People behave very weirdly sometimes. It can make you wonder if they are even in control of their own bodies or if they realize what they are doing. But what if they weren’t? In Body-Hopping Hysterics, Tom E. Moffatt takes us on a journey that involves empathy pills for a bully, a mother who can inhabit any person’s body to keep an eye on her child, a child who accidentally almost destroys a championship football game, a child who has to battle for ownership of her own body, and more! This series of intriguing and amusing short stories, entertainingly illustrated by Paul Beavis, will have you wondering if any of these possible scenarios are involved the next time you see a person doing something completely weird!

I thoroughly enjoyed Body-Hopping Hysterics by Tom E. Moffatt! His stories are the child’s equivalent of The Twilight Zone, minus the level of creepiness sometimes achieved in that old TV show. They surprise and delight and often achieve an Aesop-like moral by the end of the story. Empathy Pills had me wishing for some for a few people I have known in my life. Off Side frightened me a little with perhaps a glimpse of an all-too-connected future. And Smothered made me think that if I had that ability, that is exactly the type of mother I would be! His handling of Blush was perfection! I will definitely be checking out Mr. Moffatt’s other works, and I look forward to his future zany mental concoctions.

Body Hopping Hysterics by Tom E Moffat is a collection of tales about matters such as embarrassment or empathy. They are for 8 to twelve-year-olds and they teach children to think about what it is like for other people when they experience embarrassing or difficult situations. One boy is given empathy pills by his teacher in the hope that he will understand how his bad behavior affects other people. There is something here for everyone and I think that children that age group will enjoy the stories and the characters. Body Hopping Hysterics is long enough to keep kids entertained, but not too long so that they lose interest. It is also easy to read as they are individual stories which a child could read themselves whenever they want.

Tom E Moffat has written an enjoyable and entertaining book with Body Hopping Hysterics: Hilarious, Action-Packed Short Stories for 8 to 12-year-olds. I love the illustrations; they remind me of Roald Dahl's books and they are in the same vein. I think the key message here is what is it like to be in someone else's shoes. And for the characters, they learn their lesson the hard way. Kids that age are learning about empathy and I think it is important to have them consider other people's feelings too. I think it will do quite well on the market and that it would fit in well with books from the likes of David Walliams. I would recommend this book.