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Stookie
1st 1985 Mainstream trade TV Tie-in edition paperback fine condition. In stock shipped from our UK warehouse
Paperback
Published January 1, 1985
2 people want to read
About the author
Michael Elder
53 books2 followersMichael Elder was a Scottish actor who also wrote documentaries and other largely fact based programmes for BBC Scotland amongst others. He was a member of the Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow, Byre Theatre, St. Andrews, The Gateway Theatre, Edinburgh (1953 - 1960), and the Fraser Neale Players.
In film and television, he is known for his roles in The Flight of the Heron (1976), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1978) and Sam (1973). He played Dr. Wallace in the Scottish Television series Take the High Road.
Elder had a long association with the town of St. Andrews, moving there when he and his sister, Alison, travelled north for schooling after their home was bombed during the blitz in the Second World War.
During the 1950s, he was a member of the Edinburgh Gateway Company. His many television credits included the classic drama series, Dr Finlay's Casebook. A prolific writer from a very early age, Elder had many books published, from children's titles and poetry, to an impressive list of 14 science fiction novels. He also completed several scripts for television, including High Road.
In film and television, he is known for his roles in The Flight of the Heron (1976), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1978) and Sam (1973). He played Dr. Wallace in the Scottish Television series Take the High Road.
Elder had a long association with the town of St. Andrews, moving there when he and his sister, Alison, travelled north for schooling after their home was bombed during the blitz in the Second World War.
During the 1950s, he was a member of the Edinburgh Gateway Company. His many television credits included the classic drama series, Dr Finlay's Casebook. A prolific writer from a very early age, Elder had many books published, from children's titles and poetry, to an impressive list of 14 science fiction novels. He also completed several scripts for television, including High Road.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 22, 2025
I remember reading this book shortly after the original TV series was shown in the UK. It is a fairly ordinary kids' crime thriller set in Glasgow. Stookie is the trainee Glasgow hard-man with a heart of gold who falls in love with a girl from the posh end of the city, despite the objections of her protective brother. They meet when the girl is being bullied by Stookie's great rival - I only remember his name as being Big somebody-or-other - and Stookie rescues her.
The rest of the plot involves Stookie, the girl and Stookie's gang getting involved with and falling into the hands of a group of very dangerous real criminals. They have to escape and convince the authorities that Stookie and his pals can be trusted. All quite conventional adventure story stuff.
The TV series had the advantage of using young actors with genuine Glasgow voices, quite unusual in 1985. However, those young actors who played Stookie and his gang looked like anything but hard kids who had received a few knocks in their time and were not unpracticed at pinching some of their parents' booze and cigarettes. They all looked well scrubbed and neatly groomed, the sort of children who would have their hair cut whenever their mother told them to and would blush and giggle at naughty words. It just about worked but only ran for one season.
The rest of the plot involves Stookie, the girl and Stookie's gang getting involved with and falling into the hands of a group of very dangerous real criminals. They have to escape and convince the authorities that Stookie and his pals can be trusted. All quite conventional adventure story stuff.
The TV series had the advantage of using young actors with genuine Glasgow voices, quite unusual in 1985. However, those young actors who played Stookie and his gang looked like anything but hard kids who had received a few knocks in their time and were not unpracticed at pinching some of their parents' booze and cigarettes. They all looked well scrubbed and neatly groomed, the sort of children who would have their hair cut whenever their mother told them to and would blush and giggle at naughty words. It just about worked but only ran for one season.
Displaying 1 of 1 review