Ever messed up? Made a big, stupid mistake? You’re not alone. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just wind back time and start again, getting it exactly right? Because you’d already seen where it all went wrong and you’d know what to do next time.

This is the simple and brilliant idea behind CTRL-Z by Andrew Norriss (who older readers may know as the writer of top 90s TV series WOOF! and The Brittas Empire). When Alex gets sent a battered old laptop by his mysterious God Uncle he’s a bit underwhelmed – until he discovers it can do one very clever trick. By tweaking the little clock display in the top corner of the screen he can turn back time, to any point within the same day.

This means he can try out things he’s never dreamed of trying out before – like spraying annoying classmates with fire extinguishers, winning all the prizes at a fete, and stealing and driving a car.

None of it matters, because Alex only has to hit CTRL-Z and it never happened! Not that Alex’s ideas all go to plan. Enlisting his best mate to help out with the fun seems like a good idea, but it nearly leads to Alex getting trapped forever in a non-stop time loop.

Alex is actually a really good kid – believe it or not – and ultimately only wants to help. He discovers that making mistakes can sometimes be the only way you can help people. And that not every mistake should be put right.

This is such a good read – funny and fascinating – and really makes you think, as well as laugh out loud from time to time. One of my favourite books of the year. You might find it on the 7+ shelf, but it’s for everyone.