Kids into books: Broomsticks in Space

Author: Kate Saunders

Illustrator: Tony Ross

Age: 7-10 years

Publisher: Macmillan, $10.95


Skirty Mark landed her broomstick in the lane beside Blodge Farm and took a large, grubby piece of paper out of her hat. This was a list of names, and each name had a row of numbers beside it.

"Mrs Blenkinsop," read Skirty Marm. "Her marrow was forty-eight and half centimetres, last time we looked. That's three whole centimetres bigger than ours."

Old Noshie had landed rather clumsily in the hedge. She struggled out of a clump of thorns. "Perhaps it's stopped growing," she said hopefully. "Perhaps it'll start shrinking soon, until it's just a tiny little courgette."