Gangsta Granny

By exploring the unique bond between grandchildren and their grandparents, Gangsta Granny adds to a niche of children’s literature that uses quirky characters and a fantastical plot to highlight intergenerational relationships. With its comedic descriptions, light-hearted tone, and outlandish storyline, Gangsta Granny has much in common with classic children’s author Roald Dahl’s novels. One of Dahl’s most famous works, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, features Charlie’s close relationship with all four of his grandparents: Joe, Josephine, George, and Georgina. These characters continue to be an important part of the story in the novel’s sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, in which all four of Charlie’s grandparents embark on Willy Wonka’s incredible flight around Earth. Grandpa Joe, in particular, has a special place in Charlie’s life. One of Grandpa Joe’s talents is storytelling, which helps him deepen his relationship with Charlie. Indeed, Grandpa Joe tells Charlie about Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory and encourages him to try to find a golden ticket.

Charlie Bucket’s relationship with his grandparents often parallels Ben’s bond with Granny in Gangsta Granny. Like Grandpa Joe, Granny also loves telling her grandson stories, and her talent for storytelling helps her overcome their differences and have fun together. Granny uses her fantastical—but convincing—stories to persuade Ben that she is an international jewel thief who has committed incredible crimes, prompting Ben to hatch a heist plan they can execute together.

Finding Esme by Suzanne Crowley is another children’s chapter book that features grandparent-grandchild relationships. In this book, a young girl named Esme is intrigued by her deceased grandfather’s interest in Solace Hill. When she investigates, she finds dinosaur bones under his tractor and begins a journey of discovery. Like Gangsta Granny, this story emphasizes the important connections between grandparents and grandchildren, who might inherit their grandparents’ talents and interests and want to continue their legacy.

This theme is also found in Nicholas Gannon’s The Doldrums series, in which protagonist Archer B. Helmsley inherits his explorer grandparents’ taste for adventure. While his parents would prefer him to stay safely confined at home, Archer finds a way to fulfill his longing for exploration. Like the character of Ben in Gangsta Granny, Archer shares important personality traits with his grandparents that prompt him to leave his comfort zone and embrace a new adventure, defying his parents’ wishes and breaking free from his normal life.

John David Anderson’s book Finding Orion also features the grandchild-grandparent relationship, wherein Rion Kwirk embarks on a journey to learn more about his late grandfather Papa Kwirk. Rion discovers that there was much more to his grandfather than he knew. Like Gangsta Granny, this chapter book emphasizes how younger people can overcome superficial relationships with their older relatives by being curious and open-minded about their grandparents’ lives and experiences. Additionally, as in Walliams’s book, these narratives allow readers to become more familiar with mortality, a concept to which younger children may be new. Many of the grandparent characters have already passed or, in Gangsta Granny’s case, will pass by the end of the story, and the text portrays this experience as a natural part of life. This reinforces the idea that children should value their time with their grandparents, as that time is finite.