Author(s): Ann Neville

NZ Junior Fiction

Thirteen year old Tom wants to audition for the school musical BATJACK, but he has a problem. A BIG ONE Dylan, a bully and Tom’s his arch enemy. “You’ll pay for this,” swears Dylan when Tom is cast as Batjack and Dylan as his understudy. The battle begins – fights, verbal abuse, vandalism, theft... You name it – it happens. And so from auditions to opening night Tom and his friends, Sonny whose shoulders are spindly as a wire coat hanger and Alice with more piercings that a sieve, come up with quirky and funny ways to deal with Dylan and his mates. But why does Dylan bully? What is his secret and can Tom and Dylan reach a compromise and manage to co-habit the same planet?