Book & Author Info
Book Title: The Money, Stan, Big Lauren and Me Book
Author: Joanna Nadin
Book Series: N/A
Book Genre: Children’s Fiction, Comedy, Adventure
The Money, Stan, Big Lauren and Me Plot
The story revolves around a young boy named Billy Grimshaw Jones who is excited about the arrival of a new baby in the family as it means they get to move to a bigger house. However, when his mother loses her job, their plans are put on hold. Billy, his little brother Stan, and his best friend Big Lauren then embark on various adventures to try and make money. The story takes a turn when Billy finds an envelope full of money, leading to a series of events that ultimately teach him that money cannot buy happiness.
Publisher Info
First published: 2013
This edition published by: Piccadilly Press
ISBN: 9781848122279
Children’s Reviews
Amy, aged 10 Review: A heartbreaking, but also really funny book. You never know what’s going to happen next. Suddenly Disaster strikes. Can anything cure this great money lost? Read this book to discover a great adventure. I recommend this to all readers!!! Rating: 4/5
Ruby, aged 11 Review: To be honest I really don’t request this book I found this book very boring the whizz pop chocolate shop was better. Rating: 2/5
Mariya, aged 10 Review: Boring! This book was nothing. I hope the doesn’t take this offensively, but it was rubbish. Rating: 1/5
Natasha, aged 9 Review: A boy named Billy Grimshaw Jones is thrilled about the new baby coming, because it means that Billy, his Mum, Dad and little brother Stan get to move to a new bigger house:17 Morgington Road, which has four bedrooms! Billy has a best friend called Big Lauren who always tells him if you do this or that at high school then it will make you look/sound like a baby, and you will get your head flushed down the toilet by some mean, older kids. When Mum loses her job…Billy and his family won’t be able to move house.Tragedy!So Billy’s family have to cancel Sky T.V, have discount deals food and many more things too! Mum’s car breaks down on the motorway, so they need a new car too. I wouldn’t want to be in Billy’s situation, would you? When Billy was walking past Kyle Perry’s house (a popular boy in his school)he saw Mrs Perry mad at Mr Perry and throwing things out of the window. One of the things was an envelope that Billy caught in his hands when he was walking past. In the envelope was lots of £20 notes. Billy wondered how it would all fit in as there was that much money. Mr Perry tells the police that lots of money has been stolen. Billy then finds out that Mr Perry told the police he had some money stolen, then realised that it must have been the money that Mrs Perry threw out of the window. Billy tells his dad about this and his dad helps to sort things out and returns the money. The moral of the story is that Billy realises that money does not buy happiness. Rating: 4/5
Alex, aged 10 Review: I wouldn’t really recommend this book as the only way I can read a whole book is if it has a good beginning and this book kind of didn’t. Rating: 2/5
Raheema, aged 10 Review: I think that The Money, Stan (big Lauren and me) was really boring. I had no idea what was happening in the story because I just didn’t want to read it, it was rubbish. Rating: 1/5
Aamina, aged 10 Review: I think this book was one of the best books I have ever read. I liked the characters especially because they were full of excitement and they went on lots of fun adventures, the title was catchy too! Rating: 5/5
Beth, aged 11 Review: I didn’t like this book because it was very hard to get into and wasn’t my kind of book to read, but others may like it more than me. Rating: 2/5
Archie, aged 11 Review: The book ‘The Money, Stan, Big Lauren and Me’ was slow to start of with. In my opinion some events, like fighting over what to watch on TV and the argument over whether Stan should be allowed in Billy’s room, didn’t need to be in the book. I have to say it didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. When Billy had all that money and no one else knew,it made me feel like I was in his place and I felt guilty and frightened. Whilst I was reading about the false alarm with the baby, I fell for it and thought the baby was coming! Some characters, like Big Lauren and Stan, made the book lively and funny. Some things Stan said and the time he dyed his hair purple made me laugh. Overall I enjoyed the second half of the book better then the first half. I would rate this book 7/10. Rating: 3.5/5
Harry, aged 11 Review: The book, ‘The Money,Stan,Big Lauren and Me,’ was a little slow moving and lacked in excitement to start off with. Some of the arguments like, what to watch on TV,or whether his family were allowed in his room were a little boring and pointless. However as the story thoroughly progressed further, about midway through it improved and more things started to happening like when they were hoping to move to 17 Mornington Street or when Billy and Stan started going to bingo with their nan so they had a chance of winning some money. Towards the end the story it improved drastically because it made me as if I was Billy when his mum was in hospital when everyone thought she was in labour but it was just a false alarm. My opinion’s that overall I enjoyed the book, but I think it could be a more exciting and funnier read. Rating: 3/5
