At first there was just a pothole. Then there was a crashed bike and a pothole filled with delicious dumplings. Then there was a broken leg, a whole bunch more potholes, scary meetings with angry, grumpy managers, even more dumplings, and maybe even some change for the better. But it all started with a pothole, and with Dot who got hurt by it, and with Arkie who decided to help do something about it.

I think Morris Gleitzman might have made a mistake naming his new book Childish because this story is anything but! Sure, it does make municipal bureaucracy exciting, it is full to the brim with mouth-watering descriptions of food (you can’t eat the pages, I tried), it is about two funny and endearing kids you’ll immediately want to cheer on, and it does have a great message about bravery and persistence, but childish? I’m not so sure, Mr Gleitzman. Perfect for ages 8+.