Beware! Killer Tomatoes!

T he inspiration for this book came from several different ideas. Lots of it is based in childhood
memories of the scrapes I used to get into. I always seemed to have the odd broken bone and my mother
was forever carting me off to hospital to get me stitched up. I vividly remember the nurses being fed up with me because with so many accidents I'd filled up my record card and they had to start a second one for me! So my own childhood provided the background for the story.

'Secondly, was my experience of hospitals. Despite all my scrapes, I never had to stay in hospital as a child (oh, except when I was three, I'd fallen out of a window and landed on my head - but I don't remember much about that!). But as an adult I've had to stay a couple of nights and it is so very boring. I knew it must be the same for children in hospital so I started to visit the children's ward at the Royal United Hospital in Bath to talk to the patients. Most of them can't go very far, they have to stay on the ward, or sometimes are
restricted to their bed (which means they can't escape me!). I take in some books to read to them, or just chat - anything to take their minds off being in hospital for a while, to put a smile on their face and get them laughing. So, the setting for Beware! Killer Tomatoes comes from this.

'The plot also came from a childhood experience. As a young boy I was always out and about on my bicycle and one day I knocked over an adult. I'm ashamed to say, I was too scared to stop. At the time I thought he may have been badly hurt - he may even have been dead. I remember being very concerned
and feeling terribly guilty. I was worried and anxious that the police might come knocking on the door. I experienced the same emotions that Jack has as he waits in hospital and dreads the worst. Of course, I found out later that my victim had staggered off home and was fine, although no doubt complaining bitterly about me!

‘ Lots of the book is based in memories of childhood scrapes. ’

Just like Jack in Beware! Killer Tomatoes, Jeremy once thought he may have badly injured someone and dreaded the knock on the door from the police. He had accidentally knocked someone over with his bike. With an adventurous spirit from a very young age, Jeremy was always getting into scrapes.

Reviews

Sam King, aged 9: I have really enjoyed reading Beware! Killer Tomatoes by Jeremy Strong and would like to read other books by this author. This book really made me chuckle especially where Maisie says, "Cross my heart or die from a fart!"

Briefly, this story is about a boy called Jack who is trying to escape from hospital but he can't without injuring himself. This book is really funny and easy to read. I also really liked the illustrations. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone from age 9 - 12!

Sam's rating:

This book really made me chuckle. I would like to read other books by this author.

Scott Carlin, aged 10: I had lots of fun reading this book, I especially enjoyed the 'rude' bits in the Bling House. I thought the illustrations were funny and helped me to enjoy the story. The book is about a boy who thinks he has killed a man by knocking over a pile of tinned tomatoes in the supermarket. He breaks his leg when he's cycling away from the shop because he peddles really fast, doesn't look where he's going and hits a parked car. He ends up in hospital and is really worried that the police are going to
arrest him for murder! I think that anyone in Key Stage 2 would enjoy this book.

Scott's rating: