Gillian Cross was a new writer for me; I enjoyed this children’s story of sinister headmaster with supernatural powers planning to Take Over The World, a blended family, commentary on children’s TV game shows, and knowing winks to Nineteen Eighty-four. Will look out for the sequels if F enjoys it too. Thanks to
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Sure, it’s all extrapolation intended as an Awful Warning; I couldn’t really swallow the exemptions for religious believers but not for non-believing conscientious objectors, though, nor the idea that while pregnant women were barred from drinking and smoking it would be still OK for the police to torture them!