Author(s): Alexander McCall Smith

Children's fiction

Patty lives with her Aunt Bat on a banana plantation in Jamaica. Unfortunately, as it's such a small plantation, they're having trouble keeping up with the competition, and Aunt Bat is worried they'll have to sell up. Patty needs to think of an idea to turn things around, and fast! Inspiration comes to her as she's digging into a chocolate banana special at her local ice-cream parlour. All she needs to do is invent a machine - a banana machine. Will Patty's mechanical wizardry help the plantation out of its crisis? Or, like the bananas, are her ideas round the bend?