Kill-a-Louse Week and other stories

Bottom set third and fourth years problem? Get a set of this book: that's not to devalue what is a rich source of amusement and discussion for 14-16 year olds. One of the book's strongest points is the sharpens of its observations of school life - I winced and laughed out loud by turns. The title story is particularly good but the book exhibits a remarkable evenness of quality. The stories deal with a wide variety of topics likely to really appeal to teenagers -- love, unfairness, jealousy, insecurity -- all set against a vivid school backdrop peopled with easily identifiable characters. The way to a class's heart is through its sense of humour -- tickle it with this collection but don't ignore the book's other good qualities: there are many.