The Parent Agency audiobook

Pais e Filhos — Esses Eternos DesconhecidosBarry detesta chamar-se Barry e tem como irmãs um par de gémeas identicas sonsas, que designa abreviadamente por GIS -- a G1 e a G2 , cuja simples existência detesta reconhecer!E pior que tudo, desejava pais diferentes -- daqueles que organizam festas fabulosas, que compram a capa do edredão do Lionel Messi, que são glamorosos, ricos, divertidos, famosos, ...E seria tão bom se a mãe algum dia desistisse aquele lugar vitalício atrás da máquina de lavar loiça, onde a sua voz se mistura com um medley de pratos, tachos e panelas.Enfim!... A intensidade do seu desejo foi tal, que o levou a uma Agência de Pais, a abarrotar de casais anafados, que o cercaram mal o viram, desatando numa gritaria infernal --- "escolhe-nos, escolhe-nos, escolhe-nos...", imploravam eles em altos berros!Bem!... E tudo o mais é estória, que não irei contar!...No cômputo geral, "Agência de Pais" é uma caricatura do relacionamento (ou da falta dele) entre pais e filhos.Pais que teimam em não conhecer os filhos, que educam impondo a sua lei, estão a criar filhos carentes e revoltados.O amor não flui entre desconhecidos, e a felicidade não acontece no amor ausente!Tudo vai mal se pais e filhos não se conhecem!Porém, havendo empenho, as soluções aparecem! 👍"Agência de Pais" é um livro destinado a jovens muito jovens, que pode ser igualmente aproveitado por adultos, pois embora divertido, ocupa-se dum tema sério.Numa escrita leve e jocosa, é ideal para intercalar com outras leituras mais pesadas!😍👍

Review by Jack 9:6The Parent Agency is a children’s comedy book, which in my opinion is suitable for all ages. The author is a comedian but the book does not have many laugh-out-loud moments, mostly using more subtle humour. The story follows a normal boy named Barry, who hates his parents. When he screams, “I hate my parents!” after being sent to his room he is teleported to a world where children choose their parents. He trials five sets of parents, one per day. Barry chooses each trial set of parents as the opposite to something he really hates about his own. So, he tries rich, famous, fit and not strict parents, as well as some were he is the favourite child. He, the parents or both are left dissatisfied after each day and as his tenth birthday (upon which something awful happens if he has not decided) looms he is still unsure. My favourite character is TSE (The Sisterly/Secretary Entity) who are constantly annoyingly efficient, driving Barry insane. The way they always think exactly alike and interrupt each other is one of the funniest elements of the book. The part I like best is the time he spends with the celebrity couple, “Vlassorina”, a singer (Morrisina – sponsored by Morrison’s) and an actor (Vlad). Specifically, the end of his time with them when he humiliates them publicly – something they are not used to at all. There are really very few problems with this book. Although it uses the infamous “and then I woke up” style ending, it is done very well and is not an issue. The novel could make more use of the parallel universe element in the parent agency world, by making the boss and Jake act more alike, PCs 890 and 891 behave more like Luke and Tajas, or by introducing some of Barry’s trial parents in the real world. Also, as an older reader I found some language a little childish and the font size too big, although this is just me. I would definitely read another book by this author and I have already recommended it to a lot of my friends. As I have said, I believe all ages can enjoy this book, although it is probably ideal for those at around Barry’s age which is 9-10. There is absolutely no issue with the language used in this book as the worst word used is “bum”. I would give the book 5/5 stars.

Barry likes football (especially if Lionel Messi's playing), James Bond and lists. He doesn't like his two sisters, who tease him mercilessly and get away with all sorts of meanness right under his parents' noses. All his mates have cool names and even cooler parents, and their tenth birthday parties were amazing. His family, on the other hand, just can't manage the simplest thing he asks of them. He knows they're not well off, and he doesn't blame them for that, exactly, but going up to double figures is a big deal and deep in his heart he really does feel they could make a bit more effort. Well, actually, a lot more effort.So when frustration with his family leads him to misbehave and he's banished to his room, he is ready and willing for a change. Somehow, with the help of his heroes Bond and Messi, he's whisked away to a land where parents don't have children as a right, but have to beg, bribe or plead their way to a family, and he feels things are going his way at last. In this new and exciting world it's the children who get to choose, and he sets out with great enthusiasm to road-test a few couples for twenty-four hours to see if they're the people he wants to spend his life with. Oddly enough, as he moves from home to home, the same people keep turning up in the background, including a man and woman who seem vaguely familiar. . .Once the basic premise is established, there aren't many surprises in this story, nor is the outcome of his searching really in doubt. Even the children who run the Parent Agency, and who somehow look just like people he thinks he used to know, begin to find him a teensy bit too demanding. The pleasure of this story lies in the comic excesses of the parents he chooses, and their frantic, over-the-top efforts to persuade him to stay with them. He makes his choice of five pairs of candidates based on the fact that they are the exact opposite of his parents' worst shortcomings, and he soon finds himself surrounded by offers of wealth, fame and freedom. Readers will laugh out loud at the ridiculous situations he gets himself into, the eccentricity of the adults, and the abundance of smelliness, stickiness and general gloopiness. After all, if in doubt, throw in a bucket of sick or a cow-pat!There is, of course, a happy ending (some readers may feel a happier one that Barry deserves) and while the moral of the story is somewhat transparent, the energy and enthusiasm of the story-telling compensate to a large extent. It's funny and silly, and will, at the very least, while away a wet afternoon.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Barry is just an ordinary boy (he loves Lionel Messi and James Bond) but bored with his ordinary family that he wishes he could swap for another. He is particularly fed up with his younger twin sisters. It is a funny story that often twists your mind as sometimes you are not quite sure what’s going on! I found that, once I had started reading it, I didn’t want to stop. I recommend this book to people below the age of 12 but overall I give it a 9 out of 10.This book was written by David Baddiel

