This a very humorous book by well-known Australian novelist Morris Gleitzman. It is suitable for 10-14 year olds and focuses on the issues Rowena Batts is having with a local larrikin, her mother's death and her exuberant father. Due to a birth defect Rowena can't speak, however, this doesn't affect her having plenty to say. Her story begins in the local lock-up where she is being detained for filling up a local lout's car with rotten apples and turning the heating on full bore. Her quest to find out more about her mother's death in a hit-and-run accident takes her to France. Here she meets with a wide range of personalities and her determination to seek revenge on the hit-and-run driver leads her into more trouble than she can handle by herself. There is sadness and pure joy in this novel and once you start you really won't be able to put it down. There are two other books about Rowena, Gift of the Gab and Sticky Beak. This is the third and final in the series. Gleitzman has an excellent website where readers can go to his bookshelf and hear the first chapter of the majority of his books.http://www.morrisgleitzman.com/books/...
