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Twelve-year-old Alice is growing up in a grey world of old bombsites, in post-war London. It’s a tough life made harder by her difficult step-dad.

Alice’s escape is her imagination, which always brightens her day. But when a new boy called Reggie starts school, her mind begins playing tricks on her. She seems oddly drawn to him, and whenever they are together the world becomes a more exciting and colourful place. A place where imagination appears to become real: where a bubble-gum machine can suddenly explode into a thousand coloured balls, a handful of fireworks becomes the greatest show ever, and a row on the lake becomes a terrifying adventure.

A haunting ‘sixth sense’ novel set in the aftermath of war.

Denis looks over at us. Draws a finger across his throat. Looks up and down the street. Sticks his hands in his pockets and whistles with what he thinks is an innocent look. Couldn’t look more suspicious if he tried. Gary kind of sidles off, as if he’s nothing to do with Denis. Which, considering they’re twins, is a bit stupid. Gary looks over. Makes a rude sign. I make one back.

‘What gets me is that they always get away with things.’

‘Know what you mean.’

'If we do the slightest thing wrong we get into trouble. They seem to get away with everything.’

‘It’s n-not fair. Come on, best leave them to it.’  

I stare at them, thinking all kinds of nasty thoughts. Wishing something would happen. Imagining how good it would be if they got caught, or ended up with more gum than they knew what to do with.

A big lorry roars by; blocks our view for a second, shakes the pavement. When I next look, something amazing happens. The bubble gum machine starts to sway slowly backwards and forwards. Then it tips right over and hits the floor, shooting out bubble gum in a torrent of colours.

The Spicers look amazed. I wouldn’t have believed it could have held so many. Scattering out. Pouring out. A sea of bubble gum balls. The twins check no one’s watching, then start scooping it up. Handfuls of it. Stuffing it into their mouths, and, when their mouths are stuffed, stuffing their pockets. Seems the more they stuff, the more it comes. They’ve got enough gum to last them until they get their pensions!

Still it comes. Building up in waves around their feet. They start to tread on it – I can hear the thin sugar shells cracking. Gum meets shoes. Gum sticks to shoes. Spicers stick to pavement. It’s hilarious. Looks like someone has poured glue all over the floor.

The look in their eyes changes from glee to confusion.  Bubble gum pulls out in long tacky strands as the Spicers try to lift their shoes. They’re both well and truly stuck now. Denis reaches down and tries to take off his shoe, but his fingers stick to it. He’s tied up in bubble gum. The more the twins struggle, the more they get caught.

It’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in ages.