Candyfloss

Many children will relate to the story of Floss, who loves both her parents dearly and desperately wants them to get back together, although deep down, she knows this will never happen.

Mum has a new partner and a baby but Dad still lives in the dingy flat above the café, where he serves the best chip butties in the world. Floss lives with Mum but when she goes to Australia for six months, Floss can't bear to leave Dad on his own so moves into the café to keep him company.

In her usual upbeat manner, Jacqueline Wilson tackles such thorny issues as debt, homelessness and bullying. She is neither pessimistic nor patronising but strikes a realistic balance in this latest addition to her comprehensive library.

By Jacqueline Wilson