The Fish Detective

Gr 5 Up—Readers were first introduced to Martin Moone in The Blunder Years. He's a kooky Irish boy growing up in a family full of girls. Martin is desperate for a wing man to give him life advice, so his best friend, Padraic, suggests he find an imaginary friend (IF). A few days later, Loopy Lou arrives in Martin's closet. However, Loopy soon gets on Martin's nerves, and he applies for a second IF, Sean. Unfortunately for Sean, Martin messed up the IF process—he was supposed to find a new home for Loopy Lou before applying for a new IF, and the IF Agency wants to decommission Sean. In the second installment, Martin's family is low on cash, so Sean suggests that Martin get his own job. He becomes the butcher boy for Padraic's aunt. However, the Francie Feely's Fabulous Fishatorium across the street is stealing all her business! Deciding something fishy is going on, Martin and Sean investigate the fish factory. O'Dowd, famous for his role as Roy on the British comedy The IT Crowd, created, wrote, and starred in the show Moone Boy. The first volume acts as a prequel to the series, explaining how Martin ended up with Sean as his IF, while the second continues their hilarious adventures. Narrated by Sean and interspersed with cartoon illustrations, this series is an overlooked UK import. Give to fans of funny books, "Wimpy Kid," and O'Dowd's film work.