Twelve-year-old Johnny Coffin is a drummer in a band called The Dead Crocodiles, goes to school with the biggest collection of Murphys in the whole country, and has a madcap girlfriend, Enya, who has a man-eating pet.

In his diaries Johnny chronicles his problems with acne, isosceles triangles and his teacher, Mr McCluskey, who is trying to destroy his mind with English literature.

John W. Sexton has cleverly managed to capture a mercurial moment in childhood. Johnny Coffin's character reveals remnants of innocence alongside his growing independence and his healthy disdain for all adults (especially teachers). The Johnny Coffin Diaries could be for any pre-teen boys you know.

A very lively bit of writing and brilliant, I would have thought, for those called reluctant readers.

Wacky and wonderful

So hilarious and completely incomprehensible to adults as to guarantee its addictive readability and grant it automatic cool-to-be-seen- with cult status with kids.