Spud
by John van de Ruit
Interest age: 12+
Reading age: 10+
Published by Penguin, 2008
About this book
Spud gets a scholarship to a smart boys’ school where he soon joins in with a mad bunch of boys – the Crazy Eight.
He reveals all in his diary - the midnight swims, drunken teachers, the books he reads, bullying and pursuing the school ghost. He writes about his mad parents too, his first relationships with girls and his confusion about almost everything.
Although set in South Africa as apartheid is coming to an end, this book is very accessible to English readers.
Spud is a charming character. His story is funny and heartwarming, including the base humour of farting competitions but also the sadness at the loss of a loved teacher and good friend.
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Lists of recommended reads
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Best diary books for how it feels to be a teenager
There's something about the diary or journal format in a book that really helps you get under a character's skin. After all, you're privy to their first-person, most innermost thoughts. The relationship between the reader and this character feels so close that it can almost feel like a friendship. This must be why diary books are at their most powerful when you are a pre-teen or a young teenager: battling through puberty, everyday life, and trying to figure out who you are and want to be. Below are some of our favourites for capturing the highs, the lows, and the very, very funny bits.