Timmy Failure: Sanitized for your Protection Stephan Pastis

Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781406363494
(Age: 9 yrs+) Recommended. Timmy Failure is back again, seeking greatness and world domination as the CEO of Failure Inc., formerly Total Failure Inc., detective agency. Whilst modesty is not part of Timmy's nature his natural tendency to take a simple situation and cause extraordinary havoc has not diminished. Sparkling comedic writing combined with quirky line drawings makes Timmy a winner not a failure.
This episode in the ever eventful life of our hero, revolves around a road trip to Chicago during spring vacation to relocate Doorman Dave, Timmy's mother's boyfriend. But this simple holiday is getting in the way of Failure Inc. solving a case. The funds raised by YIP YAP to buy books for poor Yergi Plimkin 'a boy from somewhere that is not here' have gone missing. Timmy is of course focussed on solving the case which takes up all his thinking and deductive powers.
Further complications include Total, the polar bear, leaving a path of destruction and bonbon papers behind him, The Moskin family who travel with them, and Timmy overhearing his mum and Dave talking about marriage.
Forced to go on the run with Mollie Moskin in an effort to finally solve the case and hopefully confront the culprit, leads to even more chaos and hotel staff on the verge of a breakdown. Finally Timmy is apprehended himself and returned to his mother whilst the case solves itself and Timmy makes someone's night 'because detectives are tough and decent men'.
This is a delightful romp, easy to read and funny enough to laugh out loud at. Some of the word plays and chapter headings like 'Suite dreams are made of this' and 'Grapes and Wrath' may not resonate with some students but certainly added to my enjoyment of the book.
Sue Keane