Barney is a solitary eight-year-old, given to wandering off by himself. One day he is lying on the edge of disused chalk-pit when he tumbles over, lands in a sort of cave, and meets' somebody with a lot of shaggy hair and two bright black eyes' - wearing a rabbit-skin and speaking in grunts. He names him Stig. They learn to understand one another, and together they raid the rubbish dump at the bottom of the pit, improve Stig's cave dwelling, and enjoy a series of adventures that are sometimes wildly improbably and sometimes extremely practical.

2008-08-13 Wonderful

My favourite childhood book - I read it countless times. This book seems to sum up what the school Summer holidays were all about when I was youngster, playing outside and having adventures (even though mine didn't include rubbish dumps or cavemen!).

Perhaps Clive King's masterpiece might seem a little dated to the modern child but I believe the relationship between Barney & Stig that lies at the heart of the book will still captivate new readers. The simple pen and ink illustrations are little gems that complement the written text beautifully.

If you want to encourage an under 10 year old to read for pleasure then I would recommend introducing him or her to Stig of the Dump.