12 year-old Hedley Hopkins has been in Australia for a whole year, but he's finding it hard to fit in. Confusing things keep happening - he can't stop thinking about naked ladies, strange things are happening in his nether regions and the compulsory chat about the facts of life leaves him baffled and embarrassed. So when Ian Douglas issues Hedley with a dare and promises that if he fulfils it, Hedley Hopkins will be a fully fledged member of his gang, Hedley says yes. But he doesn't know quite what he's let himself in for. First, he has to steal a skull from the grave outside the loony bin. Then he has to deal with the 'loonies' - actually a group of kids with learning disabilities, one of whom wants to be his friend. And when the skull starts giving him advice, Hedley knows he's in big trouble. He has to find a way to make peace with the other kids - and return the skull to its rightful owner, before it's too late.

 

There are 224 pages in this book. This book was published 2005 by Penguin Books Ltd .

Paul Jennings was the first author to sell a million books in Australia. Morris Gleitzman is one of Australia's and now the world's best-known and loved children's authors who tackles tough subjects in a funny and offbeat way.