Author(s): Louis Sachar

Fiction - middle

"Give me a dollar or I will spit on you."
Bradley lies, gets into fights and is the only one in Mrs Ebbels' class without a gold star next to his name on the wall chart. No one wants to be his friend or sit next to him until one day the new school counsellor Carla shows an interest in him and the new boy Jeff starts school.
Carla persuades Bradley, after much trial and error, that he can break the repetitive cycle of rejection by his peers, disappointment from family and indifference from teachers and, more importantly, that he wants to.
This is a humorous, poignant story of isolation, bravery and gradual acceptance. You'll delight in the witty exchanges between Bradley and Carla as his trust in her slowly builds. Written before Holes, it differs in many ways, but Sachar still captures the essence of the underdog perfectly.