Year 4: There’s A Boy In The Girls’ Bathroom

By Louis Sachar

Bradley is the most unpopular boy in school. He sits alone at the back of the class, tells wild lies, and tears up his schoolbooks. Everyone avoids him — even the teachers think he’s hopeless.

Then a new boy called Jeff joins the class. At first Jeff tries to be Bradley’s friend, but Bradley’s strange behaviour embarrasses him and soon Jeff starts avoiding him too. Bradley feels lonelier than ever, until he starts visiting the school counsellor, Carla.

Carla is different from everyone else because she actually listens to Bradley and doesn’t judge him. She encourages him to try his best, to do his homework, and to be kind to others. Slowly, Bradley begins to change. He starts working hard, being honest, and showing kindness. He even wins a prize for good behaviour and begins making real friends.

But just as things are going well, Carla announces she is leaving the school. Bradley feels scared he’ll go back to his old ways without her help. In the end, though, he realises that the kindness and confidence she gave him will always stay with him and he can keep being the new, better version of himself.

Frankie: “I liked this book because Bradley changed so much. At the start he was mean, but by the end he was kind and had real friends.”

Melat: “This story made me feel happy and sad. I liked how Carla helped Bradley believe in himself.”

Lucas: “It was really funny and interesting. I liked watching Bradley try to be good — it showed that people can change.”