When Mac-Tonic™, the most powerful company in the US, loses the top-secret recipe for its world-famous sugar-laden soft drink, a girl called Queenie finds it and quickly becomes the target of a countrywide hunt led by the powerful corporation.

The CEO and board of MacTonic™ are almost cartoonishly evil, casually talking about how climate change equals profit, and using advertising to subtly manipulate an entire country into vilifying Queenie. Their ruthlessness only makes this middle-grade adventure about standing up to corporate power even more brilliant. It feels so real, there barely seems to be much difference between Mac-Tonic™ and real multi-billion/trillion-dollar companies now – it’s hardly a stretch to believe that they’re all owned by the same person or the same groups of people, and that the real-life counterparts to Mac-Tonic™ wouldn’t also stop at nothing to turn a profit, no matter the cost of life.

Pop! is a terrifically fun and very motivating book to read. Great for readers ages 10+.

Dani Solomon is the assistant manager at Readings Kids.