The girl with death breath and other naughty stories for good boys and girls by Christopher Milne

Hardie Grant Egmont, 2011. ISBN: 978 19211690563.
Highly recommended for children aged 8 and above. When Doris is teased about her bad breath, she decides to make it even worse to pay back those who have been cruel to her. Penny and Michelle Dyer want to help their family make millions by collecting the kerb-side recycling and aim to re-sell the goods they find. The kids in the Underground Cubby Club are sick of Bulldog Brown being such a bully so they team up but what will they do to stop him? Steven Everett has been told he is useless so he decides to run away from home. Is there anything that would make him go home or feel better about himself?
All seven of the short stories in this book tell of kids who aren't quite perfect. Milne's sense of humour and memories of being a child are evident in this collection as he shows children in everyday situations. Each story has elements of the 'good boys and girls' as well as showing their faults. No matter what the scenario, one can draw a moral or lesson from the story. This series originated some time back, with Milne self-publishing. The very formal looking covers of the original books hid the true contents but, once introduced to the series, children devoured them. With the new look covers and illustrations, these will continue to be on loan instead of on library shelves. Readers visiting Milne's website are greeted with rude noises and illustrations from the books, a great marketing tool for attracting the disinclined reader!
Jo Schenkel