- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Contemporary
You Won't Believe This
Book 2 of 4 in Cymbeline IglooView the full series
Someone is doing terrible things to Cymbeline's favourite teacher, and his best friend Veronique's beloved grandmother is dangerously ill - carrying a devastating secret about her escape from Vietnam. A hilarious mystery that turns, without warning, into a heartbreaking story about love and loss.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
- Length400 pp
- Read aloud~5 hr40 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Warm
- Heartwarming
- Bittersweet
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Cymbeline Igloo is back, and life is complicated. Someone is playing horrible tricks on Mrs Martin, his favourite teacher, and Cym is determined to unmask them. But the bigger worry is his best friend Veronique: her adored grandmother, Nanai, is seriously ill in hospital, and holds a secret she has never told anyone - about arriving in Britain as a child refugee from Vietnam, and the twin sister she lost on the terrifying journey by boat. As Cym blunders cheerfully through detective work, football and the usual embarrassments, he finds himself drawn into a story far bigger and sadder than he expected. Adam Baron's second Cymbeline book is every bit as funny as the first, with a narrator who makes readers laugh out loud even as the tears well up. Beneath the jokes lies a tender, powerful exploration of family history, displacement and the grief that can bind people together. Works perfectly as a standalone.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Best for 9-12s reading alone, and a rewarding read-aloud from about 8. The comedy suits confident younger readers; the threads of a grandmother's illness, death and a refugee past give it emotional depth better appreciated by older children.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Low
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: grief, death of character, illness or disability.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny and moving
- Family stories
- Builds empathy
- Cultural representation
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Sensitive to bereavement
- Sensitive to illness
Particularly good for children who are…
- Illness in family
- Bereavement
- Immigration or new country
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Cym is on the case again - hunting whoever is tormenting Mrs Martin - while helping Veronique through the scariest thing yet. Kids love the daft jokes and detective mission, then find themselves genuinely moved by Nanai's incredible, heartbreaking story.
- Being a detective
- Friendship and belonging
- Making a difference
- Being understood finally
Why parents love it
Baron folds a real history - the Vietnamese boat people - into a warm, funny mystery, giving children a way into displacement and loss without preaching. The voice is irresistible aloud, and the emotional turn lands hard and true.
- Shared humour
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
- Cultural representation
In the series
Cymbeline Igloo.
4 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
