Skylar and the K-Pop Headteacher
Luan Goldie
Walker Books

Skylar and her best friend, Dana, are obsessed with K-Pop, in particular AZ8, but when they’re about to launch a video comeback, her parents ban her from anything to do with the group for a whole week. During the lunch break at school as she’s telling Dana, a furious Skylar grabs her light-up dancing bunny ears from her rucksack and dashes off. But she forgets to remove the hat as she sets off to her next class and encounters the head teacher, Ms Callus who shouts at her and confiscates the precious hat.

Later she makes an excuse, leaves the classroom and confronts Ms Callus. Having grabbed her hat back, Skylar declares that she’s fed up with grown-ups telling her how to live her life. “I wish I was in charge,” she says twice. With that something weird starts happening: green lights flash and Skylar and Ms Callus swap bodies. Skylar is now the 71 year-old, mega-strict headteacher with a new role to try and get used to. When she turns to Dana for advice about what she needs to learn the response is.”something to do with empathy and walking in the other person’s shoes.” But how long will Skylar be like this, neither girl knows, certainly longer that the day and night they first thought.

Alongside this AZ8 announce they’re holding a competition and anyone who goes viral with their version of the ‘Hot Feet’ dance routine will win free tickets to their upcoming gig, and there’s an emergency inspection of the school to contend with. Chaos indeed.

Is it even possible that Skylar and Ms Callus can develop empathy towards one another and their lives, and if so can it be done in time for the weekend gig? It does’t help that Skylar has upset her bestie and the two have fallen out. And what about the inspectors; will they like what they see? Will Skylar repair the rift with Dana?

With lots of laugh-out-loud moments, this is a hilarious tale, at the heart of which is the importance of seeing things from another person’s viewpoint, friendship, self-belief and being true to yourself. Older KS2 readers will love it.