The Cheat Book Vol. 2
Kamal and his class are off on a three-day camping trip to the woods. Intrigued by the tale of the Beast of Criggly Wood, Kamal sets out on a mission to catch the beast, impress his school crush Keisha and hopefully even save the school newspaper. Will Kamal achieve his goals and survive a trip in the great outdoors?
Self-styled Adventure-naut Kamal is desperate to win the Wilderness Champion Award, visualising himself on a podium with the coveted neckerchief and gold woggle. While his classmates are more interested in roasting marshmallows, Kamal’s quest leads to a cascade of misadventures, close calls and unexpected discoveries. But with the help of his trusty Cheat Book and his best friends Wing and JoJo, it should be fine, right?
What follows is a series of incidents that will have the reader laughing out loud, readers will find themselves rooting for Kamal all the way through this story, as his resilience and determination shines through. The book weaves in Kamal’s Muslim identity in a natural and affirming way through his prayers, cultural references and his interactions with other characters. Despite the illustrations being in black and white, they still feel vibrant, Ramzee’s images are full of energy and humour, with lots of quirky little details throughout in particular the use of bubble writing for emphasis and the exaggerated facial expressions.
The second in the series, I would highly recommend this thoroughly entertaining book.
