Demolition Dad - Couverture souple

Underneath the high-octane humour and silliness, Earle weaves in powerful themes of father/son relationships, bullying, depression, self-esteem, failure and even frustrated career women. But mostly of love. This is a gloriously life-affirming novel: funny, sensitive, intelligent and with a heart as big as George's waistline. (Daily Mail 2015-05-29)

Masses of humour, heart, some cracking jokes and moments of real poignancy (The Bookseller)

A light-hearted, funny story with a nail-biting conclusion ... The story whizzes along, while Sarah Ogilvie's humorous line drawings are a perfect complement to the text. The first of a promised series, Demolition Dad will be enjoyed by even the most reluctant of readers (The School Librarian)

The writing is laugh-aloud funny, as are the antics ... this book has jokes that will appeal to adults and kids alike (Kieran Fanning)

A knockout novel! (WRD About Books)

With a slam of humour and a bam of great writing, it really had a dynamic effect (Catholic Universe 2015-06-05)

A hugely entertaining and funny book by Phil Earle, about a boy who persuades his dad to become a pro-wrestler, with fantastic illustrations by Sara Oglivie. Think Roald Dahl meets Big Daddy! (Title Sussex 2015-05-01)

A heart-warming story with a very happy ending. The multiple award-winning Sara Ogilvie and her scratchy comic drawings make a perfect foil for this lively and affectionate story. (Books for Keeps 2015-05-01)

Adventure, friendship and some genuinely funny moments makes this book a pleasure to read (Inis Reading guide 2015-16)

This book was so fun my parents got angry I wasn't coming to eat lunch! (Cara The Guardian)

Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Phil Earle's first novel for younger readers, Demolition Dad is Danny the Champion of the World in Spandex - a hilarious, warm-hearted story about family, friends and wrestling, illustrated by Waterstones Children's Book Prize shortlisted artist, Sara Ogilvie, and perfect for fans of David Walliams.

This is the story of Jake Biggs and his dad, George. George spends all week knocking down buildings ... and all weekend knocking down wrestlers. He's the Demolition Man, and Jake couldn't be prouder. But when Jake hears about a pro-wrestling competition in the USA, and persuades his beloved dad to apply, things don't quite turn out the way he expected...