Bad Grammar: a school for gentlemen by Nathan Luff

Bourkely Boys Grammar, aka Bad Grammar, is hardly a school for gentlemen, more likely a school for thugs, as Marcus soon finds out when his parents and his teacher determine to send him there, mistakenly driven to this extreme measure by Marcus's obsessive preoccupation with computer gaming. On the bus, before he even arrives at the school, he has a run-in with the hardened bully ‘Scarface’, and it is not long before Scarface has found the way to blackmail Marcus into subservience.

But Marcus is not beaten. His computer gaming experience see him step up to the challenges that face him, and with his sidekicks, Fred and Trent, he sets about finding a way to escape from the prison he is in, defeat the monsters that beset him, and solve the mysteries of Bad Grammar.

This is a rollicking read for junior readers, fast paced and very funny. The chapters are titled Level 1, Level 2, etc, as the Marcus advances through the game world he creates out of his situation. In the end, Marcus, formerly Marcus No Friends, finds out what it takes to be a true warrior, leader and good friend. It’s a lot of fun, and is certain to be a winner with readers who are looking for the next level up from Luff’s Nerd Herd books.

Themes: Computer games, Boarding school, Bullying, Challenge.

Helen Eddy