I swear Jacko was pulsing. Veins throbbed in his neck and at his temples, and his finger stabbed the air in front of me.
“You’re not getting away with this, Avery. I’m gonna show you. Right here. Next Saturday.” His voice dropped. “You’d better be here.”
Then he snapped at Belly. “Gimme your towel,” and he ripped it from Belly’s hands and rubbed it over his face. He grabbed his clothes and swaggered off, Franco and Sam scuttling after him…
And that was it.
I was on my own.
Arnie Avery has accidentally got himself in trouble. In a moment of madness he’s made Jacko look like a fool and, while other people laughed, Jacko didn’t. Now Jacko wants to fight Arnie, and is making his life hell.
If that isn’t enough, at home, Arnie’s life is crazy. His Mum has turned hippy and is feeding him vegetarian food, and organising family meditation sessions. His big brother Callum isn’t around any more, his sister Nicola seems to have given up, and his Dad does anything to ensure Mum isn’t upset. As his date with Jacko looms, things go from bad to worse as Arnie finds himself in more and more trouble.
Arnie Avery is a funny-serious tale of one boy’s battle with a boy, set against the aftermath of a family tragedy. Arnie’s older brother has died, and as the story progresses the reader learns more about that death and about its impact on the family. Arnie is lucky to have his good mate, Belly, and good intentions, because it is a combination of these which gets him through.
Arnie Avery is suitable for male and female readers in upper primary and lower secondary.
Arnie Avery, by Sue Walker
Walker Books, 2010
ISBN 9781921529726
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