Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Ghosts: Volume 1

Product Information

My Experience: I started reading Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Ghosts on the morning of 8/15/18 and finished it before midnight. My first one day read! Woot!! A fantastic read! I think my son will enjoy this book a lot too because he’s able to relate to Sam riding the Astro Blast Simulator since we also ride on one when we went to a Space Center in Huntsville, Tennessee a few months ago. I like Sam. He’s pretty brave for a scaredy-cat because he buys a pet that he’s actually scared of! I like his clever thinking and reasoning about going straight to grandma for permissions because even his mom has to listen to grandma since grandma is his mom’s mom. Gerda is on the magical quest of a lifetime. Her best friend Kai has disappeared with the mysterious Snow Queen, and if Gerda doesn’t rescue him soon, he’ll be trapped in an endless winter forever. I am not too sure about him getting a snake and his parents allowing it. He is so afraid of it, that I wonder if he can care for it properly. A snake still needs love, and if you are just going to let it in the terrarium or dodge it every time it moves, I am sure the snake isn't going to be very happy. Later on he did show that he is getting over his fear for the snake, but still I wondered if it was really a good idea to allow him to have one. Maybe not until he really learns to care for it. Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts is an absolute blast ( excuse the pun) from beginning to end. Filled to the brim with gorgeous illustrations from the super talented Nathan Reed, this witty children’s book will entertain people of all ages and Sam will surely give our younger readers a new hero to aspire to. I couldn’t stop laughing from the very beginning of this book and loved the adventure that Sam, Zoe and Bernard find themselves on. It is so reminiscent of childhood and all of our childhood fears that even I as a *cough* 27 year old *cough* couldn’t help but relate to Sam! Sam Wu is NOT a scaredy-cat (except he is). When a trip to the Space Museum goes terrifyingly wrong, Sam begins a mission to prove to the school bully, and all of his friends, that he is a fearless space adventurer.

Look out for Sam's jawsome follow-up adventure – Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Sharks! coming in July 2018. Come on an unforgettable and thrilling adventure where the strength of friendship is tested to its limits, and nothing is quite what it seems in the fantastical, frosty world of The Snow Queen. The thing is, I can see being influenced and inspired by Alvin Ho. He's pretty cool, and his adventures, which continue into other books are pretty awesome, so I can see other authors wanting to write their own version of Alvin Ho. But I would have liked to have seen something that stood in aside on its own, rather than being a not-so-good version of a better book. It also makes me feel a little funny to think that Katie and Kevin Tsang wrote SUCH a similar character in a similar situations, with a pants wetting episode, and a smart little sister. I wonder what Leonore Look thinks about it.

Polka Theatre is one of just a handful of dedicated children’s venues in the UK. Re-opening in 2021 after a major renovation, Polka continues to present a year-round programme of shows produced by Polka and from visiting companies. Polka also offers a full programme of creative learning activities for ages 0–12, with over 21,000 children taking part in the last year. Polka enjoys flexible rehearsal and workshop spaces along with two performance spaces: the Main Theatre has a 300-seat capacity, and the Adventure Theatre can seat up to 90 depending on the show format. Polka Theatre has announced the premiere of a new stage adaptation of Kevin and Katie Tsang’s best-selling book Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts, which is published by Farshore, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Recommended for 6 – 12-year-olds, the adaptation will play in the Main Theatre at the Wimbledon venue from Saturday 22 June – Sunday 18 August 2024.

Kevin was born in Copenhagen and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of Sam Wu’s experiences are based on Kevin’s childhood (he’s feeling much more confident now). Katie was born and raised in Southern California. She has previously worked at Booktrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, and also writes YA fiction as Katherine Webber. Sam Wu is NOT a scaredy-cat (except he is). When a trip to the Space Museum goes terrifyingly wrong, Sam begins a mission to prove to everyone that he is a fearless space adventurer… It took me a couple of chapters to really get into the characters, but once I did the story really took off. It's silly without feeling ludicrous because the plot stays true to its main character: Sam. I continue to believe that characters can do outlandish things in believable ways as long as they always seem to grow organically out of who the character is. This is absolutely true in the case of Sam Wu. This book is 100% adorable, hilarious and full of joy. After a terrible Incident That Shall Not Be Discussed Again, Sam Wu is determined to prove his courage to his classmates after all, no matter what it takes - from adopting a snake that terrifies him to hunting ghosts through his house and facing his little sister's psychotic cat, Buttercup.

Reviews

This was my chance to prove that I wasn't Scaredy-Cat Sam. My chance to prove I was even braver than Ralph. Sam’s best friends, Zoe and Bernard, visit his house to meet Fang. When a fuse blows, plunging them into darkness, they hear eerie noises and then realise Fang has gone missing. Sam concludes that the snake has been kidnapped by the Ghost King, a terrifying character from Sam’s favourite TV space show. Can the three friends banish the ghost, rescue Fang and live to tell the tale? De drie beroemde Billy Bones woorden op de achterkant zijn: humor, overwinnen en leesgemak. Het boek is zeer grappig. Niet alleen de situaties, maar juist vooral de personages. Het zusje van Sam vond ik eigenlijk het grappigste personage, ik kon me goed met haar identificeren haha. Sam is een beetje een buitenbeentje, maar hij heeft wel twee hele goede vrienden.

A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode. Ingenious retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s story with a lot of emphasis on kindness, decency and redemption"

Branar’s signature storytelling creates a show which reminds us all to follow our dreams. Seamlessly blending puppetry from Suse Reibisch with a magical original score by Colm Mac Con Iomaire and directed by Marc Mac Lochlainn, How to Catch a Star is a non-verbal show aimed at 3 – 5 year olds, and is kindly supported by Culture Ireland. Sam Wu and friends are about to become a HUGE hit with young readers across the UK (and hopefully the world!). Playing alongside it in the Adventure Theatre from Wednesday 3 July – Sunday 11 August 2024 will be How to Catch a Star, a magical adaptation of the book by award-winning Irish author Oliver Jeffers, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, presented by Branar, one of the leading Irish theatre companies making work for children. I have to say I didn't expect the bully to be so tiny. When we first read about the bully I had expected some bulky rich dude, but instead it is just a tiny little rich kid spoiled to death. I didn't like the guy at all, but I could see that he is also not as tough as he wants people to think he is. :P Award-winning Northern Irish author Oliver Jeffers launched his hugely successful picture book career in 2004 with How to Catch a Star which went on to have enormous commercial and critical success. This stage debut coincides with the book’s twentieth anniversary year.