desperate for the next instalment. Another good read from the pen of Barry Hutchison, aka Barry J. Hutchinson
aka J.D. Kirk.
The description of this story is:
“Dylan Malone, aka Beaky, has a habit for telling porkies – every time he opens his mouth, out pops a whopper… But then his long-suffering sister shoves him into the truth-telling machine at Madame Shirley’s Marvellous Emporium of Peculiarities. Now Beaky can't tell a lie – not even a teeny-weeny one – and a truth-telling Beaky is even worse..."
This story is an early chapter book. Or middle grade read. It is in a series that currently has four titles:
The World's Greatest Liar
Worst Ever School Trip
Super Creepy Camp 2017
Weirdest Show on Earth
It appears that some of the four are also available in French and German. It is an interesting story. At first I was unsure, for me it started a little slow. Yea Beakey told lies, in fact he seemed to hardly ever tell the truth, maybe never. But after the experience truth-telling machine at Madame Shirley’s Marvellous Emporium of Peculiarities he cannot tell a lie, and even has a compulsion to answer questions. To answer them as bluntly and honestly as possible., for example:
“No, no, wait,” said Dad, holding up a hand. “I’d like to hear Dylan’s thoughts.”
I shook my head quickly. “No, you wouldn’t.”
“Yes, I would.”
“Trust me, you definitely wouldn’t.”
Dad smiled. “I can take a bit of criticism, Dylan. Don’t worry. Go for it.”
“OK. You asked for it,” I said. I took a deep breath, then launched into a detailed review of Dad’s book. I tore apart the flimsy characters, the boring writing, the non-existent plot. I ripped into his mixed metaphors, his rambling sentences, and the fact that none of the story – not one thing – made the tiniest bit of sense whatsoever.
“Oh,” Dad said, but I wasn’t finished.
“And you’ve got a really boring reading voice,” I added, “which made the whole awful experience ten times worse. I even tried faking a nosebleed at one point, but that stupid machine wouldn’t let me.”
Slowly Dad sat down, his face an ashen grey. I looked around at the rest of the family. Everyone – even Max – was staring at me in disbelief. I smiled weakly. “Well, he did ask.””
And things go from bad to worse from there. Soon Beaky and his sister are working together to try and find a way to stop his truth telling. And even though this new Beaky causes some problems his truthful ways also seem to be having some positive effects.
This book marks the 28th offering from Hutchison I have read in the last 10 months, under the three names he publishes under. They have all been entertaining reads. Some have been excellent. This story was an entertaining read, but with the ending it will leave you desperate for the next instalment. Another good read from the pen of Barry Hutchison, aka Barry J. Hutchinson
aka J.D. Kirk.
April 3, 2020
It's a really funny book and I enjoyed the whole thing I recommend it to kids
June 25, 2016
Originally posted here: https://heatherreviews.wordpress.com/...
____________________
I was super excited when I first heard about this book. It sounded hilarious and the cover instantly drew my eye. Even though it’s targeted at a much younger audience, I found this book to be a riot from start to finish. Poor Beaky just doesn’t catch a break!
Beaky Malone is the best at lying. It just comes naturally to him. So when his sister drags him into a mysterious shop after a family trip goes horribly wrong and dares him to enter the ‘truth-telling’ machine, Beaky doesn’t expect anything to happen. Only it does, and now he can’t lie! Struggling to get his sister and best friend to believe him, while figuring out a way to get his lying ability back, Beaky causes more and more chaos with each word that comes out of his mouth.
This story was one of those books that I wish had been around when I was a young reader. I used to spend all my time as a kid in the library, reading stacks upon stacks of books, and I know that I would have loved this book just as much then as I did now as a twenty-six year old. I wish that it was longer, because reading it as an adult meant I flew through it far too quickly!
Beaky’s relationship with his family is strained due to his constant lies and when his ability to lie disappears altogether, it pushes his family over the edge. Causing nothing but grief for his Aunt and Uncle, who are staying with them for a few days, Beaky struggles to convince his sister that he isn’t just telling another lie and that he can’t actually say anything that isn’t true.
The classic ‘boy who cried wolf’ story definitely springs to mind with this one. Poor Beaky had told so many lies that no one would believe him now and his desperate attempts to fix things only succeeds in making things worse.
