Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

This edition is a Penguin Modern Classic and its small enough to stuff in a stocking. My boys have read it by themselves and I have read it to them aswell. Being written by Robert McCloskey it was a pleasure to say aloud and the illustrations are pencily and lovely.

Homer lives just outside the little town of Centerburg on his parents tourist camp. Its pre-Second World War America and Homers adventures (there are six in this book, more in Centerburg Tales) take place in the Diner, his bedroom (where he likes to make radios - he has hobbies, remember hobbies?), and his parents camp, where he helps. He's a nice boy and does his best, but can't resist breaking the rules every now and then. (For example, his parents would not be happy if they knew he had adopted a skunk called Aroma). He gets glasses of milk from the ice-box and drinks them with cookies his mother has made.

Each story is just the right length to read at one bedtime (they would be a little long if they were badly written, but they are not!) and whilst not nail-biting, there is definitely enough going on to keep everyone listening. This book is a little gem. We love it.

I'd recommend it for ages six and up for read aloud and eight and up for reading themselves.