You know from the moment you open the pages of The Nothing to See Here Hotel that this is not going to be your average, run-of-the-mill story. There is nothing that can be described as ordinary in this entire book. In fact, the very opposite is true - everything is truly extraordinary, odd, weird and every other adjective for strange you can think of.

Imagine, if you will, a mysterious, enchanted hotel invisible to humans, bursting with grumpy trolls and power-hungry goblins. Throw some revenge-seeking pirates into the mix, and that’s just a small taste of this hilarious and totally bonkers book.

Steven Butler has created the most bizarre but endearing characters, who will really appeal to children. Who could resist the fabulous and somewhat heroic Frankie Bannister, who is - very importantly - 1/36th troll? Or the repugnant and dastardly Prince Grogbah, with his ridiculous and highly amusing demands?

This superb characterisation is captured brilliantly by Steven Lenton, with witty and gruesome illustrations featuring the most fun and intricate details that are guaranteed to spark creativity in every child.

We’ve had so much fun in our book group creating our own madcap hotels with eccentric guests, and writing entertaining stories about the chaos and carnage that ensues within their walls.

I’m a huge fan of illustrated fiction books: they allow children to gain confidence without being overwhelmed by pages of text. The Nothing to See Here Hotel stands out from the crowd, with its many comic moments and its original storytelling. Perfect for confident key stage 1 and lower key stage 2 readers, this story is bound to captivate and entertain. It really is a total joy from start to finish.

If you’re looking for a book to inspire reluctant readers and encourage engaged readers, then invite them to take a trip to The Nothing to See Here Hotel.

Jo Clarke is school librarian at Whitchurch C of E Primary in Hampshire. Her book blog is at bit.ly/bookloverJo and she tweets @bookloverJo

Pupil reviews

Crazy characters and cliffhangers

‘Pirates, dragons and fairies with toothbrushes’

There are swashbuckling pirates, fire-breathing dragons, human-eating plants, fairies with toothbrushes and, of course, there is Frankie Bannister. Frankie is the main character; he has copper eyes, pointy ears and a great big smile on his face! Steven Lenton is a fantastic illustrator and he brings this book to life.

Lois, age 8

‘Amazingly funny’

I found it really amusing and inspiring. It also had lots of excitement and cliffhangers within the book. The illustrations are fabulous, the language was fantastic and, best of all, it is amazingly funny. I would definitely recommend it to others.

Bella, age 8

‘Loads of made-up monsters’

I think people would really enjoy The Nothing to See Here Hotel because it’s got loads of made-up monsters. My favourite character is Hoggit the pet dragon, who lives in the fireplace. I wondered if he was going to learn how to breathe fire. The best bit was when the goblin prince didn’t realise what he’d stolen - it was a big surprise. The pictures were really good: they helped explain the story.

Wiliam, age 8

‘The magical creatures made me giggle’

This funny story about a magical creature hotel made me giggle. My favourite part of the story was where the goblin Prince Grogbah fainted and they all thought he was dead. I like the fact that there are pictures on most pages, and the characters look just how I’d imagined they would.

Aidan, age 8

‘I felt like I was there in the hotel’

I would give this book 10/10 because it is so imaginative. My favourite character is Nancy because she is kind, even though she is a big Orkney brittle-back spider. The illustrations are absolutely fantastic. It made me feel that I was there in the hotel.

Skye, age 8

If you or your class would like to write a review, please contact sarah.cunnane@tes.com