BOOK REVIEW: Nelson 2 – Broccoli and Spies by Andrew Levins, illustrated by Katie Kear

Stephanie O'Connell | 14 August 2021 | Reply

BOOK REVIEW: Nelson 2 – Broccoli and Spies by Andrew Levins, illustrated by Katie Kear

Puffin Books
January 2021
Paperback, $12.99
Reviewed by Steph O’Connell

Middle Grade / Humour

68% Rocking

The second book in the totally outrageous adventures of Nelson Hunter – the boy who hates vegetables. Featuring a serious spy mystery and an epic broccoli-fuelled battle!

Nelson is a hilarious illustrated junior fiction series from DJ, food writer, TEDx speaker, charity founder and all-round funny guy, Andrew Levins.

After Nelson discovers his nemesis – vegetables – are actually the key to his superpowers, he’s determined to learn the truth about his family’s secret. But Nelson has other questions too. Like what is the mysterious flying machine at his grandparents’ farm? And will he really have to eat broccoli to save the day? Yuck!

When last we left Nelson in Pumpkins and Aliens , he’d just discovered that pumpkins made him SUUUUUPER strong… even his VOICE was strong! Why hadn’t he found that out before, you may ask? Well, because Nelson absolutely HATES vegetables, cannot STAND them, would rather create a pile of mouldy mashed, pumpkin sludge under his bed and let it grow mouldy than eat a vegetable. EVER.

This time around, his grandma and his friend Olive are determined to find out what other powers Nelson might get from eating different vegetables, and broccoli is on the menu!

‘Grandma! This isn’t funny! Let me out!’ shouted Nelson, wriggling and squirming but not being able to move an inch.
‘Oh, I’ll let you out all right, Agent Nelson,’ said his grandma with a grin. ‘All you need to do is eat a teeny tiny piece of delicious broccoli for your dear old gran first.’

And you might think from the cover that the broccoli makes him REALLY small, but no, this time Nelson’s invisible, and trying to figure out who keeps stealing his grandparents’ prized pumpkins, and why.

Let me tell you, it goes much deeper than just rival farmers trying to eliminate the competition, but you’re going to have to read Nelson’s second adventure to find out… in this fittingly GREEN themed book about broccoli, invisibility, and SPIES.

At the end of the book you’ll find a recipe for Nelson’s Grandma’s Broccoli Casserole, in case you want to try something new and see if you can turn invisible in the process!