Otherwise known as Pig by Catch Tilly
Wakefield Press 2019. ISBN: 9781743056790.
(Age: Years 9-12) Originally presented as a play, this story of year
nine students bullying and harassing each other, explores the damage
students can suffer at school when these issues are not addressed.
Morgan is physically bullied by Stormin, who is a slow learner and
makes up for it by being the biggest bully and fear of retaliation
means the other students don't intervene or report. Morgan is
academically clever but hates sports, much to his father's
disappointment. His parents are vaguely aware of his problems but
expect him to stand up for himself and his dad suggests self-defence
lessons. More worrying than Stormin is Chris, an intelligent
manipulator who Morgan has identified as a sociopath. He engineers
Morgan's being banned from his haven, the library, and then burns
down the art room when Morgan is welcomed there. Even Lissa, the
girl he likes, is affected by the bullying when Chris' girlfriend
Steph, makes sure she denies him. Morgan is not immune from the
culture of bullying, verbally taunting Stormin in a cycle of abuse.
This is a story of warped and abusive friendships and a boy
desperate for affection and self-respect. 'Loser' is a powerful word
wielded by the stronger in a daily struggle growing up in our
schools. The protagonists in this story feel powerless and the
adults are complicit in not maintaining a safe environment. I can
see this would have been a successful play but I found the
characters a little thin and unconvincing for a novel. The absence
of an adult perspective may make the book popular with younger
readers who may feel empowered by it and it will be a useful
discussion starter for middle school students.
Teacher's
notes are available. Themes: Bullying, friendship.
Sue Speck