Colvin and the Snake Basket

Colvin is a thoroughly realistic little boy in a very recognisable home and school setting. The snake basket of the title is the washing basket that Colvin hides in whenever life becomes too much for him. such as when he cuts his sister's doll's hair off to enter her in a competition or after the awful affair of the school gerbil. The difference between this and many other tales of naughty children is the insight we as readers are given into Colvin's view of the world and the reasons for his actions. Like the adults in his world, we know that his thinking will lead to disaster but like Colvin we feel it is unfair that it should! It is a very funny book. To an adult reader the dialogue, especially of the school scenes, is just right; to children Colvin is just them in all their hopefulness and good intentions. My school loved it. It is a longish book, split into chapters; one for fluent readers (right up to adulthood) or for having read to you if you are, at a guess, six or older.