Published: 2025
Genres: Mystery, Humor, Middle Grade Fiction
Audience: Grades 6–8
Number of Stars: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Goodreads Link: Death By Whoopee Cushion
Content Warnings: Brief mentions of accidental death and medical illness (poisoning).
Publisher’s Summary
A whoopee cushion turns deadly in this new middle-grade mystery from acclaimed author Vicki Grant.
The best Halloween costumes. The funniest pranks. An endless supply of chocolate fudge that looks exactly like dog poo. Most kids would love it if their parents owned a joke store. But twelve-year-old Manya isn’t like most kids. She’s not interested in the cheap laughs at Pranks a Million. She loves science. She wants to save the world. The only thing she finds even vaguely interesting about her parents’ shop is the science behind the pranks. After all, there’s chemistry at work even in itching powder and stink bombs.
Manya and her best friend Isaac are thrilled when their parents agree to sign them up for Serious Science, an after-school course. It’s everything Manya has dreamed the class is fascinating, and their teacher, Dr. C. Michaels, is both smart and charming. She can just about forget that her parents drive a bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle with a red clown nose on the hood and headlights that look like googly eyes. Maybe.
But one day Manya comes back from their Serious Science class to see two police in the store. A trick cigar bought at Pranks a Million blew up in a customer’s face and burnt off his eyebrows. Then there’s a poisoning incident. And when a whoopee cushion explodes, actually killing an innocent bystander, things become very serious Manya’s parents are arrested for murder.
It’s up to Manya to prove their innocence—and she may have to use some of the science behind the pranks to do so.
Review
I selected this book because I found the title intriguing. This title is a recent addition to our humor genre, and I chose it because I thought the pranks and potty humor would appeal to many of our middle school students. The main character, Manya, considers herself a serious student, which makes her parents’ business—a store specializing in gag gifts—hugely embarrassing for her. She especially hates the family car: a bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle with a red clown nose and googly-eye headlights!
While Pranks-A-Million has a strong customer base, recent incidents jeopardize the business. When her parents are investigated for what may not have been an accidental death, things take a serious turn. It’s up to Manya and her friends to use their science skills to try to clear her parents’ names and solve the mystery.
The novel picks up pace at the murder incident, and it was at this point that I became more invested. The characters are very well developed, and while the novel abounds in toilet humor, there are also serious themes of staying true to oneself and family loyalty. It’s a great book to introduce readers to the mystery genre, reminding me of the Encyclopedia Brown series I enjoyed when I was younger.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Science / Chemistry: Use the “Stink Bomb” or “Itching Powder” examples from the book to discuss chemical irritants and how certain molecules interact with human senses.
- Creative Writing (Mystery): Like Encyclopedia Brown, this book provides clues that the reader can track. Have students create a “Crime Board” to map out suspects and evidence as they read.
- Identity & Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Discuss the theme of “Embarrassment.” Manya wants to be taken seriously but is tied to a “silly” family. How do students balance their home identity with who they want to be at school?
- Humor Analysis: Discuss why “potty humor” is a successful literary tool for reaching reluctant readers. What makes a prank funny versus when it becomes “too serious”?
