Bagthorpes Besieged (by Helen Cresswell)

(Amazon UK link)

Every so often I take a break from reading books for adults - however light - and indulge in a children's book. I only discovered Helen Cresswell's stories, and particularly the Bagthorpe Saga, when my sons were at primary school in the UK.

These books are about slightly unlikely characters in a family. They all spend time competing with each other in various ways. They are observed - usually - by Jack, the most sensible and ordinary child in the family.

'Bagthorpes Besieged' is the ninth book in the series. Unusually, for these books, the plot of the whole story takes only about 24 hours. The catalyst is that Mrs Fosdyke, the Bagthorpes' cleaning lady, is 'discovered' as a media personality.

To give a sample of the strangeness of these books, this one includes the following: Daisy tries locking various people up in her idea of prisons. Meanwhile Uncle Parker dons a dress to try and fool his wife. She is having a phantom pregnancy with twins, and imagining angelic visitors.

There's more, of course...

General mayhem and humour makes this an enjoyable book for children of about 8-11. They are all a bit similar to each other (I don't read more than one of these at a time, usually) and predictable, once the bizarre people and circumstances are accepted.  But definitely recommended for fluent readers or as a read-aloud for children of around seven and upwards.