AustLit logo
person or book cover
Courtesy of Penguin. Cover image from 1994 reprint.
y separately published work icon Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories selected work   children's fiction   children's   mystery   adventure  
Issue Details: First known date: 1988... 1988 Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Adaptations

form y separately published work icon Wormwood Alex Burrows , Jutta Goetze , Piers Hobson , Sue Hore , David Rapsey , Maureen Sherlock , Meaghan Smith , James Beard , John Coulter , Elizabeth Huntley , ( dir. Mark DeFriest et. al. )agent Western Australia : Great Western Entertainment , 2007 Z1845696 2007 series - publisher film/TV children's fantasy

Based on various short stories by Paul Jennings, Wormwood follows the happenings in the small town of Wormwood, where the fact that the town's economy is based on the production and sale of worm excrement is not the strangest thing about the place.

Previous television series based on Jennings's short stories were Driven Crazy and Round the Twist.

Affiliation Notes

  • This work is affiliated with the AustLit subset Asian-Australian Children's Literature and Publishing because it has a Japanese translation.

Contents

* Contents derived from the Ringwood, Ringwood - Croydon - Kilsyth area, Melbourne - East, Melbourne, Victoria,:Puffin , 1988 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
On the Bottom, Paul Jennings , single work children's fiction children's

'When a boy goes fishing with his father, he finds a severed finger with a bear tattoo on it. This tattoo comes to life and directs the boy to its former owner, who is covered with tattoos; all of those tattoos then come to life and attach themselves to the boy.' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_(short_story_collection))

(p. 1-12)
A Good Tip for Ghosts, Paul Jennings , single work children's fiction children's

'When twin brothers move to a new school, the bully forces them to go to a haunted garbage tip at night after making them touch a pair of false teeth, or they will be beaten up until they pass the test. But in the end, the ghost who haunts the garbage trip reveals he has been looking for the false teeth. Then, the bully then becomes the victim of the test, as a ghost haunts him as a request from the brothers. Was later adapted as an episode of Round The Twist.'  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_(short_story_collection))

(p. 13-29)
Frozen Stiff, Paul Jennings , single work children's fiction children's

'An old man makes a living by collecting dead animals and freezing them in his ice factory. A brutal man keeps a cow locked in his home, and another boy tries to get it back to the countryside.' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_(short_story_collection))

(p. 30-52)
UFD, Paul Jennings , single work children's fiction children's

'A boy reports seeing a flying dog, but his family does not believe him. He is bet a thousand dollars if he can prove he saw one, or three years of washing if he can't.'  

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_(short_story_collection))

(p. 53-60)
Cracking Up, Paul Jennings , single work children's fiction children's

'A boy gets many punishments from his angry teacher, the worst of which is having to look after the teacher's pot plant for a night. However, the worst part is that two people died in his bedroom at his new house; the spirit of one of them tickles him, causing him to break the pot plant, then the next day at school, the spirit follows him around; as he is the only one that can see it, he gets in trouble for things that it does.'  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_(short_story_collection))

(p. 61-78)
Greensleeves, Paul Jennings , single work children's fiction children's

'A poor man makes a living by blowing up tree stumps and selling the wood chips as firewood. But when a whale washes ashore, dies, and causes problems for the town, this man is promised a lot of money if he can get rid of it.'   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_(short_story_collection))

(p. 79-95)
Mousechap, Paul Jennings , single work children's fiction children's

'A boy stays at his aunt and uncle's house; his uncle has started acting like a mouse, so is locked in the basement. His aunt explains that the uncle had previously invented a machine that acts as a mousetrap, but instead of killing the mouse, it causes it to run away. Similarly, a mouse that has been hiding in the boy's room acts like a person; the boy later finds out that if two animals touch the machine at the same time, their brains swap. By Paul Jennings'  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_(short_story_collection))

(p. 96-107)
Spaghetti Pig-Out, Paul Jennings , single work children's fiction children's

'A boy is always lonely at school because the school bully never lets anyone associate with him. He is pretty much lonely at home as well because of his lack of technology. But one day, he gets a strange video player whose remote control also works on people. However, the bully eventually steals the remote. Back at school, they both enter a spaghetti-eating contest in which the winner earns a free holiday. The bully, due to eating too much spaghetti via the fast forward function on the remote, throws up and is disqualified from the contest, allowing the boy to win the holiday. Was later adapted as an episode of Round The Twist.'   (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_(short_story_collection))

