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! A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.

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. Um . . . OK, I'm not sure where to start with this review, but when I first got this ARC in my mailbox, the first thing I thought was, "Hasn't this book already been published, like, 10 years ago?" Then my husband, always eager to find new Asian authors, who write about Asian characters, skimmed the book, and said, "I swear to god that I've already read this book, but I liked it better the first time." I dug around in my files and found a book I had almost forgotten about called Alvin Ho Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look. 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?

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I just adored Sam's friends, especially Zoe. They are the very best friends one can have. They are there for him when he needs it. They try to help out with the ghost and the snake. They like to try out new things (like the food, though I didn't like how rude they were about it at first). Katie and Kevin met in in 2008 while studying at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Since then they have lived on three different continents and travelled to over 40 countries together. They currently live in London. As well as the brilliant SAM WU series, Katie and Kevin also write magical middle grade fantasy series, DRAGON REALM. 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. Sam Wu is reuze fan van de Ruimteridders, een tv-programma met superhelden in de ruimte. Wanneer ze met de klas naar een ruimtemuseum gaan, gaat Sam laten zien hoe stoer hij is. Maar het ruimteschip in het museum doet heel anders dan de ruimteschepen van de ruimteridders! Als dat maar goed gaat… Visually stunning production that offers a thought-provoking twist on a classic fairy story... well worth a winter trip to Wimbledon."

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 authors Kevin and Katie Tsang said, “We are so thrilled that Polka Theatre is adapting Sam Wu Is NOT Afraid of Ghosts for the stage! Polka Theatre creates incredible shows for children and young people - and we love their commitment to making theatre accessible for all children. It is a privilege to be working with such a wonderful theatre, and to have such a fantastic creative team behind the adaptation. We often take our own children to shows at Polka - and we can't wait to see Sam Wu on stage!” 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.Brilliantly funny new series about the bravest scaredy-cat in the worldSam 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. A truly laugh-out-loud, voice-led and madcap story of ghost hunting, snakes and mischievous pet cats called Butterbutt, perfect for fans of Tom Gates, Wilf the Mighty Worrier and Barry Loser, and readers aged six plus., Look out for Sam's jawsome follow-up adventure - Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Sharks! coming in July 2018. Katie and Kevin Tsang met in in 2008 while studying at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Since then they have lived on three different continents and travelled to over 40 countries together., In 2015 they got married in Palm Springs, California. Kevin was born in Copenhagen and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of Sam Wu's experiences are based on Kevin's childhood., He currently works as a healthcare technology consultant. Katie was born and raised in Southern California and also writes YA as Katherine Webber. Katie and Kevin currently live in London., Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts is their first joint novel. 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. Look out for Sam's jawsome follow-up adventure – Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Sharks! coming in July 2018. Sam Wu hat absolut keine Angst vor Geister, wirklich nicht. Das muss er jetzt beweisen, denn seit im beim Schulausflug ein riesengroßer Patzer passiert ist, den er und seine Freunde nie wieder erwähnen sollen, wird er von seinem Erzfeind Ralf nun immer „Sam Angsthase“ genannt. Jetzt muss Sam im das Gegenteil beweisen, doch wie stellt er das an. Als erster muss er sich ein cooles Haustier zulegen, da er weiß, dass seine Eltern das nicht erlauben würden, besorgt er sich mit Hilfe seiner Oma eine Schlange. Das Tier wäre schon mal da, jetzt muss Sam nur noch ein Abenteuer bestehen und dabei sollen ihm seine zwei besten Freunde Zoe und Anton helfen. Ob sie das zusammen schaffen? A truly laugh-out-loud, voice-led and madcap story of ghost hunting, snakes and mischievous pet cats called Butterbutt, perfect for fans of Tom Gates, Wilf the Mighty Worrier and Barry Loser, and readers aged six plus.