Bone Head: Guardian of the Underworld – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Underworld, self-importance, danger, stupidity.
Children’s book title: Bone Head: Guardian of the Underworld.
Children’s author: Jamie Gregory.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Scholastic.
ISBN: 9780702348822.
Recommended for children aged: 9-12.
First published: Paperback May 2026.
This children’s book is ideal for: children who enjoy reading illustrated books which are fast-moving and humorous.
To see the latest price or order, click on the book cover image. As an Amazon Associate, schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.
Our review:
Read all about the latest adventure from Hades’ Fortress in a recently discovered diary written by Demise, a skeleton guardian in the Underworld, and his supervisor, Mort. Commonly known as Bone Head, which Demise is sure is because his colleagues admire him (they really don’t), he works as a gatekeeper for Hades, whom he hero-worships! When he makes a big mistake by zapping an extremely dangerous but very cute Blogg, the gates to the Underworld are destroyed, resulting in Bone Head and Mort being demoted to dog-sitting for Cerberus, Hades’ three-headed hellhound!
His determination to get back in Hades’ good books isn’t helped when Bone Head manages to lose Cerberus, is catapulted out of the Fortress, and has to cross the Underworld to get home! He knows everyone will be delighted to have him back, his promotion is practically guaranteed, and he will continue to be the greatest skeleton guardian ever! So that’s all fine then!
Our verdict:
Bone Head: Guardian of the Underworld by Jamie Gregory is a brilliant book. It’s full of great illustrations, the narrative is funny, and the addition of Mort’s comments is inspired. Demise, or Bone Head, as he’s commonly known, is full of his own importance, and the diary entries rarely show anything but his overwhelmingly self-centred confidence! Mort, on the other hand, tells it like it is! He is humorous, sarcastic, and a bit of a wimp, but that could be because Bone Head regularly uses him as bait for a three-headed hellhound!
Alongside the more easily recognised gods and mythological creatures included here, the author introduces little blue monsters called Bloggs, which are very cute and quite disgustingly dangerous! He also touches on things such as not doing your homework, listening, or not, to instructions, and the perils of underestimating yourself and those around you.
Altogether, Bone Head: Guardian of the Underworld by Jamie Gregory is an excellent read which would definitely enhance any work on mythological figures and how they are used in fictional accounts for different age groups.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- Bone Head thinks he is the best skeleton guardian ever. Obviously, he’s not! What are the worst things he does?
- When Bone Head gets into trouble, his supervisor, Mort, is blamed too. Do you think this is fair?
- Mort reads Bone Head’s diary, which he shouldn’t do. How will Bone Head feel when he finds out?
- The comments and suggestions in light blue are all written by Mort. Did you like these additions to the story?
- In a cross-curricular activity with art, design a poster advertising the publication of Bone Head and Mort’s record of their adventures. Describe it in a way that would make you buy it.
- This is the author’s first book! Do you think it could be the beginning of a series?
- The author has also done all the illustrations. Which creatures do you think are the best?
- How much of the trouble Bone Head got himself and Mort into wouldn’t have happened if he’d done his homework and read the Bestiary?
Many thanks to Scholastic for the review copy.
To order a class set of this book, please click below to order via uk.bookshop.org, an organisation that supports local bookshops, or Amazon.co.uk.
Buy from UK.Bookshop.Org Buy from Amazon.co.uk
Disclosure: If you buy books using the buttons above, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops; as an Amazon Associate, schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.
Browse our Books for Year 5 list.
