Books in Spud series

The record-breaking, bestselling sequel to Spud! It?s 1991, and John ?Spud? Milton?s journey to manhood is still creeping along at a snail?s pace. Nearly fifteen, Spud?s starting his second year at boarding school and?to his utter mortification?he?s still a spud! To make things worse, his dorm mates, the legendary Crazy Eight, have an unusual new member (Roger the cat), and his house is home to a new batch of unruly first years. Spud is soon plagued with women trouble, coerced into expulsion-worthy adventures, and frustrated to find his dreams of fame in tatters after landing the part of the Dove of Peace in a disastrous production of Noah?s Ark. Join Spud as he takes another tentative step forward while all around him the madness continues. . . .

After an unexpected and diabolical farewell breakfast conversation with his father, Spud Milton returns to boarding school for his 1993 Matric year, his last as a schoolboy. Armed with a prefects’ tie and a raging libido, Spud soon discovers that being a large(ish) fish in a small pond has its fair share of challenges. He finds himself embroiled in fighting for his own room, directing a house play where both lead actors refuse to learn their lines, and assisting in Vern Blackadder’s dramatic return from the dead with nothing more than a drip cord and a pair of oven gloves. Amidst mounting pressure in the classroom and on the cricket field, Spud prepares to face down the most feared and dreaded challenge of them all—finding a date for the Matric dance. In this hilarious final installment of the Spud series, John Van de Ruit brings to a close his savagely funny blow by blow account of the agonies of growing up. The embarrassments, thrills, defeats, and the sheer-absurdity of daily life are wittily recorded in Spud’s unique voice as he prepares to make his own exit, pursued by a bear.

It’s winter in Ottawa, and that means crunching snow, plunging temperatures, and frozen canals. It also means murder. Ottawa Technical High School student Spud Sweetgrass has just witnessed a killing and he can’t get it out of his mind. He wrestles with deciding if he should tell the police what he saw or remain silent. His conscience ultimately wins over his fear, and Spud takes on the complex task of helping solve the crime. Spud doesn’t tell everything he knows to Detective Kennedy, nor is he working alone. His friends Connie Pan and Dink the Thinker return from Spud Sweetgrass to assist. The clues point to some unexpected places, like the beauty salon where Connie works. One of Connie’s clients, the man with the most beautiful hair in the world — or so he thinks — may be involved! Despite being unnerved over Connie having had her fingers in that hair, Spud forges ahead. But can he and his pals solve this terrible crime? Spud in Winter showcases Brian Doyle’s trademark vivid, staccato style, smart, fast-paced plotting, and memorably eccentric characters in a rollicking read.

Suspended from school for cussing at a mean teacher, John “Spud”' Sweetgrass at least still has his job selling french fries from a curbside “chip wagon.” But he notices that something stinks — literally. It’s the smell of rancid cooking oil at a polluted Ottawa beach. His suspicions aroused, Spud follows Dumper Stubbs, a creepy delivery man who services local restaurants and chip wagons. Spud gets angry when he sees Dumper living up to his name, dumping oil into a storm drain and causing terrible pollution in the river. When Spud blows the whistle, he loses his job. Enlisting the help of his buddy Dink the Thinker, and Connie Pan — whom he calls his girlfriend though she isn’t exactly that — Spud thinks he has a chance of regaining his job and stopping the Dumper’s harmful activities. In the background of this offbeat farce are serious issues that Spud must also deal with, including his father’s death, his mother’s withdrawal into grief, and his own awkward transition through adolescence. Brian Doyle expertly interweaves comedy and important contemporary concerns of young people in this vivid story with a message.

The record-breaking, bestselling sequel to Spud! It’s 1991, and John “Spud” Milton’s journey to manhood is still creeping along at a snail’s pace. Nearly fifteen, Spud’s starting his second year at boarding school and—to his utter mortification—he’s still a spud! To make things worse, his dorm mates, the legendary Crazy Eight, have an unusual new member (Roger the cat), and his house is home to a new batch of unruly first years. Spud is soon plagued with women trouble, coerced into expulsion-worthy adventures, and frustrated to find his dreams of fame in tatters after landing the part of the Dove of Peace in a disastrous production of Noah’s Ark. Join Spud as he takes another tentative step forward while all around him the madness continues. . . .

The record-breaking sequel to SPUD, now in paperback! It’s 1991, and John “Spud” Milton’s journey to manhood is still creeping along at a snail’s pace. Nearly fifteen, Spud’s starting his second year at boarding school and—to his utter mortification—he’s still a spud! But life at school’s about to get a whole lot worse, and even more insanity awaits him this time around—from unrequited love to the most catastrophic school play in history! Join Spud as he takes another tentative step forward, while all around him the madness continues...