Dr Boogaloo and The Girl Who Lost Her Laughter
  • Published: 2 July 2019
  • ISBN: 9781760892364
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 192
  • RRP: $14.99

Dr Boogaloo and The Girl Who Lost Her Laughter

Formats & editions
EBook
2 Oct 2017
Paperback
2 Jul 2019
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Enchanting, timeless and surprising – this extraordinary novel will touch the hearts (and ears) of children and adults alike.

Dr Boogaloo was no ordinary doctor. Not at all like the one you might visit if you had a sore tummy. No, Dr Boogaloo was a very different type of doctor. He treated folks who suffered from rather unusual complaints. And how did he treat them? Why, with the most powerful medicine known to mankind . . . Music!

Blue was no ordinary girl. For starters, her name was Blue. But what was truly extraordinary about Blue was the fact that she hadn’t laughed for 712 days. Not a hee hee, a ho ho or even a tiny tee hee.

According to Dr Boogaloo, music can cure anything. (Of course, you need the right dose of the right music. No point listening to a jive if you’re in need of some boogie-woogie, and you can’t just substitute a toot for a blow!) But no laughter was definitely a case for alarm.

Can Dr Boogaloo compose a cure before Blue loses her laughter forever?
  • Published: 2 July 2019
  • ISBN: 9781760892364
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 192
  • RRP: $14.99
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About the author

Lisa Nicol

Lisa Nicol is an Australian author and sometimes documentary-maker. Her feature Wide Open Sky about a children’s choir in far west NSW won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2015 Sydney Film Festival and screened in cinemas and festivals around the world. Her first novel for children, Dr Boogaloo and The Girl Who Lost Her Laughter, was a CBCA Notable and is currently being adapted for the screen as a musical. Her second novel Vincent and The Grandest Hotel on Earth was published internationally to much acclaim. Lisa lives on the east coast of Australia with two out of her three children and a dusty old dog who smells worse than an elephant fart.

portrait photo of Lisa Nicol

Also by Lisa Nicol

The What on Earth Institute of Wonder
Vincent and the Grandest Hotel on Earth
See all

Praise for Dr Boogaloo and The Girl Who Lost Her Laughter

The charm of this unusual, satisfying, quirky tale lies in its refreshing sense of whimsy and general nonsense that runs parallel to Blue's desperate quest to regain her laughter. It is an enchanting tale, full of gentle humour and positivity, which encourages us all to push on through our challenges however hopeless they may seem.

Russ Merrin, Magpies

This soon to be published book is a terrific choice for middle-grade readers. It’s rare to find a book that invites you to think of music as you read it. I felt my auditory sense had been switched on as I turned the pages of Dr Boogaloo and The Girl who Lost Her Laughter.

Sydney Writers' Festival

Dr Boogaloo and the Girl Who Lost Her Laughter is heartwarming and beautifully written. This is an engaging and unique chapter grade book, that is sure to make you laugh and possibly cry.

The Sun Bookshop

Lisa Nicol has created a world full of heartfelt, funny and thoughtful characters. Blue’s desire for connection and friendship is, at times, heart-wrenching, but this is balanced by the wacky cast of musicians and experiences the clinic exposes her to. Nicol handles this balance deftly, allowing the reader to both marvel at the absurdities and want to hug Blue tightly when she’s alone and scared.

Madeleine Crofts, CBCA Reading Time

Awards & recognition

CBCA Book of the Year Awards

Notable Book  •  2018  •  Younger Readers

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Teachers' notes
Dr Boogaloo and the Girl Who Lost Her Laughter

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