I first read a Garth Nix book when I was in primary school. It was one from The Keys to the Kingdom series and I was assigned it as English homework. One evening, with an hour before dinner and nothing to do, I was bored enough to actually give my homework book a go. I’m so glad I did, I was utterly immersed, and when dinner was finally ready, I didn’t want to leave the wonderful world that Nix had created.

Nix’s new book, We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord, took me right back to that evening. Nix can create worlds that feel alive, and that can still suck me into them years later. Set in Canberra in the ’70s, the story is about Kim’s little sister Eila, who finds a mysterious, glowing, golden orb in a lake one evening; an orb that Kim suspects is bad news for his little sister. What does the orb want with Eila? What will Eila do with the powers the orb gives her?

We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord is a delightfully fun read. It is both funny and heartfelt. If you have an hour to spare before dinner, I recommend giving this book a go – you won’t want to put it down. For ages 10+.