Fruit and Nutcase

US: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks, 2002. Paperback. Very Good. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.The th ird title in Jean Ure's acclaimed series of humorous, delightful and poigna nt stories written in the form of diaries and letters which make them immed iately accessible to children. This is the story of how Mandy learns to cope with her untidy life and fina lly emerges triumphant. Mandy Small has trouble writing so Cat, her teacher, suggests that she tell s her life story into a tape recorder. So begins Mandy's funny and sometime s sad story of life with her loving but chaotic parents - Dad, the Elvis lo ok-alike, and Mum, whose idea of a special meal is burnt toast! Then there's school, where the horrible Tracey Bigg picks on Mandy and her timid friend, Oliver, not to mention Old Misery Guts, the landlady and Nan, who thinks that Mandy's parents aren't fit to look after her. With so many things to worry about, Mandy begins to think that she's in danger of turni ng into a real Fruit and Nutcase! Mandy's story, told in the form of diary into a tape recorder, is a funny and often moving account of a child's everyday life, with all its difficulties. Hilariously illustrated by Mick Brownfield.