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Terry Pratchett is well known for his fun and unique storytelling, and Truckers is a great introduction to his imagination and work.
It’s the first book in the Bromeliad trilogy. While Discworld may be Pratchett’s better known series, Truckers is one of my very favourite reads.
Full of Pratchett’s signature humour and wit, it’s a fantastical story for children!
What’s it about?
Truckers introduces us to Masklin, Grimmer, Granny Morky and Old Torrit – a group of gnomes surviving in a world built for humans.
Fed up of scrounging chips and fleeing foxes, the group hitch a ride on a truck.
They end up in The Store built by Arnold Bros. (est. 1905), where they discover they aren’t the only gnomes in the world.
The store gnomes don’t believe there is anything beyond the store – so Masklin and his group’s arrival causes quite a stir.
To make things more complicated, the Thing – a little black cube that has been passed from generation to generation – suddenly wakes up. It has a message: the store is being demolished.
Can Masklin find a way to get the gnomes to work together and save themselves before the store is destroyed?
What I liked best about Truckers
- There’s a fantastic amount of humour, both for children and for adults. The kids will laugh along at some bits, but there are other bits that perhaps only the adults will understand.
- Terry Pratchett’s characters are never plain and boring – they dance on the pages and bring humour and life to his works. Grimmer discovering she is more than just a girl from a hole and transforming into a leader is a wonderful journey of discovery. Masklin being forced beyond his comfort zone into taking charge is both touching and funny. But my daughter’s favourite is the cantankerous Granny Morky, who is so wickedly funny I found myself giggling as I read.
- The Thing is also depicted with humour – which is strange, given that it is basically a black cube!
Who would like it?
Truckers is fabulous and I think anyone can enjoy it, though I think the story would be a little lost on children under 6 or 7.
There’s a passing mention of gnomes being eaten by foxes, but it’s brief and there’s no gore.
Death is mentioned, as we find out how the store gnomes think about it, but it’s done in such a humorous way (they think good gnomes are turned into garden statues) it isn’t dark.
Younger children may not understand the notion of the store gnomes building a religious system around Arnold Bros. and the store. But that’s OK – it’s part of the story, but isn’t necessary to understand in order to enjoy the book.
In summary
Truckers is a book you can revisit time and time again over the years and understand a whole new part of.
Young children will enjoy the notion of small people learning to drive (and stealing) a truck. Slightly older kids will still like this but will understand more of the subtle humour, while teens and adults can also explore the more complex aspects of the book, such as the religion of the store gnomes.
Truckers is only book one of the trilogy, followed by Diggers and Wings. All three are excellent stories and I would recommend the whole trilogy to any parent.