Young boy with younger siblings constantly getting into scrapes: the obvious comparison is with Horrid Henry. These stories are greatly superior, though. Jeremy James is not horrid, just a normal boy whose childish misunderstandings, occasional naughtiness and tendency to say what he thinks cause unwitting mayhem - of a not so terrible kind - for his parents.
Jeremy James and his family inhabit a suburban middle class England of indeterminate place and time - but perhaps the 1960s Home Counties. The humour is gentle and droll, and the writing good enough for grown ups to relish. These stories - and the accompanying JJ titles - have become instant family favourites since we discovered them earlier in 2009. We parents enjoy reading them out and the children love listening. A welcome break from the formulaic and rather strident tones of Francesca Simon.