Dakota of the White Flats

A jewelled turtle kept in a crumbling tower block by a green-haired Haversham; a hypochondriac romance writer holed up in a fortress of broken glass; a polluted canal choked with supermarket trollies and mutant mean-eating eels . . . This enthralling fusion of dirty and magic realism, recounting an urban treasure quest by the trouble seeking Dakota and her hapless sidekick, Treacle, glitters with startling imagery and disconcerting episodes. Pungent dialogue and a wealth of intriguing sub-plots add to the fascination. Wherever Medusa went she pushed a rusty supermarket trolley in front of her. The trolley was piled high with blankets and cabbage leaves. My class of 8-year-olds is currently enjoying every moment of this story, which is ideal for both read-aloud serialisation and solo enjoyment.