Buster Bayliss facts for kids

The Buster Bayliss series is a collection of exciting adventure books for young readers, written by the British author Philip Reeve. These stories follow the brave main character, Buster Bayliss, as he faces strange and wacky threats. His mission? To stop someone or something from taking over the world! A fun phrase often seen on the book covers is: "Where there's trouble, there's Buster Bayliss!" So far, there are four books in this thrilling series.

The Buster Bayliss Book Series

This section introduces you to the four amazing books in the Buster Bayliss series. Each book features Buster in a new, wild adventure, battling unusual villains and saving the day. Get ready to dive into a world where everyday things turn into big problems!

Night of the Living Veg

This first book introduces Buster Bayliss, a normal school kid who loves a bit of mischief. When his mom goes on a business trip, Buster has to stay with his "Fake" Auntie Pauline, her husband, and their daughter Polly. Things start to get weird when Buster notices something strange about Auntie Pauline's plant, "Pablo."

Soon, everyone in the town of Smogley starts acting strangely. They become obsessed with plants because of a weird gas coming from them. Buster discovers that a famous gardener is behind all this plant-loving madness. One night, Buster is attacked by the plant! He fights it off using a bug killer, which was actually made by the gardener himself.

The next day, after an argument with Polly, Buster goes to meet the gardener. But the gardener tries to force Buster to love the plants too! Buster manages to escape and learns that the bug killer he used actually helps the plants grow stronger. Later, Buster calls the Quirke Brothers to help him hunt the monster plant. But things go wrong, and even Polly's dad gets hypnotized by the plant.

Buster and the Quirkes are saved by Polly, who discovers that music is the plants' weakness. With the help of the school band, Buster and his friends fight the killer plants. But Buster gets captured by the gardener! It turns out the gardener is actually a plant himself! The real gardener was eaten by this plant long ago. The plant explains that it came to Earth on a meteor and lived with the gardener to learn why humans eat plants. This scared the plant, and it decided to take over the world so plants could be free.

Buster tries to play his trumpet to stop the plant, but the plant has learned to resist small amounts of music. Then, Polly, who came to save Buster, gets eaten by the plant! Angered, Buster puts a song on a boom box while the plant is distracted. The powerful music destroys the plant, and Polly escapes. In the end, everyone who was affected by the plant forgets everything. Buster's mom returns and asks what happened. Buster, knowing some things are best kept secret, simply says, "You know, boring."

The Big Freeze

Published in 2002, this book throws Buster into a chilling adventure. In The Big Freeze, Buster and his friends find themselves under attack by strange "ice freaks." Can Buster stop these icy creatures from freezing over everything? You'll have to read to find out how he battles the cold and saves the day!

Day of the Hamster

Also published in 2002, Day of the Hamster brings a new, furry challenge for Buster. This time, the trouble might be smaller, but it's just as big of a threat! Get ready for a story where a tiny creature causes huge problems, and Buster must use all his wits to save the world from a very unexpected enemy.

Custardfinger!

Custardfinger! is the only book in the series that was published in 2003. In this deliciously dangerous adventure, Buster faces off against an evil lunch lady. Her wicked plan? To take over the world using... custard! Can Buster stop her gooey scheme before everyone is covered in a sticky, sweet mess? This book promises a truly unique and hilarious battle!