Little Badman and the Radioactive Samosa

Humza Arshad's Little Badman and the Radioactive Samosa is a loud, daft superhero comedy for 9 year olds about what happens when a meteor lands on your mum's samosas.

What happens

Humza is twelve and has one week of the summer holidays left. He's saved the world quite enough this year, thank you (aliens, evil geniuses, killer robots). All he wants is some downtime.

Then the whole town heads up Muckweed Hill to watch a meteor shower. Humza nicks his mum's box of samosas and legs it with his friends Umer and Wendy. And then the samosas explode.

The next morning Humza's face has gone squished like putty, and he leaves his own bum stuck in a hedge. Umer turns into a chicken whenever he's startled (and later a tortoise, and a bowl of nachos). Wendy talks at a million miles an hour and can move things with her mind. Say hello to Roti-man, Pakora Boy and Miss Calculation! Humza's shield is a week-old roti, apparently the hardest substance known to man.

Then there's the small matter of Umer's six pet hamsters. They've just eaten the rest of the samosas...

Humza talks to you like you're his mate. The family rows are brilliant, especially his dad, who's bought a wobbly phone-filmed copy of a superhero film and will fight anyone for a samosa. Aunties, uncles, chai and gulab jamun are all part of the scenery. If that's your family too, your reader will spot plenty of home. If it isn't, they'll just laugh.

There's a big rivalry with the next town as well. Their kids (the Marshmallows, obviously) got powers from a bargain bucket of chicken nuggets, and they call their Eggington rivals Eggheads.

Just so you know, Humza is cheeky with his language. There are a few "hell"s and a "damn" early on, plus a joke about Darth Vader in a burka. It's all played for laughs, but some parents like a heads-up.

Humza has clearly been on adventures before this one. You don't need them to follow what's going on, though, as the book explains everything as it goes.

If your reader likes their superheroes more pants-on-the-outside than save-the-planet, this is perfect.

What to read next

If they want another hero told by a boy who can't stop talking, My Brother Is a Superhero is in the library. Luke missed out on superpowers because he popped inside for a wee.