In Martina Murphy's book Livewire (Poolbeg, £3.99) the main character Joey Boland is caught between his up and coming band Livewire and his father, who is convinced his involvement in the band is affecting his school work: namely his mock leaving certificate results. Unknown to Joey's family, the band (Joey, Ann, Trev, Domo and Mick) enter the battle of the bands competition and make it to the finals. A teenage version of The IT]Commitments, the book is incredibly funny and is definitely worth reading. The author's description of the pressure some parents put their children through around exam-time is extremely accurate.