OUR KID

by Ann Pilling

Frank's paper round opens up a new world to him and soon the papers are providing the material for his project on "Our Town". But from his first encounter with "Foxy", Frank is decidedly suspicious - could he be responsible for the burglaries of Tim's house?

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1991

About the author

Born in 1944 in Lancashire, British poet and children's author Ann Pilling read English at King’s College, London, where she wrote her thesis on C.S. Lewis' fiction. She has published over thirty books for children, one of which - Henry's Leg - won The Guardian Prize for Children’s Fiction. She has two sons, six grandchildren, and currently lives in the Yorkshire Dales. Since 2003, she has concentrated on writing poetry, rather than fiction.

Reviews

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frank is 12 and lives with his loving but depressed dad and abusive older brother Malcolm, nicknamed Slob for very good reasons. Frank, who is bright and articulate despite his reading and writing difficulties, desperately wants a paper route to earn some money to help renovate the basement so he can have a bedroom to himself. On his route he meets downtrodden Tim and his lovely, unattainable older sister Cass and their abrasive parents. Other secondary characters are sharply outlined with a minimum of description. There’s a subplot about Frank’s dad trying to save his failing electrical business, and another about a school research competition with a cash prize. I’d picked this up thinking it was an adult novel - 236 pages of small print - but it’s highly middle grade interest level. I’d not have gotten through this in middle school as it just goes on and on to a vaguely satisfying conclusion, and can’t see handing this on to any young people I know.

[Eshtemoh · Rating 2 out of 5]

August 1999 I read the Dutch edition, titled “Frankie”. I cost me a full week to read the 191 (normal letter) pages through so the book wasn’t anything special I suppose. At least not to 12-year-old me.