Absolute Zero: Being the Second Part of the Bagthorpe Saga

I *loved* these books as a child-- so much that I found I could still remember some of the sentences word-for-word as an adult. Even as an adult I found myself giggling out loud as I read about The Bagthorpe's and their contest-entering mania.Shame that it's out of print! Bring it back!

Absolute Zero, the 2nd in the Bagthorpes series was the book that hooked me to the Bagthorpe series. The Bagthorpe clan with its outrageous personalities reminds me still of my own large eccentric family. One of my fondest childhood memories is the hours I spent laughing at the antics of Jack and his family. I found the feud between Uncle Parker and Mr. Bagthorpe to be hilarious. Mrs Fosdale is a wonderful minor character and her reaction to the pantry still dissolves me into hysteria. Jack Bagthorpe was as close as a best friend to me. His misadventures with Zero and his family still make me laugh, smile and want to hear more. If your child is not quite ready for Harry Potter or needs a fill in the Bagthorpes though a different genre will absolutely do!

I highly recommend all of the 'Bagthorpe' books by Helen Cresswell, including this one, the 2nd in the series. All are well-written, fast-paced, entertaining and funny. I first read this series as a young teenager - and I plan to read these books to my daughter. If you have a child who doesn't like to read, chances are this book series will catch his/her attention. Well worth getting copies of each of the 7 books in the series about this eccentric (fictional) British family.