Crackers

Some writers stun me with the range of stories they write. Elizabeth Laird, for instance. Look at just the stories I’ve read by her:

• Secret Friends
• Welcome to Nowhere
• Red Sky in the Morning
• Paradise End
• The Fastest Boy in the World
• The Witching Hour
• Oranges in No Man’s Land

And now, Crackers, which is completely different from anything else I’ve read by her. The strangest part for me as I read it was how similar it is to something I’ve written–about a group of children making a magazine together!

A fun story about two rival groups, I was drawn into the urgent sense of indignation the characters feel as they try to outdo one another. Quite early on, I found myself frowning at the gender stereotypes, so I went back to see when the book was published–1990. While I would hesitate to recommend a modern book that perpetuates stereotypes, I might just read Crackers with my book club, if only to discuss whether these ideas have changed. It’s a side-effect of running book clubs right through the year, but I couldn’t help reading it from the point of view of everything I could do while reading it–from exploring magazine making ideas to marketing ideas and more!

Lighthearted and wholly believable, I enjoyed this slim book. A quick, light read that would appeal to most children!

Title	Crackers
Author	Elizabeth Laird
Tags	Chapter Book, School Story
Rating (out of 5)	4
Age-group	7+