Charm School

Description

A witty and funny look at the beauty business for children. From one of today's top children's authors, multi-awardwinning Anne Fine 'I am NOT going to Charm School . . . ' But Bonny has no choice. Forced to spend a day at Charm School while her mother is on a course, Bonny makes some surprising and hilarious discoveries. Can Bonny cope with listening to Mrs Opalene's Helpful Handy Hits (like 'how to bleach your elbows'!)? And what about the other girls - the awful, self-obsessed little princesses who really want to win the 'Glistering Tiara' and are prepared to do almost anything to get it? After Bonny's day there, Charm School will never be the same again . . .

Anne Fine has been an acknowledged top author in the children's book world since her first book was published in the mid l970s, and has now written more than forty books and won virtually every major award going, including the Carnegie Medal (more than once), the Whitbread Children's Award, the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the Smarties Prize and others. The Children's Laureate from 2001-2003, Anne is also very funny and young readers love her lack of hypocrisy about the family and her honesty about how people can behave. She lives in the North-East. 'One of the sharpest and most humorous observers of the human condition writing today for the young' School Librarian 'She is translated into 26 languages and has regularly won every major children's literary award in the land, including the Carnegie Medal twice and the Whitbread Children's Novel award twice . . . There are few more influential, or more unfailingly intelligent, authors at work' Scotsman 'A subversively wicked gift for exploring family tensions' Independent

Anne Fine is an excellent writer with strong feelings where it really matters. Her latest novel tears into the whole tacky business of juvenile beauty pageants . . . Facts as well as fur fly as the whole silly business is brought to its knees * Independent * Assured and lively . . . A comical clarion call against the idea that girls should simply be decorative * The Sunday Times * This ultra-modern tale sparkles and crackles from page one to a dramatic finale * The Bookseller * All of Fine's usual pace and verve * TES *