- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 7–9
- Fantasy
Dungeon Runners: Forest Frenzy
Book 5 of 5 in Dungeon RunnersView the full series
The fifth roll of the dice for Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton's dungeon-crawling adventure series, sending the team of young heroes racing through a perilous forest full of monsters, traps and rival runners.
- Best for7–9
- FormatIllustrated
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Exciting
- Adventurous
- Funny
- Suspenseful
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
In the world of Dungeon Runners, teams of adventurers compete to blast through monster-filled dungeons faster than their rivals, and our unlikely band of heroes is back for their most tangled challenge yet. This time the course winds deep into a treacherous forest, where snapping plants, lurking beasts and cunning traps stand between the team and the finish line, and a rival crew is determined to get there first. Blue Peter Award-winning author Kieran Larwood keeps the pace breathless and the jokes flying, while Waterstones Prize-winner Joe Todd-Stanton fills every chapter with dynamic, characterful illustrations. Built like a tabletop-game adventure and packed with teamwork, quick thinking and monster mayhem, Forest Frenzy is a perfect fit for newly confident readers who love their fantasy fast, funny and richly illustrated.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Ideal for 7-9s reading independently, with plenty of illustration support, and it works read aloud from around 6. The peril is monster-movie fun rather than genuinely frightening, and each adventure stands alone, so it's an easy hop-on point for the series.
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- Best fit · 7–9
- Read aloud · 6–9
- Independent · 7–9
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Fantasy adventure
- Reluctant readers
- Illustrated fiction
- Gamer kids
Avoid if
- Wants quiet story
- Wants realistic fiction
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
It's like a video-game dungeon crawl in book form: monsters, traps, snapping plants and a rival team all standing between the heroes and the finish. The chapters are short and packed with pictures, and the teamwork and jokes make every close call fun.
- Going on a quest
- Adventure and freedom
- Surviving danger
- The underdog winning
- Friendship and belonging
Why parents love it
Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton pitch this perfectly for the tricky just-independent stage: short chapters, generous illustrations, real momentum and plenty of laughs. It rewards teamwork and quick thinking, and each book stands alone so there's no catching up required.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Dungeon Runners.
5 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
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