W've been recently hit by an across-the-board trio of books from Wellington publisher Mallinson Rendel.

A special delight was Wild Daisies – the best of Bub Bridger ($34.95). I have never seen Bub perform (she’s now in her racey eighties), though I have heard tell she’s a bit of a legend. There’s a CD with this book so you can hear her reading her work. What comes across though, in the light-hearted but glintingly honed poetry and prose she has written here is that she’s that woman. The one I want to be when I grow up. Wise but outrageously wicked, loving life but aware of the beauty in melancholy, with an observant glint in her eye and a gorgeous scarlet cloak – she’s just fabulous. Get this for your Mum – or your Dad –for Xmas. It’ll put lead in anyone’s pencil.

Next up is the nicely down-to-earth I know about babies ($24.95) by Rochelle Neal, well illustrated by Ross Kinnaird, and aimed at ... 4-8 year-olds, I guesss. This is a well-produced hardcover book, with a refreshingly un-arch storyline about a small boy who’s about to become a big brother, and decides he’s having a baby too. This is handled with admirable tact and aplomb by his no-doubt rather stretched parents – the only suspension of belief required in this cute book.

The final in the trio is a great read aimed at 8-14 year-olds, probably more with boys in mind (although there is some love interest). Mallinson Rendell, with the author, Brian Falkner, have organised a whizz-bang launch party this Sunday at the new Albany Junior High – your kids will love this ...

But first the book: Super Freak ($16.95) is the third book from Brian and you can tell he’s got into his stride. It’s funny, it sets a good pace – one that kids won’t get bored with, and the language and events are realistic.

It’s about a boy named Jacob growing up in a succession of NZ schools where he’s always the new kid and his Dad’s out of work, about how mean kids can be and (we like this) how the library can become your best friend. But just as we think (as Jacob does) that he’s a tragic nerd, he discovers he can … do things … with his mind. And a whole new world opens up for him. He has to make some big decisions and a power pylon features highly.

Which brings us to the launch. There is to be ‘a collision of literature, science, and sport’ at Albany Junior High on Sunday 13 November. The science will be in the form of a ten-foot tall, lightning bolt-emitting, scale-model power pylon. The bolts of lightening will be produced by a device called a Tesla Coil. I've seen one of these in action (at Splore Festival last year) and believe me, it's utterly brilliant and spectacular.

As for the sporting element, Brian’s desire to help kids write great stories of their own evolved through a series of workshops into Story Sports, which will also feature at the launch. Brian says it’s

… a bit like Theatresports, but with quick-fire writing games instead of acting games. We’ll have teams from at least six schools competing for some great prizes.

Schools confirmed to date are Albany Junior High, Orewa College, Liston College, Lincoln Heights Primary, Whangarapoa College and Kings School.

Tania Roxborough is MC and will launch Brian’s new book. The judges will be Maria Gill, the president of Kiwi Write 4 Kids; Fiona Mackie, North Shore libraries advisor, and children’s book publisher, Ann Mallinson. Prizes include t-shirts and books, and possibly best of all, the winning team’s names will be used as characters in a future Brian Falkner novel.