My Dad is Ten Years Old: And It’s Pure Weird by Mark O’Sullivan
Published by Puffin 2011

Eala’s Dad was once the perfect father. They were the perfect family until her dad had the accident which left him with the mind of a ten year old boy. Day by day they lose more and more of the man they knew and loved.

A book about brain damage written from the perspective of a teenager is certainly a novel idea and this account is both realistic and somewhat humorous even though filled with heartbreak. Any such story will yield mixed feelings; despair, love, devotion and anger.

Eala and her brother must delve into their Dad’s past in order to face the future and it is this exploration of Jimmy’s past that propels the book forward throwing up a whole range of emotions through the presentation of each family member’s character.

Mark O'Sullivan is a writer who has written two earlier books for teenagers, Melody for Nora and its sequel Wash Basin Street Blues. He is a previous winner of the Bisto Book of the Year Award.