My Weird School 6 – Mr. Hynde Is Out of His Mind!

Dan Gutman's Mr. Hynde Is Out of His Mind is a noisy, giggly school story for 8 year olds about a music lesson that turns into a rap concert.

What happens

This is book six of My Weird School, and A.J. hates music more than anything. Last year it was boring old Mr. Loring and the same corny songs over and over. On top of that, the whole school is about to switch off the telly for a MONTH. A.J. honestly thinks he might not survive it.

Then the lights go out and purple smoke pours across the floor. In bursts Mr. Hynde in a sequinned cape. He raps, spins on his head and drums on everything in the room with two rulers. A.J. is a fan on the spot. The best bit? Andrea hates him.

So who's going to be the beast in the class's hip-hop Beauty and the Beast? A.J. grabs the part the second he hears the beast gets to lock Beauty in a dungeon. Then his friends read the script to the very end. Beauty is Andrea, and the beast has to kiss her!

A.J. tells it like he's chatting to you, terrible jokes and all (ask him what percussion is and he'll tell you it's when you say bad words). Some of the funniest bits are the grown-ups. Wait until your reader gets to the head teacher walking in on the noisiest lesson in the school.

If your reader groans every time piano practice comes round, they'll be right there with A.J. And anyone who has ever dreaded one bit of a school play will feel his panic as the big night gets closer.

It's very American, and Mr. Hynde talks like a rapper ("homeys" and "shorties"). A.J. is as rude about Andrea as ever too. He wishes a piano would fall on her head, and his friends tease him with the kissing-in-a-tree song. It's all silly and over the top, but you might want to know it's there.

What to read next

If they'd like more of the head teacher who joins in with the rapping, Mr. Klutz Is Nuts is an earlier book all about him. He'll do almost anything to get the school learning (kissing a pig included).