My twin boys (8yrs) declared this their favourite book of all time. We read it together at bedtime and every night they begged and pleaded for another chapter. A really enjoyable, funny and moreish read.

Bad book

This was a very interesting, funny book and i loved reading it. It has a nice storyline and i didn’t want to stop reading it! I recommend to ages 10-13

3.5/5

This book is not only funny but also has a very meaningful message to it. Though, I mostly liked it because it's funny. So, it basically talks about a boy called Barry Bennett who wished he had better parents, though he won't fit with other people because...well...I think it's because he lived with them his whole and is used to living with them so...yeah. He even made a whole list of what he don't like of his parents.And...after an argument of his father getting the wrong present for his birthday, he ran up the stairs and fell. It's basically lke this:Barry's mind: He went up to his room and the posters on his room magically started talking.What actually happened: He slipped on the stairs and fell into a coma for 5 days.Anyways, I really don't remember what's on the list, but here's what I remember:Barry wished he had....-Rich parents-Famous parents-Sporty parents-Being the favorite kidAnd, in his coma, he dreamed that he had these sets of parents, and in the end, he realised that parents don't love one kid more than the other, but they love them in different ways. Okay, I'm getting into my lazy phase now. Barry woke up and got the birthday present he wanted and I think you understand what happened.Now, I'm soory if you don't understand anything that I'm talking about. I'm bad at explaining stuff. And sorry for sounding tired. I'm kinda "forced" to write a book review because if I don't, I can't be on Goodreads anymore...so please understand me. AnYwAy, that's it? I guess?Au revoir!Your lazy booknerd,Sophie~

4.5 stars.Well done, David! After a slightly wobbly start for me (silly immature jokes and lists), I quickly saw that this was going to turn into an excellent wish-fulfilment adventure for young readers.Like the 90s films North (Elijah Wood), Barry decides that he has rubbish parents and wishes he had different ones. He hates his name, he hates them being tired and poor, he hates his younger sisters. Now whether or not the following chapters are somehow real or a dream doesn't really matter. It's very funny and that writing is pretty convincing, as the voice of a not-quite-ten-year-old boy.The world Baddiel sends Barry into is a scream, with every reference a nod to today's kids - Youngdon is populated by kids who can choose their parents, it's a lot of fun seeing Green Bogey Park and spotting famous names turned into slightly different ones.Barry goes on his journey to find the best family he can, meeting a menagerie of weird and wonderful parents in this bizarre place who manage to take the mickey out of rich people, celebrity couples, hippies and fitness fanatics. Lots for parents to enjoy.The illustrations are well spaced out, they don't try to make jokes from themselves as Williams often tries, and Baddiel's humour is also a little more subtle than his celebrity contemporary. He also has a handle on moving endings. So it's a story that I've seen a couple of times before? Never mind, its fresh in its ideas and not something that's been done to death. Barry is a great lead character, flawed but you can sympathise with his 'plight', a James Bond and football fan who's sick of his sisters ganging up on him and wearing cheap trainers. There's also sympathy for his parents and a good few mentions of their feelings.Yep, liked this one. Thought I'd be putting it to one side during chapter one, but it saved itself in time.Would be lots of fun for storytime in class or at home, or great for confident readers of 8/9 to 12.Hope its not a one-off, Baddiel has talent.

I THINK ITS A GOOD BOOK BECAUSE THE WORDS ARE REALLY IMAGINATIVE BUT THERE IS SOME ADULT HUMOUR IN PARTS OF THE BOOK, I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK BECAUSE ITS FUNNY AND HUMOUROUS. THE AGE TARGET THIS BOOK IS AIMED FOR IS YEAR 8 TO YEAR 10. WHEN YOUR IN THE BOOK YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT YOUR HEAD IS IN THE BOOK AND YOU DONT WANT TO STOP READING JUST INCASE IF YOU MISS SOMETHING. OVERALL I WOULD RATE THIS BOOK 9/10, TRULY FABULOUS!

OK, firstly this is a kid's book - so there is no depth to it. But, if you want a quick, predictable, easy read with good characters and a totally predictable story-line, then you can't really go wrong with a kid's book. On the whole, this was an ok read - it was enjoyable at times and mildly amusing. I am sure many children will relate to Barry and will enjoy the story.

So funny.

I really liked the book, especially the twist at the end!