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Ok, I'll admit it. I was concerned about my eyes. I thought they'd be strained after rolling them throughout this reading. I know this is a book that will be welcomed and treasured by many of my students. I personally became frustrated over and over again even though I enjoyed the book overall. Not so keen on reading books with characters calling one another idiot... I also found some of the language a little too high cognitively to accept in comparison to his academic performance. *I know he pr
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Soooooooo funny! Timmy is a detective and attempts to solve local cases with the help of his business partner a 1500 lb polar bear named Total. The only problem is Timmy's perception of himself as a successful detective is far from reality. It would be more realistic to point out that Timmy often misses the most obvious clues in his cases with humorous effects.
When his cases distract him from his schoolwork his mother puts the kibosh on all things related to his detective business, but that doe ...more
When his cases distract him from his schoolwork his mother puts the kibosh on all things related to his detective business, but that doe ...more

I read this last week in my attempt to hurry up and read a whole bunch of chapter books before the summer so that I can spiffy up my RA. I feel I must begin with a disclaimer: I really, really dislike the Wimpy Kid books. Timmy Failure is written in a similar style (heavy on illustrations). The difference? Timmy Failure is laugh out loud hysterical. I read it in my living room and everyone kept telling me to shush because I was laughing so hard they couldn't hear the TV.
Timmy and his business p ...more
Timmy and his business p ...more

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is hugely popular and there are many other authors out there who are making similar books. I would place this book in that category. Not that there is anything wrong with it...find what the kids are reading and go with it.
In this book Timmy Failure is a budding detective with a pet polar bear named Total and a nemesis named Corinna Corinna. This book is about his escapades as he tries to solve crimes while working out of his office in his mom's closet and then, when they mo ...more

Cute, saracastic MG novel about a young boy who although clueless, starts a detective agency. Cute message about single parents (and their boyfriends) in the book. Overall funny but a few things bugged me. The main character seems younger than he is written. He also seems to take pride in being a terrible student and even purposefully fails several tests. He also lies to his mother and justifies it, which again, isn't a message I would want my child to get out of a book. While I enjoyed this boo
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For fans of "Wimpy Kid" here is an illustrated book with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Timmy Failure fancies himself quite a detective. He has a bit of an unusual partner and a sworn enemy, who doesn't seem to even know his name. In his first book, there are several cases on his plate, and in spite of some pretty big obstacles, he manages to come through. There is no case too small (missing socks) or too large (mystery of the French Revolution) for this intrepid detective. Timmy is a good ma
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Timmy Failure is the eleven-year old founder of the detective agency Total Failure with his best friend and sidekick Total, a 1,500 pound polar bear. Timmy is utterly serious and entirely convinced of his own importance, even though readers are constantly aware of his incompetence. Kids love being in on the joke, being able to laugh at Timmy's constant troubles and his clueless arrogance.
Timmy is sure that his detective business will rake in millions, but he's willing to start small with cases o ...more
Timmy is sure that his detective business will rake in millions, but he's willing to start small with cases o ...more

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which is laugh-out-loud funny in spots. Much as I enjoy the Wimpy Kid series, I have to say I like this even better. This is the first in a series that is definitely in the vein of the Wimpy Kid books. The vocabulary is sophisticated and that's part of the hilarity. There are some more serious themes underlying the hilarity--single-parenthood, tight budgets, etc. This is an all-around fun read and I look forward to picking up the sequel.
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Completely clueless narrator, but endearing with his imaginary detective agency partner, a polar bear named Total, and his desire to help out his mom. Book is sprinkled with line drawings and has humor reminiscent of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, so it's a good one to steer kids to who love that series. Though it's been a long time since I read that series, I liked this story more than I remember liking that one.
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This book will appeal to fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate. Timmy considers himself a smart, owns his own private detective business and has a polar bear as a pet. What keeps the story interesting is that Timmy is so sorely misguided- in his cases, in his perception of his friends, in his own mother. It may be hard to understand how one person can be so truly unintelligent, but readers will (and are supposed to) see the humor in Timmy.

Somewhat reminiscent of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Tommy Failure is a hilarious young detective. He often misses the obvious, struggles at school but is oblivious to anything that doesn't relate to Total Failure, Inc.
I'm looking forward to future installments of this series. ...more
I'm looking forward to future installments of this series. ...more

Nov 01, 2012
Jessica
marked it as remove-from-to-read

Nov 24, 2012
Susie
marked it as to-read

Feb 06, 2013
Joshua Whiting
marked it as to-read

Apr 16, 2013
Aimee
added it

May 23, 2013
Terrie Hinojosa
marked it as to-read