Bad Grammar (Nathan Luff, Walker Books)

Thursday, 11 October 2012 Unlocked content from the archive. Books+Publishing

Marcus is a great warrior—a dragonslayer! At least, he is online. Gaming is the one place he feels at home since his only friend Bashir moved to India, a fact his parents just don’t understand. After Marcus’ attempt to buy himself a friend backfires disastrously, his mum and dad decide some more drastic action is needed: they enrol him in a boarding school. Bourkely Boy’s Grammar is a ‘unique school’ for ‘boys who have trouble fitting in’, in the depths of the Outback. Marcus soon discovers the truth about Bourkely: most of the students are bullies and thugs, the school itself is ramshackle and decaying, the teachers wear koala suits to class, the principal is a bearded brute with a vicious pet dingo, the library is haunted by a sabre-toothed nun, and worst of all, there are no computers! Armed with his wits, his new friends Fred and Trent, and his knowledge from The Warrior’s Guide to Everything by R J Bergin, Marcus has to survive at the school they call Bad Grammar. A funny fast-paced book, full of outlandish characters and incidents, and frequent asides from The Warrior’s Guide to Everything, this is a recommended read for young adventurers.

Heath Graham is an educator currently working at the State Library of Victoria

Category: Reviews