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Bully
'Unbidden, Simon saw a face before his eyes, a girl's face with blonde hair. Unbidden, his teeth clamped shut, ground against each other. She was the target.' Simple, lumpy Simon Mason. Of course he's a bully and a liar, even his mother thinks so. And he's picking on that nice Anna Royle, her brother and Rebekka. Or is he? Has Simon been found guilty, sentenced and condemned without a proper hearing? Simon's teacher is determined to find out just who's bullying who. Hostilities reach a head when bully and victim meet for a final confrontation. Will the truth come out in time? Or have too many lies been told?
144 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 23, 1995
2 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Jan Needle
72 books32 followersJan Needle has written more than forty books, including novels for adults and children and literary criticism. He also writes plays for stage, TV and radio, including serials and series like Grange Hill, The Bill and Brookside. His first novel, Wild Wood, is a retelling of The Wind in the Willows with Toad, Rat, Mole and Co as the ‘villains’ - a sort of undeserving rural squirearchy – and the stoats and weasels as heroes. A new version was brought out recently by Golden Duck, with the original wonderful illustrations by the late Willie Rushton.
Although he is currently working on a film of perhaps his most celebrated children’s book, My Mate Shofiq, Jan has recently been concentrating on historical novels about his first and most enduring love, the sea, and a series of extremely gritty thrillers. His aim has always been to transcend standard genre writing, which has sometimes brought him disapproval. The ‘hero’ of his first naval fiction, A Fine Boy for Killing, is a borderline sadist, and life on the frigate Welfare undermines almost every heroic myth popularized by earlier writers. Loved or hated, his novels refuse to be ignored.
His thrillers are also firmly in the ‘noir’ spectrum. The most recent is The Bonus Boys, which features a hard-as-nails investigator called Andrew Forbes and his Scottish lover Rosanna ‘the Mouse’ Nixon, who first appeared in Kicking Off, a chilling warning about the fissile state of Britain’s crumbling prisons. More are in the pipeline, as are additions to a series of novellas about crime, the 18th century navy, and the secret world of spies and spying. Even the possibility that Napoleon escaped from his exile on St Helena is examined. Like many ‘mere conspiracy theories’ it uncovers some extraordinary possibilities.
Jan also attempts, in conjunction with Walker Books, to widen the readership for certain classic novels. They include so far Moby Dick, Dracula, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Woman in White, all aimed at a young adult audience . In his spare time, he sails boats and plays a variety of musical instruments.
Although he is currently working on a film of perhaps his most celebrated children’s book, My Mate Shofiq, Jan has recently been concentrating on historical novels about his first and most enduring love, the sea, and a series of extremely gritty thrillers. His aim has always been to transcend standard genre writing, which has sometimes brought him disapproval. The ‘hero’ of his first naval fiction, A Fine Boy for Killing, is a borderline sadist, and life on the frigate Welfare undermines almost every heroic myth popularized by earlier writers. Loved or hated, his novels refuse to be ignored.
His thrillers are also firmly in the ‘noir’ spectrum. The most recent is The Bonus Boys, which features a hard-as-nails investigator called Andrew Forbes and his Scottish lover Rosanna ‘the Mouse’ Nixon, who first appeared in Kicking Off, a chilling warning about the fissile state of Britain’s crumbling prisons. More are in the pipeline, as are additions to a series of novellas about crime, the 18th century navy, and the secret world of spies and spying. Even the possibility that Napoleon escaped from his exile on St Helena is examined. Like many ‘mere conspiracy theories’ it uncovers some extraordinary possibilities.
Jan also attempts, in conjunction with Walker Books, to widen the readership for certain classic novels. They include so far Moby Dick, Dracula, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Woman in White, all aimed at a young adult audience . In his spare time, he sails boats and plays a variety of musical instruments.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 17, 2021
EN MI OPINION ME GUSTO MUCHO LA HISTORIA, LOS PERSONAJES, LOS LUGARES, ETC.
POBRE DE SIMON, PROVOCA MUCHOS PROBLEMAS
POBRE DE SIMON, PROVOCA MUCHOS PROBLEMAS
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2026
todo el libro me la pase haciendo corajes y justo cuando pensé que por fin iba a haber justicia, me dieron el final más horrendo (pero realista)
July 15, 2014
Le pongo tres estrellas no porque sea un mal libro, al contrario, sino por lo terrible que es la trama... pobre Simón, ¡qué pena!
September 17, 2019
Fascinante.❤️ Uno de los mejores libros infantiles que he leído.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews