KIDS’ BOOK OF THE WEEK

SOMETHING I SAID

by Ben Bailey Smith,Bloomsbury Children’s Books, £6.99 (ebook £5.59) HHHII

For a fast paced, funny romp,

Ben Bailey Smith – aka rapper Doc Brown – has it covered.

Carmichael, 13, (just call him Car) loves wordplay and cracking jokes, but this gets him into a spot of trouble when a school performance skewering his family, teachers and schoolmates goes viral.

While some parts of the story feel a bit dated – particularly the slightly stereotypical characters of the nagging, constantly disappointed mum and henpecked, quiet dad – it’s hard not to be endeared by Car and his attempts to find fame and happiness – only to realise it might have been at home all along.

It’s not the most ground breaking story out there, but it still makes for a fun read.