(p. 108-124)
Know All, Paul Jennings , single work children's fiction children's

'A family finds a box of old circus outfits that cause whoever wears them to gain the abilities of their original owners. Was later adapted as an episode of Round The Twist.' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_(short_story_collection))

(p. 125-140)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Ringwood, Ringwood - Croydon - Kilsyth area, Melbourne - East, Melbourne, Victoria,: Puffin , 1988 .
      person or book cover
      Courtesy of Penguin. Cover image from 1994 reprint.
      Extent: 140p.
      Reprinted: 1994 with ISBN 0140371028 , 1988 , 1993 with ISBN 014034909X
      ISBN: 0140325557 (pbk.)
    • New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,
      :
      Viking ,
      1991 .
      image of person or book cover 526916090663115824.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 140p.
      Edition info: 1st American ed.
      ISBN: 0670841749
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Uncollected Volume 2 : Every Story from Uncanny!, Unbearable! and Unmentionable! Paul Jennings , Ringwood : Viking , 1999 Z979157 1999 selected work children's fiction children's humour mystery adventure Ringwood : Viking , 1999
    • Ringwood, Ringwood - Croydon - Kilsyth area, Melbourne - East, Melbourne, Victoria,: Penguin , 1999 .
      image of person or book cover 4011256509147038316.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 184p.
      ISBN: 0141301759
Alternative title: 想像もつかない物語
Alternative title: Sôzô mo tukanai monogatari
Language: Japanese
    • Tokyo, Honshu,
      c
      Japan,
      c
      East Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,
      :
      Topazu Puresu ,
      1995 .
      image of person or book cover 847713256806101205.png
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 238p.
      ISBN: 4924815136

Other Formats

  • Braille.
  • Large print.
  • Sound recording.

Works about this Work

Changing Perspectives : The Implied Reader in Australian Children's Literature 1841-1994 H. M. Saxby , 1995 single work criticism
— Appears in: Children's Literature in Education , March vol. 26 no. 1 1995; (p. 25-38)
[Review] Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories J. C. Clancy , 1992 single work review
— Appears in: School Library Journal : For Children's, Young Adult and School Librarians , January vol. 38 no. 1 1992;

— Review of Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Paul Jennings , 1988 selected work children's fiction
[Review] Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Steven Engel Fried , 1992 single work review
— Appears in: School Library Journal : For Children's, Young Adult and School Librarians , January vol. 38 no. 1 1992;

— Review of Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Paul Jennings , 1988 selected work children's fiction
[Review] Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Nola Cavallaro , 1989 single work review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , July vol. 4 no. 3 1989; (p. 34)

— Review of Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Paul Jennings , 1988 selected work children's fiction
[Review] Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Stella Lees , 1989 single work review
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Children's Book Council of Australia , vol. 33 no. 2 1989; (p. 31)

— Review of Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Paul Jennings , 1988 selected work children's fiction
[Review] Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Nola Cavallaro , 1989 single work review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , July vol. 4 no. 3 1989; (p. 34)

— Review of Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Paul Jennings , 1988 selected work children's fiction
[Review] Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Steven Engel Fried , 1992 single work review
— Appears in: School Library Journal : For Children's, Young Adult and School Librarians , January vol. 38 no. 1 1992;

— Review of Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Paul Jennings , 1988 selected work children's fiction
[Review] Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories J. C. Clancy , 1992 single work review
— Appears in: School Library Journal : For Children's, Young Adult and School Librarians , January vol. 38 no. 1 1992;

— Review of Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Paul Jennings , 1988 selected work children's fiction
[Review] Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Stella Lees , 1989 single work review
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Children's Book Council of Australia , vol. 33 no. 2 1989; (p. 31)

— Review of Uncanny! : Even More Surprising Stories Paul Jennings , 1988 selected work children's fiction
Changing Perspectives : The Implied Reader in Australian Children's Literature 1841-1994 H. M. Saxby , 1995 single work criticism
— Appears in: Children's Literature in Education , March vol. 26 no. 1 1995; (p. 25-38)
Last amended 19 Nov 2020 12:01:19
Common subjects:
Newspapers:
    Powered by Trove
    X