DescriptionBackstoryEvery year the Duffy Books in Homes theatre group visits hundreds of Kiwi schools, sharing the messages It’s Cool to Read and Cool to Achieve while building a keen following for the show’s hero, Duffy. It’s part of the outstanding work Duffy Books in Homes has done for 30 years to connect children with books. Now one of those plays comes to the world in a graphic novel, the trendy reading format for children and teenagers worldwide.Actor and director Jeff Szusterman reworked Lauren Jackson’s Duffy and the Cloakroom Bully play into a story told in speech bubbles with graphics created by legendary cartoonist Ant Sang. There’s bullying at school, where the jealous and troubled Ashlee is picking on the lonely, luckless 11-year-old Marama. Into the fray steps Duffy, the cool Māori kid who’s captain of the school rugby team, as well as a keen reader. By sharing wisdom from his book of the moment, The Hallowe’en Hassler (which features in Ant’s designs) — and encouraging Marama’s talents on the rugby field — Duffy helps to create an unlikely friendship between Marama and Ashlee.About the Kiwi creatorsJeff Szusterman is an actor, director and teacher. For the past decade he has developed and directed theatre shows for Duffy Books in Homes. This is his first book. Jeff lives with his family in Waitakere, Auckland.Ant Sang is a cartoonist based in Auckland, who has authored award-winning graphic novels that have published internationally. He also works in film, TV and theatre, and was lead designer on the TV show bro’Town.Lauren Jackson is a playwright, filmmaker, drama tutor and actor who has written many plays for Duffy Books in homes. This book is based on her play Duffy and the Cloak Bay Bully.
