Breaking the Rules Read online

  “What?” she asks.

  “I think it might be okay here after all.”

  Bonus Bits!

  GUESS WHO?

  Each piece of information below is about one of the characters in the story. Can you match them up? Check your answers at the end of this section (no peeking!)

  1. speaks to Gran and cries

  2. pretends to be a 19 year old boy

  3. has frizzy hair

  4. hates his job

  5. art teacher

  6. lives in Bristol

  7. Mo’s brother

  8. helps save Mo at the station

  A. Mo

  B. Jack

  C. Gran

  D. Mum

  E. Dad

  F. Mahsuda

  G. Miss Stanton

  H. Shadow

  Getting help

  Mo wants to fit in but doesn’t know how. She misses her friends back in Bristol and feels lonely; she isn’t truthful with her old friends and she doesn’t know how to interact with new people. The situation makes her feel angry and so she is vulnerable to people online who are not trustworthy. She doesn’t know who Shadow is, but pours out her inner thoughts to him.

  If you have concerns and worries about things there are people outside of your immediate family and group of friends who can help.

  Childline

  Childline is a free, 24-hour counseling service for everyone under 18. Childline says “You can talk to us about anything. No problem is too big or too small. We’re on the phone and online. However you choose to contact us, you’re in control. It’s free, confidential and you don’t have to give your name if you don’t want to.”

  www.childline.org.uk / telephone: 0800 1111

  NHS Choices

  This website offers lots of useful information and advice about different problems. It also has links to other places you can get help.

  www.nhs.uk

  Staying Safe Online

  There are lots of websites that give advice about how to stay safe online, particularly with social media platforms. One which you might find useful is www.internetmatters.org.

  Using a Narrator

  In this story, Mo is the narrator so the story is written in the first person (using I). This is different to lots of other stories as it means that we are seeing the events from Mo’s point of view. It also allows the author to let the reader know what this particular character is feeling and thinking about events. Can you think of any other stories you have read that have a character as a narrator?

  What Next?

  Have a think about these questions after reading this story:

  • Do you think Mo was right to message Shadow and tell him how she was feeling? Why/why not?

  • What could Mo have done differently to help her fit in more quickly?

  • Have you ever felt like Mo feels in the story? Maybe you have joined a new school or club where you felt nervous. How long did it take you to feel more confident? What advice would you give other people about coping with new situations?

  ANSWERS to GUESS WHO

  1D, 2H, 3A, 4E, 5G, 6C, 7B, 8F

  BLOOMSBURY EDUCATION

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  BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY EDUCATION and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  First published in Great Britain 2012

  This electronic edition published in 2019

  Text copyright © 2012 Maxine Linnell, 2012

  Illustrations copyright © Sophie Escabasse, 2012

  Maxine Linnell and Sophie Escabasse have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author and Illustrator of this work

  Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes

  This is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  ISBN: PB: 978-1-4729-6083-2; ePDF: 978-1-4729-6082-5; ePub: 978-1-4729-6081-8

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