The Asparagus Bunch (Paperback) - Jessica Scott-Whyte

It's often said that the first day at a new school can be nerve-wrecking, but for 13-year-old Leon Crothers, joining his seventh new school, simply raises the question of who or what will be the reason for his departure. A funny novel exploring themes of neurodiversity and dyslexia.

A fresh and irreverent comedy starring a cast of neurodiverse characters - guaranteed to be one of the funniest novels you'll read this year.

Leon John Crothers is 4779 days old (thirteen years and one month, if you're mathematically challenged). He has been 'moved on' from six different schools and most people think he has an attitude problem. Leon doesn't care for the label, in the same way that he doesn't care for Tim Burton, supermarket trolleys, train fanatics or Bounty bars.

This time, however, things may turn out differently, as help comes from where he least expects it - Dr Snot, a physician at pains to help Leon navigate 'normal' and classmates, Tanya and Lawrence, who both face their own challenges. When school bully Glen Jenkins humiliates Leon in the school canteen and almost destroys Lawrence, Leon very reluctantly agrees to the formation of a club, The Asparagus Bunch.

How Leon manages to navigate school woes and family drama - and astonishingly ends up with not one but two friends - is nothing short of a miracle, or maybe just simply down to being different.

About the Author

Jessica Scott-Whyte was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. She studied French and History for her BA in University College Dublin, then moved to London where she completed an MA in Fashion Journalism at the London College of Fashion. After freelancing as a fashion journalist for some years, she then crossed over to the press relations side of the fashion industry, a career move which saw her move to Paris, France in 2012, where she still lives today with her husband and children in a neurodiverse family. Jessica remains terribly nostalgic of growing up in the nineties and wishes she could go back to that incredible era of POGs, Art Attack, Ring Pops, Goosebumps books, cereal box prizes, The Crystal Maze, boy bands and Super Nintendo.