Pizza cake by Morris Gleitzman

Puffin Books, 2011. ISBN 9780 14 330598.
(Ages 8+) Humour. Short stories. A selection of short stories by Morris Gleitzman will fill a niche for many readers, giving them a quick read, a read aloud in the classroom, stories to share with friends, and stories to read alone with a family. All have a simple premise, one that will capture the imagination of the reader, often one they have come across themselves, with Gleitzman, in his usual manner, offering a convoluted solution.
In the title story, for example, the words pizza cake is a phrase often heard by a young boy and he imagines the words into an object which becomes his talisman when he is afraid of something. His beloved grandfather used the words and so Glenn finds consolation in his words. But in the end, he finds that they mean something quite different and he learns not to be scared. The first story, Saving Ms Fosdyke puts teachers in the place of sports stars, valued, sought after, and more importantly paid to sport star level. The difference makes for a very funny read, and kids will laugh out loud at the truth of it all.
Pizza cake, containing ten shorts stories will be a favourite in the classroom, library and at home.
Fran Knight