Master storyteller Patrick Ness turns to middle grade in a hilarious adventure about a mismatched group of animals attending school together, brought to life by brilliantly funny illustrations.

Zeke and Daniel have just been made hall monitors by Principal Wombat. This has nothing to do with the fact that they are monitor lizards. And never mind the fact Alicia, the only other monitor lizard in the school, is also a hall monitor.

Somehow, the three hall monitors must impose order on arrogant lions, excitable seals and super-relaxed pandas. And worst of all, there is Pelicarnassus! A pompous giant pelican and the son of a major supervillain, who inexplicably has it out for the lizards. Can the hall monitor lizards and their new friend, a blind, fearsome red-tailed hawk, protect their school from all manner of outlandish threats?

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody is, as far as I can tell, the first middle-grade book from renowned author Patrick Ness, who usually writes YA novels. It is also the first book in a new series, with the second book due to be released next year.

Patrick Ness is known for having a very creative imagination and that comes across strongly with our main characters, best friends Zeke and Daniel who are monitor lizards. They attend a school for animals and have just been given the role of hall monitors, although it has nothing to do with them being monitor lizards, nothing whatsoever!!

The pair, along with another lizard who is a hall monitor too, Alicia, have to walk the corridors in school making sure no students are out of their class when they shouldn’t be, but some students are easier to control than others, like Pelicarnassus, who is a supervillain’s son and hates lizards.

From the blurb and the cover I was expecting a complete and utter giggle-fest from beginning to end with this book, especially as I love slapstick and tongue-in-cheek humour but I found the story quite lacking in that department.

The plot is good fun, the characters are well-developed and likeable, and the story contains some wonderful life lessons. The illustrations are amazing too. I did enjoy the read I just couldn’t find the funny and I’m so mad I couldn’t as I love Patrick Ness’ work.

I hope it might just be me and that youngsters will devour this clever and bonkers tale and find it more hilarious than I did.

Patrick Ness, an award-winning novelist, has written for Radio 4 and The Sunday Telegraph and is a literary critic for The Guardian. He has written many books, including the Chaos Walking Trilogy, The Crash of Hennington, Topics About Which I Know Nothing, and A Monster Calls.

He has won numerous awards, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Booktrust Teenage Prize, and the Costa Children’s Book Award. Born in Virginia, he currently lives in London.