Darby by Jonathon Scott Fuqua (Walker, £5.99)

Darby Carmichael decides that she wants to become a newspaper girl in a bid to tell the truth about life, as she sees it.

True to her determination her little column in the Bennettsville Times is famous in her home-town and beyond. But is the Deep South of America ready to hear what she has to say?

This story, set at the turn of the 20th Century and aimed at children aged at 10 years old and above, confronts a number of issues, primarily the colour divide between black and white people.

Through the energy and outrage of the emotions searing through this young girl, the reader is presented with a plethora of reasons why the issues of racism should be exposed and stamped out.

The language is realistic and full of direct speech. The sentences are short and snappy, capturing the issues and energy important to teenage audiences.

This is an ingenious way of pointing at some sensitive issues written in a direct way which will appeal to most younger teenagers.

Jackie Harris