MIRRORS. Edited by Wendy Cooling. Illustrated by Sarah Young and Tim Stevens. Collins pound;12.99
Fifteen sparkling new stories by some superb writers. The anthology for Year 6 and above offers an eclectic mix of styles, moods and ideas - fairy tale and legend, ghost story and mystery, funny and sad. In each, a mirror plays a vital part: Lesley Howarth’s reveals a secret inner self; Malorie Blackman’s reflects the face of an old woman trying to say something; and the young boy who looks into Vivian French’s mirror sees a marauding pirate. Most haunting is Melvin Burgess’s tale of a girl in a coma whose life-support machine is about to be turned off.