There is a moral here for any parent who frets about a child's progress at school . . . Children who read it won't be turned into hostile monsters; they'll chortle away, feel better about themselves and have a lot of jokes to tell you

Johnson's comic romp through a miserable school year in the life of almost 13-year-old Louis touches all the real bases of adolescent boys' lives: girls, parents, TV, comedy

Johnson addresses big issues in a frank manner and with a light touch resulting in a book that both children and parents should read

Written with humour and plenty of attitude, this witty book firmly puts the power in the hands of the children

Pullman's writing is spellbinding, his storytelling brilliant.

His Dark Materials wasn't just the best children's book – it was also the most interesting fictional experiment of our times.

An eye-widening fantasy, a scorching thriller and a thought-provoking reflection on the human condition, this is a book that can be enjoyed at many levels.