Yes, the title is funny. But this book is worth your time, especially if you work or interact with children-at-risk, or kids who suffer from a difficult past.

I am so absolutely biased to David Almond's magic-realism, so for me, this book was an absolute joy to read. Erin, january, and mouse are the heroes of this book (don't you just love those names?!). Confined to the Whitegates facility for "damaged" children, they often dream of escape, of running away for good. One day, their exploring leads them to a mysterious derelict factory inhabited by Grampa and Heaven Eyes, a little girl in search of her lost family. It's a marvelous book about genuine friendship, true escape, and (in my opinion), learning how to wait for a child's story to slowly come out, and tell itself to the world.