The Chronicles of Narmo

Fifteen-year-old Morag Narmo doesn't want to go to school any more: she and her rabble of younger siblings would rather feed their heads into a waste disposal unit than 'do the academical'. But when the children convince their parents to take them out of school and educate them at home, a whole muddle of chaotic events soon ensue.

Bestselling author and columnist Caitlin Moran wrote The Chronicles of Narmo when she was just a teenager herself. Those familiar with her backstory will soon recognise the autobiographical elements of this slight but pleasingly wacky story about an unconventional and eccentric family ('Narmo' is of course an anagram of 'Moran'). Although it is uneven in places, and certainly lacks the polish of Moran's later work, it is easy to see the origins of her characteristic offbeat, anarchic sense of humour in this sharp and well-observed story. With its deadpan wit and occasional imaginative flights of fancy, this leftfield family tale will entertain both adult fans of Moran's work, and children encountering it for the first time.