Puffin

• Great Brain, The by John D. Fitzgerald (1967)

  [8/10]

  "I loved The Great Brain as a kid, and I still love its charm and wit. Fitzgerald places interesting characters in a fascinating old-West setting and puts them through fun adventures."

• Matilda by Roald Dahl (1998)

  [7/10]

  "Unlike many stories that show that anyone can have karmic success, Dahl makes Matilda inordinately smart, thus she succeeds as a result of her natural gifts, not just as a result of persistence or good deeds."

• Me and My Little Brain by John D. Fitzgerald (1971)

  [8/10]

  "I find this the most touching of all the Great Brain books. It tells a story of true brotherly love developing between John and Frankie, and the emotions John feels as he changes from hating Frankie to laying his life on the line to rescue the adopted brother he has come to adore."

• More Adventures of the Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald (1969)

  [7/10]

  "Fitzgerald continues to chronicle his adventures with his older brother Tom, the Great Brain. This volume gets a little repetitive with the opening and closing chapters both involving the boys sneaking out at night to places forbidden by their parents. In each case, Tom shames other boys into going out late at night to prove his point, either that monsters do exist or that ghosts don't."

  Average score: 7.50