Aamina, aged 9 Review: My favourite characters are dad and mum. They are my favourite characters because dad works in a factory which he makes pies also when you walk past them you can smell the delicious meat and onion. I like mum because mum doesn’t care about anything she only cares about money. I would recommend this book to people who love money. Out of ten I would give it eight out of ten. Rating: 4/5
Aliyha, aged 10 Review: A boy named Billy Grimshaw Jones is thrilled about the new baby coming, because it means that Billy, his Mum, Dad and little brother Stan get to move to a new bigger house:17 Morgington Road, which has four bedrooms! Billy has a best friend called Big Lauren who always tells him if you do this or that at high school then it will make you look/sound like a baby, and you will get your head flushed down the toilet by some mean, older kids. When Mum loses her job…Billy and his family won’t be able to move house.Tragedy!So Billy’s family have to cancel Sky T.V, have discount deals food and many more things too! Mum’s car breaks down on the motorway, so they need a new car too. I wouldn’t want to be in Billy’s situation, would you? When Billy was walking past Kyle Perry’s house (a popular boy in his school)he saw Mrs Perry mad at Mr Perry and throwing things out of the window. One of the things was an envelope that Billy caught in his hands when he was walking past. In the envelope was lots of £20 notes. Billy wondered how it would all fit in as there was that much money. Mr Perry tells the police that lots of money has been stolen. Billy then finds out that Mr Perry told the police he had some money stolen, then realised that it must have been the money that Mrs Perry threw out of the window. Billy tells his dad about this and his dad helps to sort things out and returns the money. The moral of the story is that Billy realises that money does not buy happiness. I would give this book 10/10 and so does my little sister. Rating: 5/5
Jack, aged 10 Review: The book “The Money, Stan, Big Lauren and Me” was hilarious and funny. Parts of it I did not understand like the bounty bar part, but until it got going on page 110, there was not enough action. I liked the part when they found out about the money under Billy’s pillow. I did not like the part about the accident with the baby. I thought that it was quite scary. My favourite part was the part about “Britain’s Got Talent”. That was a good idea for the writer. I would read it again if I ever had the chance to. It is a great book so I would recommend it to most people. It is however,not the best book in the world but it is worth reading, so thanks again for letting me read it. Rating: 4/5
Caitlin, aged 10 Review: I like this book although, there was no need for the bad language. Rating: 3/5
Hermione, aged 9 Review: I liked the book, because it was a sort of relaxed book. Until I got to page 92, because Billy’s mum was bleeding because the baby was broken, so she went in to hospital. Before long, it was ok and it settled down a bit. It was really exciting when Billy got into bed, and found an envelope! At the end of his bed .It started talking to him .It kept on saying open me billy open me! When the envelope had stopped talking, Billy opened it and found £5,540 that was my favourite bit because it was very exciting and I like exciting books. In my opinion I think it’s a very cool book. However it’s not really my sort of book, but other people will like it, because people are different. It’s not my kind of book because I like adventure and scary books. My favourite character is Big Lauren because she is weird and very funny. She never shuts up like my best friend! Rating: 3.5/5
Peter, aged 10 Review: The Money, Stan, Big Lauren and Me is a brilliant book. First it starts with a page from the main character’s diary explaining the name of the main character his brother and his step-dad. After three and a half pages the book starts properly. A hilarious and brilliant book. I really liked it the only part I didn’t understand was the part about the Bounties. I really liked the part about the money and the part about feeding the hamster the money. If I ever had the chance, I would read it again (even though this isn’t the best book in the world). If people asked about children’s books, I would highly recommend this book to them. Also I would recommend this book to a 9 to 12 year old. It was a thoroughly enjoyable book and I wish I could read it again. Rating: 4.5/5
Tamina, aged 10 Review: This book is brilliant but it has some inappropriate language for younger children. This book explains the life of a boy named Billy Grimshaw Jones and he has a friend called Big Lauren (or that’s what he calls her) teaches him all the things you need to know about high school. It is really funny because they get a new Sky box and love watching man vs food. They need to get a big house and Mum’s new boyfriend is moving in. Billy doesn’t like him that much. I would recommend this book to 8_14 yrs old. 7/10! Well done Joanna Nadin! Rating: 3.5/5
