Fruitloops and Dipsticks

Simone is unhappy. Mum is moving in with her boyfriend, so Simone has to move house, change schools and sadly, her dog goes missing.

When she starts her new school, she is mistaken for a boy and called Simon. She can’t resist accepting this role and becomes the class troublemaker. However, it isn’t funny when one of the girls wants to kiss her and she likes one of the boys. She confides in her aging Grandpa who helps her to come to terms with her family’s eccentricities and her new life.

This Swedish story retains its continental flavour. Largely light and humorous in tone, the book nonetheless touches on feelings of loss, grief and change.