Buddy by Nigel Hinton (author)

Buddy is a moving and totally convincing account of a boy’s faltering relationship with his father, with an atmospheric 1980s setting. It is one of The Originals from Penguin – iconic, outspoken, first.

Buddy has a hopeless father who is an ageing rocker, interested only in Elvis and bikes, and living on the fringes of the under-world. The two manage to strike up some kind of relationship when Buddy’s mum walks out – until Buddy realises that his dad is involved in something more serious than he suspected.

The Originals are the pioneers of fiction for young adults. From political awakening, war and unrequited love to addiction, teenage pregnancy and nuclear holocaust, The Originals confront big issues and articulate difficult truths. The collection includes: The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton, I Capture the Castle – Dodie Smith, Postcards from No Man’s Land – Aidan Chambers, After the First Death – Robert Cormier, Dear Nobody – Berlie Doherty, The Endless Steppe – Esther Hautzig, Buddy – Nigel Hinton, Across the Barricades – Joan Lingard, The Twelfth Day of July – Joan Lingard, No Turning Back – Beverley Naidoo, Z for Zachariah – Richard C. O’Brien, The Wave – Morton Rhue, The Red Pony – John Steinbeck, The Pearl – John Steinbeck, Stone Cold – Robert Swindells.