Got so overwhelmed by the depressing stuff in the Mekong Review that I decided to break off for a couple of days and find something else, something vaguely entertaining to read. Realised I'd got hold somehow of a copy of a novel by Louis Sacher entitled Holes that had won the Newbery Award (a kids' lit award) some years back and thought I'd give it a go. Very glad indeed I did. Funny and completely unpredictable. I had no idea where the story was going and was more than happy to follow where it led. Felt like cheering at the end.
It reminded me of the great discovery I made when I first started teaching: the best children's books make most novels for adults look pretty shabby.
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