Desirable

Frank Cottrell Boyce's Desirable is a funny short story for 9 year olds about a boy whose very old aftershave makes him the most popular person in school.

What happens

George is such a loser (his word, not ours) that nobody turns up for his birthday. Even Grandpa can't stay long, because he's booked a haircut.

Grandpa's present is some aftershave called Desirable. It was best before August 1982.

The next morning George dabs a little on. Dogs bark. Birds take off. And at school, the girls who usually tease him suddenly want to walk with him, work with him and make a fan website all about him. Even the principal offers him hot chocolate!

It's so silly and so well done. George has no idea what's going on at first. He's sure it's a trap (a nice trap, though). Before long there's a rota for who gets to sit next to him at lunch.

But the one girl he actually likes, Danielle, isn't interested at all. That's where the heart of it is. It's really about the difference between real friends and a crowd.

It's a quick read with short chapters, written to be easy going for struggling or reluctant readers without ever feeling babyish.

A few things are worth knowing. This is an American edition, set in a school with freshmen and sophomores, so it's Mom and dollars. The story is all about crushes and being popular with girls, and about what that popularity is really worth. And there's a school fundraising night with a casino, where George and Danielle play roulette. None of it is more than a bit of fun.

What to read next

If they love a boy who suddenly gets treated as something he isn't, Frank Cottrell Boyce's Cosmic has Liam, who's so tall that people keep mistaking him for a grown-up.