Pull Out All the Stops

I've just finished reading 'Pull Out all the Stops' by Geraldine McCaughrean, a sequel to 'Stop the Train'.  Much of the action takes place  on a storm-damaged Mississippi paddle steamer during the late eighteenth century. The narrative is fast-moving, funny and hugely enjoyable, But, above all, it's  superbly written in a style sparking with originality and fizzing with humour. Anyone who is seriously interested in writing, whether for children or adults, should read her work. Every page just dances with original images: describing the storm-swollen river, 'And when it has made its point, and withdrawn, it leaves behind flotsam, like a drunkard's tip on the bar.' Or, talking about Cissy, the central character, 'Cissy sat back down in her chair, tears pressing her eyes like cows in a cattle crib.'  - Wonderful stuff!