Exploring the consequences of lying and the hurtful aftereffects that it could have, Beaky Malone is an important lesson wrapped in hilarity. With an eclectic cast of characters, all making up Beaky’s family, this is a fun-filled, dramatic, disaster of an adventure that is a joy to read whatever age you are.
____________________
I was super excited when I first heard about this book. It sounded hilarious and the cover instantly drew my eye. Even though it’s targeted at a much younger audience, I found this book to be a riot from start to finish. Poor Beaky just doesn’t catch a break!
Beaky Malone is the best at lying. It just comes naturally to him. So when his sister drags him into a mysterious shop after a family trip goes horribly wrong and dares him to enter the ‘truth-telling’ machine, Beaky doesn’t expect anything to happen. Only it does, and now he can’t lie! Struggling to get his sister and best friend to believe him, while figuring out a way to get his lying ability back, Beaky causes more and more chaos with each word that comes out of his mouth.
This story was one of those books that I wish had been around when I was a young reader. I used to spend all my time as a kid in the library, reading stacks upon stacks of books, and I know that I would have loved this book just as much then as I did now as a twenty-six year old. I wish that it was longer, because reading it as an adult meant I flew through it far too quickly!
Beaky’s relationship with his family is strained due to his constant lies and when his ability to lie disappears altogether, it pushes his family over the edge. Causing nothing but grief for his Aunt and Uncle, who are staying with them for a few days, Beaky struggles to convince his sister that he isn’t just telling another lie and that he can’t actually say anything that isn’t true.
The classic ‘boy who cried wolf’ story definitely springs to mind with this one. Poor Beaky had told so many lies that no one would believe him now and his desperate attempts to fix things only succeeds in making things worse.
Exploring the consequences of lying and the hurtful aftereffects that it could have, Beaky Malone is an important lesson wrapped in hilarity. With an eclectic cast of characters, all making up Beaky’s family, this is a fun-filled, dramatic, disaster of an adventure that is a joy to read whatever age you are.
June 2, 2016
My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Little Tiger Group (Stripes Publishing) and Barry Hutchison for providing an advanced review copy of 'Beaky Malone: Worlds Greatest Liar' in exchange for an honest review.
Dylan Malone, aka Beaky, has a habit for telling porkies – every time he opens his mouth, out pops a whopper… But then his long-suffering sister shoves him into the truth-telling machine at Madame Shirley’s Marvellous Emporium of Peculiarities. Now Beaky can't tell a lie – not even a teeny-weeny one – and a truth-telling Beaky is even worse...
What's not to like about this book? Being a huge fan of the Diary of A Wimpy Kid series, 'Beaky Malone' appealed to me as I thought it would be similar. It made me giggle and I would definitely like to get caught up in more of Beaky's adventures in the future. Reading books like this, I often feel as if I'm projecting myself into the mindset of an adventurous and mischievous kid and it's a great way to lose yourself for an hour or two.
I'm constantly trying to discover books for my kids who, much to my dismay, are 'reluctant readers', and I feel Beaky Malone might be one of those books that appeal enough to the kids to make them want to read it. It definitely has all the right ingredients and I hope there are more to come in this series.
I would definitely recommend this book to adults and children alike, particularly if your child, like mine, are reluctant readers and a bit choosy with their book picks. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.
Dylan Malone, aka Beaky, has a habit for telling porkies – every time he opens his mouth, out pops a whopper… But then his long-suffering sister shoves him into the truth-telling machine at Madame Shirley’s Marvellous Emporium of Peculiarities. Now Beaky can't tell a lie – not even a teeny-weeny one – and a truth-telling Beaky is even worse...
What's not to like about this book? Being a huge fan of the Diary of A Wimpy Kid series, 'Beaky Malone' appealed to me as I thought it would be similar. It made me giggle and I would definitely like to get caught up in more of Beaky's adventures in the future. Reading books like this, I often feel as if I'm projecting myself into the mindset of an adventurous and mischievous kid and it's a great way to lose yourself for an hour or two.
I'm constantly trying to discover books for my kids who, much to my dismay, are 'reluctant readers', and I feel Beaky Malone might be one of those books that appeal enough to the kids to make them want to read it. It definitely has all the right ingredients and I hope there are more to come in this series.
I would definitely recommend this book to adults and children alike, particularly if your child, like mine, are reluctant readers and a bit choosy with their book picks. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.
May 31, 2016
Super quick and lots of fun!
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
June 5, 2016
Classic hysterical Hutchison!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews