The Ogre of Oglefoot
by Eva Ibbotson (Macmillan)

Again, I could have picked almost any title by Eva Ibbotson. Funny, inventive and with rip-roaring plots, she is a must-have in a magical stories collection. This book stars a hag, a troll, a wizard and a boy who are sent to kill an evil ogre and rescue a princess. But the ogre turns out to be surprisingly pleasant – and the princess isn’t quite as helpless as she seems… Great fun.