The Midnight Gang David Walliams – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Midnight Gang David Walliams

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2019

68%

WISE Score

4.7

Amazon

Hospital ward turns magical after dark, but kids drugging the mean matron is... a choice.

The Midnight Gang David Walliams

book

2019

68%

WISE Score

4.7

Amazon

Hospital ward turns magical after dark, but kids drugging the mean matron is... a choice.

4.7

Jump to

Also rated on

4.7

View →

Where to Read

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Libby

Our reviews and ratings are 100% unbiased, but as an Amazon Associate, Screenwise earns an affiliate fee if you buy a book or game by clicking one of our links. We don't get any credit if you just Google it instead :)

Screenwise Verdict

David Walliams delivers the Roald Dahl vibes he's known for: imaginative, funny, and gleefully irreverent. Kids genuinely love this stuff—the gross humor, the mischief, the us-vs-mean-adults dynamic.

But let's be real: kids drugging and sedating an adult is a wild plot choice, even for comedy. It's played as harmless fun, but it's the kind of thing that makes you go "wait, what?" as a parent. The book has heart—friendship, empathy for sick kids, dreams coming true—but it's wrapped in so much snot and butt-injection jokes that the deeper stuff gets a bit lost.

If your kid loves gross humor and can handle 480 pages, they'll probably devour this. Just be ready for some eyebrow-raising moments and maybe a conversation about why we don't actually drug people in real life, even mean ones.

Age Fit

Best for ages 8-11 who can handle gross-out humor and won't replicate the drugging-adults plotline. Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants will likely enjoy the irreverent tone, but sensitive kids or those who take rules seriously might struggle with the boundary-pushing mischief.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Models friendship and helping others achieve their dreams, but relies heavily on crude humor (snot, butt injections, bodily functions). The kids band together against a cruel matron, which shows cooperation, but the tone is more mischievous than genuinely kind. Pacing is reasonable for middle-grade readers.

Imaginative

The premise of kids turning a hospital ward into a magical world after lights-out is genuinely creative. Making wildest dreams come true invites readers to think expansively. Illustrated throughout, which adds visual imagination. Walliams is known for Dahl-esque whimsy and this delivers on that promise.

Safe

Multiple safety concerns: kids drug the matron with sleeping pills and inject her with sedatives (played for laughs but still alarming), gross-out humor throughout (snot in faces, needles in butts), and an overall irreverent attitude toward authority and medical settings. No sexual content or extreme violence, but the drugging plotline is genuinely problematic even if intended as comedy.

Enriching

Explores themes of friendship, empathy for sick kids, and the power of imagination to transform difficult circumstances. The 480-page length builds reading stamina. However, the crude humor and drugging-adults-for-fun plot undercuts deeper ethical lessons. Entertainment value is high but meaningful takeaways are mixed.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Genuinely imaginative premise about kids making their wildest dreams come true in a hospital setting
Illustrated throughout by Tony Ross, making 480 pages more digestible for reluctant readers
David Walliams brings Roald Dahl energy—mischievous, funny, and appealing to kids who love irreverent humor
Explores empathy for sick kids and the power of friendship in difficult circumstances
High Amazon rating (4.7/5) suggests strong kid appeal and entertainment value

⚠

What to Watch For

Kids drug an adult with sleeping pills and inject her with sedatives—played for laughs but genuinely problematic
Heavy gross-out humor: snot, needles in butts, bodily functions galore
Irreverent attitude toward medical staff and authority figures
480 pages is a commitment—make sure your kid is ready for a longer chapter book

Conversation Starters

"If you could make any dream come true like the Midnight Gang, what would it be?"
"The kids drug the matron to escape—do you think that's funny or kind of messed up?"
"Have you ever been in the hospital? What helped you feel better?"
"Why do you think the author made the matron so mean? Are there better ways to deal with mean adults?"

Ask Anything

Get a personalized guide on any topic