Kids into books: The Good Fortunes Gang

This weeks title: The Good Fortunes Gang

Author: Margaret Mahy

Illustrator: John Farman

Publisher: Random, $9.95

Age Group: 8-11 years


His eyebrows, however, were still fair ... so fair that from some angles it looked as if he did not have any eyebrows at all. A thin gold earring shone in one ear. Simon looked like a teenage vampire with pimples. 'We're healthy enough,' he cried. 'And there's a milk bar, right there!'

'That is not a milk bar,' said his father, thrusting a red five dollar bill at Pete. 'It might be a milk bar in Australia, but we're in New Zealand now, and in New Zealand it's a dairy. Your mother can buy flowers at that shop down the road, but Pete will infiltrate the dairy and buy us ice creams. Your mother doesn't have to have one.'

'I will have one, after all,' said Maddy quickly, bending down to look through the window. 'A vanilla ice cream. Not one of those lurid ones that looks as if it's all bruised and bleeding. And no chocolate chip! Nothing speckled. They make me thing huge flies have been sitting on them.'

'You certainly know how to take the fun out of an ice cream,' Toby grumbled as Pete climbed out of the car, holding the five dollar note tightly in case the wind tried to snatch it away from him.