George Brown, Class Clown 8 – Hey! Who Stole the Toilet?

Nancy Krulik's eighth George Brown, Class Clown book is a camping story for 6 year olds about a scout troop, a night in the woods and a monster nobody quite believes in.

What happens

It's called Hey! Who Stole the Toilet? (and to be fair, there isn't one at the campsite to begin with).

George has joined the Beaver Scouts and he can't wait for the troop's big campout. He's even had a practice night in a tent in the back garden with his dad, eating burgers with mustard everywhere and no napkins allowed.

Then two surprises turn up at the troop meeting. Julianna and Sage have joined too. Sage has decided George is her hero, and she follows him EVERYWHERE, pink wellies and all.

Troop Leader Buttonwood is quite something as well. He trips over his own laces, walks into branches and gets the whole troop lost on a hike. He also tells them all about Triple F, the Ferocious Furry Frog. It's part bear, part frog, and it eats campers.

George has his own secret to worry about. His wish on a star went a bit wrong, and now a magic burp can take over his whole body without any warning. At the pizza place it has him flinging dough about behind the counter. Out in the dark woods it has him hopping and roaring like a frog monster, just when everyone's already jumpy about Triple F.

It's funny and a tiny bit spooky, the way campfire stories are. Is Triple F real? Louie insists monsters aren't real. He also screams loudest.

What's lovely is watching Julianna quietly save the day. She puts the boys' tent up in about five minutes after they've had it upside down, and it's her compass that finds the way back to camp.

If you've got a reader heading off on a first camping trip or sleepover, George's mix of nerves and excitement will feel very familiar.

What to read next

Chris slides down the muddy bank into the river yelling for Toiletman, his comic-book hero. If that makes them giggle, It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Toiletman has Chris drawing a whole Toiletman comic for the local comic shop to sell.