Anyone who has ever wanted the world to recognise their talent or dreamed of going viral will resonate with Brandon’s story. Brandon believes that he is the best at everything and he loves to boast about it. But there is one thing that he really is good at – counting. When he boasts that he can count to ten million, he’s challenged to follow up on his claim and before he knows it, the world really is paying attention to what he can do.

Carnegie-medal winner Melvin Burgess is well-known for his novels for Young Adults, but here he perfectly hits the spot for younger children with Count. I was really charmed by this laugh-out-loud story of an oft-heard playground boast that – in this case – quickly snowballs to global proportions, perfectly capturing the essence of childhood ambition and stubbornness in one sweep. The story also explores the cost of fame and the power of self-belief.

At just over 170 pages, this is a short and entertaining read that is packed with humour and accompanied by Chris Mould’s fun illustrations. Count is likely to go down a treat in lower KS2 classrooms or with Upper KS2 readers who appreciate a quick and humorous read.