Lewis, aged 10 Review: Great book – stop and pick it up now – so funny YEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH Rating: 5/5
Alessio, aged 10 Review: I didn’t like the book it was rather boring and there was no need for the language. I would not recommend it to anyone. Rating: 1/5
Katie, aged 11 Review: I didn’t like this book as much as ‘Kidnap in the Caribbean’. Many of my friends didn’t like it. I would rate this book 2 out of 10. It wasn’t my style. I would say that this book is for 12-14 year olds. Rating: 2/5
Macy and Bridget, aged 10 and 11 Review: I liked nothing about this book, it was rubbish I rate 1/10 Rating: 1/5
Aneesa, aged 10 Review: The characters in this story are Billy Grimshaw-Jones, his brother Stan, his mum and dad and his best friend Big Lauren. Big Lauren always tells Billy what to do and what not to do at secondary school otherwise he will get his head flushed down the toilet. Billy would like to move to a bigger house but unfortunately, Mum lost her job and could no longer afford it. Some words are inappropriate for younger children therefore, I would recommend this book to the ages over five. Rating: 3/5
Nimra, aged 9 Review: I don’t like this book because it has unappropriate words for children in this book. This book doesn’t have any of my favourite stuff in this book and this book is also boring I’d never read a book like this again this book should be for 12-14 years old. Rating: 1/5
Hamna, aged 10 Review: This book is about a boy named Billy Grimshaw Jones and his mum married a man named Dave. He’s got a brother named Stan, and a friend called Big Lauren. His mum is going to have a baby, so they have to move to a new house. But then his mum loses her job! And they’ll have to buy from cheap shops, but he doesn’t want to so he makes a plan. With the aid of little brother Stan and best friend Bif Lauren, Billy sets out to make his fortune. Nothing seems to work, until Billy stumbles across an envelope full of twenty pound notes that adds up to £5,345, whilst crossing a boy’s house and the boy’s mum accidentally seemed to drop it. He hides the money but he didn’t seem to feel any better. So he decides to lie that he is going to an x-factor audition, but instead he goes to the airport, and his mum’s friend spots him and calls him Dave, but Dave doesn’t say anything to Billy’s mum. And Billy’s mum gets a baby. I think that children 8-12 years old would like this book, especially those children that think that they are poor, so that they can learn that money isn’t everything about life. I would recommend this book so that everyone knows that money isn’t everything in life. Rating: 4/5
Taiyba, aged 10 Review: I don`t bother with this book because it has words that were very inappropriate for small children. Anyway my favourite character was Billy, because he is really the main person. My favourite part was when Billy found some money which was an interesting part. I would recommend this for people aged 10-20. I would give it 1 out of 10. Rating: 1/5
Ellie, aged 10 Review: I absolutely love this book. I couldn’t get my head out of it. I recommend it to all readers. The one thing I don’t get is why does it swear in a child’s book? Rating: 4/5
Harry, aged 10-11 Review: Can’t get into it. Don’t like it, worst read ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t like the diary style. Rating: 1/5
Amelia, aged 11 Review: I found it really hard to get into it. About after page 120 I got into it. Rating: 3/5
Ambia, aged 10 Review: I thought this book was brilliant it was really interesting because this book is about when Lauren took money and then she gave it back Rating: 4/5
Emily, aged 10 Review: I think it was a good book because it was exciting, nerve racking, happy and excellent book!!! Rating: 5/5
Ruhan, aged 10 Review: It was a sad story Rating: 2/5
Abby, aged 10 Review: It was a real riveting read and I like all the bits about wanting the money and the fact that they wanted to go on Britains Got Talent (The show where the people of Britain use their talents to compete for a cash prize) The Money, Stan, Big Lauren & Me really was a humoured book and I loved every word of it!! All the words made sense and really set the scene of a family that was in need of money. 9/10! 🙂 Rating: 4.5/5
Feedback Summary
The book “The Money, Stan, Big Lauren and Me” by Joanna Nadin has received mixed reviews from children. Some children found the book to be exciting and humorous, appreciating the storyline and the characters. They enjoyed the plot twists and the lessons the book imparted about money and happiness. However, some children found the book to be boring and hard to get into. They felt that the book was not suitable for their age group due to the use of inappropriate language.
Pros
- Exciting and humorous
- Interesting characters
- Teaches valuable lessons about money and happiness
Cons
- Some found it boring
- Hard to get into for some readers
- Use of inappropriate language