Reviewed by:
What the book club told us about the book:
Our School Review
What our pupils thought
“This book is about a girl called Mallory, her parents die in a car crash. Mallory finds out she can see dead people after her parents die and she has to live with her aunt Lilith. She becomes friends with a skull named Maggoty and they go on adventures together. I think this book is good for 10 – 13 year olds who enjoy spooky stories. It is similar to Wednesday (Addams). I really liked Maggoty because he was so funny and sassy!”
“Maggoty Skull is about a girl called Mallory who is a necromancer (she can see dead people). Maggoty Skull is called Maggoty Skull because he got his face bitten off by maggots (and he is a skull!) If you like scary and funny books, this book is for you. I think if you like adventure books, you would enjoy this book too. It has funny jokes and some funny but spooky pictures. It’s a hilarious and gloomy book!”
“This book is about an 8-year-old girl who lives in Carrion Castle which is haunted! She tries to find her parents (who have died in a car crash) by destroying evil spirits. The illustrations are magnificent! I would recommend this book to 9- 13 year olds because it is really funny, the pictures are really cool and there are really funny jokes! My friends want to read it after me!”
“Mallory’s parents die because of an evil spirit. Mallory finds a skull (Maggoty) whose soul is trapped but he teaches Mallory some necromancer stuff and how to talk to dead people. I would recommend this book to people in Year 5, 6 and 7 because it is really funny but I don’t think anyone in Year 3 or 4 will understand the story properly. Mallory is a necromancer who has to bring Hellysh Spalzl back from the dead to free her parents. This has been one of my favourite books I have read . My favourite character is Maggoty Skull because he is so funny and makes jokes about Aunt Lilith.”
Out of 5 stars, the pupils give this book:
About the book club:
What our educators thought
“Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull by Martin Howard is a great book to hook reluctant readers in, the immersive illustrations are fantastic talking points as they are full of detail and bring the characters to life. The Curse of Maggoty Skull is an engaging and funny story, perfect for any Halloween fan. Maggoty Skull, the long-lost skull of Carrion Castle, is an overzealous character, who has lots of silly and sassy nicknames for Mallory, including “Mallsy-Ballsy-di-bum-bum” – the children love this and find the names hilarious. If I were to read this to my class, I would expect lots of giggle and laughter at these points. The humour and silliness adds a good balance to the haunted plot line as there are key points that some readers may find a bit scary. Mallory, the young heroine, is a curious and brave girl who is set on solving the mystery of her missing parents. Aunt Lilith, who is Mallory’s manic aunt, provides some contrast to Mallory’s organised and honest character. Unfortunately for Aunt Lilith, she is often the butt of many of Maggoty’s jokes. Children who enjoy the Addams family or Tim Burton movies will enjoy the story, I think children from 9 to 12 will respond positively to the story, our reading group found it hilarious and we already have a waiting to read list in Year 6 for the other copies. Teachers should be aware that there are ghosts and references to characters who are dead, including Mallory’s parents. This is a great book for independent readers.”
Out of 5 stars, the educator gives this book:
Get the book
Get class sets of any of our Reviewer’s Book Club books for upto 28% off the RRP or buy fewer copies by clicking the button below
Want a class set for a book we’ve not reviewed yet?
Contact us and quote code RR_CLASS_SETS for 25% off any other primary book.
Get involved
Looking to get involved in the Reviewer’s Book Club. We’re always on the look out for the latest page-turners and top-notch school book clubs ready to go on a literary adventure with us.
Publishers
If you’re a publisher with fresh reads for primary schools that you’d love us to review, then get in touch by emailing: submissions@wherereadingrocks.com
School book clubs
The wait list for reviewers is currently closed due to popular demand, watch this space or sign up to our newsletter to know when the list re-opens.