Undone! : More Mad Endings

I've just recently discovered the Paul Jennings "Un" series of short stories. As far as I'm concerned, Paul Jennings is brilliant! I think I've become addicted to these books because I can't seem to get enough of them. This is my first year teaching struggling readers in a middle school and I'm hoping to get my students hooked on these books as well.

I was ten years old, and a big fan of Paul Jennings when "Undone" first came out here in Australia (1993). A new library had opened just up the road, and our fourth grade class went on a trip to check it out. Knowing what a crowd pleaser Paul Jennings books were for kids, the librarian read us a short story from this new collection of his, called "Moonies". "What's a moonie?" she said sarcastically, and everyone laughed. It's not my favourite book in Jennings' "Un" short story anthologies, but it's still fairly good. There are eight short stories in "Undone", each of them quirky, and each of them very Australian. Here's a summary: "Batty" is set in the Australian bushland, and features a boy who has been raised by bats. Not my favorite, but it's all right. "Moonies" is fairly funny. It's features an illiterate boy, who has just moved to a new school. A bully forces him to sign an initiation contract which he signs, not knowing what it says. Little does he know he'll now have to moon the school principal. Will he go through with it? "Noseweed" is probably one of my two favorite stories from "Undone". An old man has his grandson over. They get on great, they always have, but the grandson hates eating anything healthy for him. His grandpa is determined to get him to eat right, and forces him to drink cod liver oil mixed with museli. The boy drinks it, but does not swallow, which is a mistake because the museli starts to grow. A shoot comes out of his nose... "Wake Up To Yourself" is all about dreams and reality, and a boy who can't tell which is which. In one, he is a loner who is picked last for sports, in the other, he has a best mate who he has lots of adventures and fun with. If he abandons one, the people he loves in the other will disappear forever. What will he do? "Thought Full" takes place on a farm, and features a magic bottle that when drunk from gives the drinker the ability to read minds. It's a kind of a unique story, as it is told for the most part in the second person. "Clear as Mud" features a bug that turns invisible whatever it bites. It also features a bully who gets his comeuppance. What happens that links the two? "What a Woman" is set at a small school, one of fifteen boys and one girl. They tease that poor girl, making fun of her at sports. That is, until her luck mysteriously changes... "You Be the Judge" is my other favorite from Undone: strange, inventive and Australian. Features a couple of bizarre beings from the outback. I love the opening line: "A person who eats someone else is called a cannibal. But what are you called if you drink someone?" Though it's a kids book, I think it's a good read for all ages. If you're a newcomer to Paul Jennings, I wouldn't recommend getting this book first, as there are better ones ("Unreal", "Uncanny", "Unseen", etc). 4 stars from me.

We've loved Paul Jennings since discovering him while visiting friends in Australia. The stories are funny and well written. Kids can identify with the main characters, because there is a certain real-ness to their lives, within which very strange things happen. Every story is totally enjoyable for kids and parents alike, and leaves both with things to think about. Highly recommended.