When 11-year-old K-pop obsessed Skylar inexplicably switches bodies with her super strict 71-year-old headteacher, Ms Callus, she’s thrown into a hilarious world of dancing old ladies gone viral and school rules thrown out the window, as she tries to figure out how on earth to swap back! But then the chance to meet her favourite boyband AZ8 in real life changes everything, and Skylar must decide whether her K-pop dream come true is worth risking being stuck as an old lady for ever…

Skylar and the K-pop Headteacher is a children’s middle-grade story that follows the premise of all those body-swapping movies such as Freaky Friday.

Skylar is an eleven-year-old girl in her first year of high school. The school has some strange and strict principles and Skylar is rarely making the grades in her subjects, much to the annoyance of her headteacher.

She is also obsessed with the K-pop group AZ8, too obsessed according to her parents who have banned them in the house for a week and removed all of Skylar’s AZ8 posters and items, etc, except for her bunny ears which she manages to save. That is until her headteacher confiscates them. Having had enough of being pushed around by adults Skylar confronts the headteacher which results in them swapping bodies.

Skylar and the K-pop Headteacher is an amusing tale of a young girl getting all the power an adult gets and not just any adult her headteacher. She can now rip up the rules and run things how she wants to. However, she soon learns that adulting isn’t easy. Her headteacher is also reminded what being a child is like.

I’m sure young readers will adore this book, especially given how funny it is and that it features a K-pop group and I believe K-pop is very popular at the moment. It is a quick read, full of adventure and exciting. It will certainly hold its readers to the pages from beginning to end.

Luan Goldie is a Glasgow born novelist and short story writer from East London.

Her debut, Nightingale Point, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the RSL Ondaatje Prize. She is also the author of Homecoming and These Streets.

Her first book for children, Skylar and the K-Pop Headteacher is a body swap adventure for middle grade readers, set within the world of K-pop fandom.

In 2018 she won the Costa Short Story Award and her short stories have appeared in Stylist, HELLO! Magazine and the Sunday Express.

A former teacher, Goldie has over a decade’s worth of experience teaching in the capital’s schools. She also tutors for Arvon, Spread the Word and First Story.