My Brilliant Plan to Fix Everything
Ben Davis
Scholastic

It’s the start of the summer holidays – the first since Alex’s mum and dad separated – and the boy is finding it tough. Dad is currently living at Alex’s Uncle Pete’s house, in the granny flat and works as a postie in a small village called Fishwick about a fifteen minute cycle ride from where Alex lives with his mum and older sister, Indie.

Determined to get his parents back together, Alex devises a plan: he just needs his Dad to finish that novel he began writing, way back, thus restoring his self-esteem so he’s back to his normal self – the one Mum fell for. Faking a letter, he tricks his Dad into thinking that he can have a four week sabbatical courtesy of the exclusive ‘Post UK Artistic Leave Scheme’ and thus produce the book he’s always wanted to write. What this means is that Alex will take over his Dad’s postal route and all that entails for the summer holidays. Easy as that!

Convincing Dad’s co-workers, Lloyd and Miriam of the veracity of the scheme is the next step, but having done that Alex realises that what he’s taken on is way harder than he’d envisaged. There are the two biggest bullies in his school who, having mocked him, throw the contents of his delivery bag everywhere, Then he has to avoid bumping right into his Mum showing clients around properties the estate agent she works for, have on their books. Plus the bully boys go on to toss his mail trolley into the middle of the canal; plus, Dad’s boss, Peregrine is getting suspicious.

In addition there’s the girl living on a boat on the canal, Willow. She starts helping Alex with his round but there’s something she keeps from him for some time – something that could wreck the boy’s plan and much more too. Can Alex possibly keep all those plates spinning long enough to accomplish his plan.

Sometimes funny but always full of warmth, love, determination and community spirit, this story has at its heart a very special father-son bond that will have readers rooting for Alex and Carl.