Demon Dentist

Demon Dentist by David Walliams is a scary story for 8 year olds about missing teeth and some very nasty surprises at bedtime.

What happens

Children are leaving their lost teeth out and waking to find horrible things instead of money. Slugs, spiders and other creepy-crawlies have taken the place of the expected treat. Someone is getting into bedrooms while everyone sleeps.

Alfie already has plenty of reasons to dislike dentists. An awful appointment when he was little put him off completely. He's been hiding the reminder letters ever since.

The opening goes all out on the horrible dental visit. More and more people get involved in trying to remove one tooth. You can see it becoming a disaster long before anyone working there seems to notice.

If your reader loves the sort of joke that makes them say 'Eww!' and then keep reading, there's a lot of that here. It's very exaggerated and very silly. Alfie's fear still feels real to him, even while everything around him gets more ridiculous.

At home there's a different side to his life. His dad is unwell and Alfie does the shopping, cooking and cleaning. They also make up adventures together, with Dad's stories taking them far beyond their small home.

Those scenes give you a chance to care about Alfie before the scary mystery takes over. He's a boy with a lot to manage. Spending time with his dad means a great deal to him, even when he starts wondering whether he's too old for their imaginary adventures.

The frightening bits are worth knowing about. There's painful dental treatment and the idea of something entering a child's bedroom at night. If your child already worries about either, this could make uncomfortable reading.

Alfie's mother died when he was born and his father has serious health problems. Those are explained near the beginning as his family background, rather than being a later plot surprise.

What to read next

For a reader who enjoys gross jokes mixed with a scary mystery, the excess may be exactly the appeal. The Midnight Gang is another David Walliams book in the library if they'd like to try his hospital adventure next. That also includes illness and some very badly behaved medical staff.