Families who loved Custardfinger by Philip Reeve often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is looking for a way to laugh off the stresses of school life or needs an imaginative escape that turns the mundane world of the cafeteria into a high stakes battleground. This zany adventure follows Buster, a reluctant but brave boy who must stop his school lunch lady, Myrtle Burtle, from using enchanted custard to take over the world. It is a fantastic choice for reluctant readers or children who enjoy irreverent, fast paced humor. While the stakes are technically global, the story remains grounded in a playful, cartoonish reality that helps children process feelings of powerlessness against authority figures in a safe and hilarious way. It is perfectly suited for children ages 7 to 11 who appreciate a bit of slapstick and absurd science fiction.