The successful marriage of scientific fact, historical trivia and hilarious, hair-brained fiction helps to transform the third title in the excellent Spark Files collection into more than just another decent school story. In Shock Tactics Simon and Sam Spark--founder members of the Internuts computer club--turn detective to solve the mystery of the disappearing jelly babies at the same time as trying to outwit the dodgy looking stranger who lurks ominously outside the school gates. Aided and abetted by a series of experiments about electricity, their investigation charges closer to the truth.

Shock Tactics is packed with safe, fun, real-life experiments for would-be scientists, and by merging them with the side-splitting tomfoolery of the endearingly bonkers Spark clan, Terry Deary and coauthor Barbara Allen have once again come up trumps, giving a sound lesson in how to take the yawn out of science. --Susan Harrison