Angela Nicely 1 – Angela Nicely

Alan MacDonald's Angela Nicely is where it all begins, with three funny stories for 6 year olds starring a girl who is always, always sure she knows best.

What happens

Angela lives next door to Bertie. He's the boy being told off in assembly for wiping his nose on Darren. Angela can be every bit as much trouble.

In the first story, the head teacher, Miss Skinner, comes into assembly with long red curls instead of her usual brown bun. It HAS to be a wig! Her friend Maisie says prove it. So Angela sets out to, with a spying mission, a smelly compost heap and the caretaker's brand new Hoover.

In the second, Tiffany Charmers announces at News Time that she's going to be a model for a children's catalogue. Mrs Nicely decides that if Tiffany can, Angela can. Cue a sneaky chocolate bar, a handstand in a dress and a photo shoot at the seaside.

In the third, Mum can't zip up her dress, so she books them both a spa weekend. Angela is expecting water slides. What she gets is muddy runs in the rain, beetroot for lunch and a VERY scary personal trainer called Miss Bullock.

Angela is a lot. That's the fun of her. She's bossy and quick and never short of a plan, and every plan goes wrong in a way you can see coming a mile off. Children love being one step ahead of her. Laura and Maisie are the sensible ones, which only makes it funnier.

Is she a good example? Not really! She snoops, she fibs and she borrows things she definitely shouldn't. But she always gets found out, and the grown-ups are nearly as funny as she is.

Each story takes about four short chapters, so it's easy to read one at bedtime and save the next for tomorrow.

What to read next

If they're hooked, Queen Bee is the second book, and it opens with Angela deciding her teacher needs a new boyfriend.