As I write, it’s early January – the Christmas decorations are down, the schools have gone back and for many of them the National Year of Reading will be high on their agendas. Some will already have very firm ideas of how they will be celebrating this while others may not even be aware that it is a thing. For me, an individual whose influence in school is minimal, the opportunity to try to support my local primary in spreading the joy of reading for pleasure is one I’m determined to try to make the most of, in the main by donating the books that I read through the year to them to improve their rather sad and tired provision. This new title is a perfect example of a book that I will be thrilled to share with them: brilliantly well written, very funny – something that is often a deal breaker for less enthusiastic readers, and starring a relatable cast of diverse characters, this contemporary story is one that would make a fabulous shared read in upper KS2 and is one that I will be highlighting to the school’s librarian when I take it in. The start of Year 6 brings an unexpected complication for William in the form of new girl Florence. Expecting to be allowed to sit by himself, William is not pleased that she has been sat next to him and even less pleased that she doesn’t seem very friendly. After struggling through his first day back, William is delighted to see his dad’s face across the playground when he arrives to collect him but is shocked when a strange man who clearly knew Dad when he was younger enthusiastically says hello to him and turns out to be Florence’s father. Things go from bad to worse the following day when Dad and Ross, Florence’s father, head out to catch up on old times over something to eat, and Florence arrives at William’s home to be looked after with him by his aunt, upsetting his usual routine. Realising that the two men might actually be on a date, neither William nor Florence is happy about the idea, with William not wanting to share his Dad and Florence sure that Ross is destined to make up with her mum and reunite their family. Now forming an uneasy alliance, William and Florence hatch a plan to split up the fledgling romance before it has a chance to get going. But will trying to rewind the clock make things go back to where they were, or will their actions make things worse – not just for Dad and Ross but for William and Florence too? William is a complex character in whom many young readers will see either themselves or someone they know reflected. Both adopted and AuDHD, he has learned that Dad is the only constant in his life and having been shunted around in his Year 5 class in an attempt by his teacher to somehow force him to become someone he is not, believes that he is better off sitting by himself rather than trying to get along with his classmates, including former best friend Jabari. When Florence arrives and is sat with him, he immediately takes against her, especially as at first she is less than friendly as she sees being a member of the class as a temporary blip before her parents come to their senses and realise they are meant to be together. With both children in need of reassurance and security for different reasons, neither is able to see that life will not and cannot stay constant for themselves or – equally as importantly – for their parents, giving young readers much to think about. As is the case in the author’s other books, references to some of which fans might spot hidden within this title’s pages, the LGBT representation warrants mentioning. Yes, I shouldn’t need to bring it up, but with some schools in the UK now being pressured to remove titles featuring characters from this community from their shelves, it’s more important than ever that books like this are accessible to all of our children and teenagers to help promote acceptance of and empathy towards those who are not cishet. There are several examples of homophobia within the book that some might find upsetting, but this is the lived reality for many and shouldn’t be ignored . Used in class as a shared read, the storyline will give children ample opportunities to discuss tactics for dealing with it in a safe environment, going a long way to promoting equality for all and allyship. This really is a gorgeous read. One that has so much to commend it and one that I raced through once I’d started it. Perfect for confident readers in Year 4 upwards, it’s definitely one to add to your shelf.