Kids into books: The Wild Wests and Pong Castle

Author: Joy Cowley

Illustrator: Trevor Pye

Publisher: Harper Collins, $12.95

Age Group: 8-12 years

'I mean fat chance Mum would teach me. She never lets anyone mess up her kitchen.'

Royce patted me kindly on the back. 'You'll probably get married. Your wife'll show you how to cook. Look at my parents. they take turns. I grant you sometimes they fall down on communication and we get either two dinners in one night or none at all. Want some advice? Marry a woman who runs a fancy restaurant.'

I didn't tell him that I'd already thought about the woman part of my house design and the picture I kept getting was of his sister Miranda, who could do a zillion amazing things, not one of them being cooking.

'You could save a lot of money by not building that extra house,' said Royce.

'Heck, man, it's not real!' I reminded him. 'It's only a maths project.'

I looked at my drawing, which was now a bit messy and crumpled. 'I'll keep the second house and if my mother and father don't live there, I'll rent it out. The money I get in rent will pay for the cost of building it.'

To buy the book online from FlyingPig:

The Wild Wests and Pong Castle