The jacket treatment for Mac Slater Coolhunter 1: The Rules of Cool will successfully pull in the 15 year-olds among us, but it will fail the credibility test for those most severe of critics. It’s a terrific read for the 10 to 12 year-olds though! The opening scene features the long-awaited test of Mac’s prototype flying bike (he’s the brawn, his best mate is the brain). However, the bike crashes spectacularly in front of the whole school. Not very cool. So, when the crew of a WebTV show offer him a gig he’s surprised, to say the least. After all, he doesn’t have a TV, let alone a mobile, and he lives with his hippie mum in an old bus. But before Mac is able to hunt the globe for cool he has to beat the competition who happens to be Cat DeVrees, the only girl who has ever made Mac swoon. She has it all: she’s ruthless, clever and cute. Tough competition! Bancks has a handle on all things high-tech, and younger readers (who are conversant with YouTube and all manner of other applications) will appreciate having a novel that takes on the theme appropriately for their age group. It’s still not for 15 year-olds though!

Leesa Lambert is co-owner and manager of The Little Bookroom

Tags: tristan bancks