dunno
Peter Inson
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Buy NowWhy I wrote this book
I wrote 'dunno' because I had taught and tried to help boys whose fathers had walked out on them. dunno has been praised particularly for its insight into the teenage psyche. It enables young people to understand adults better and shows adults just how easily they make life difficult for young people. It also suggests ways that disaffected young people can be helped to take control of their lives.
Synopsis
'dunno' looks at six months in the life of Jon who is fifteen and lives alone with his mother. His situation is increasingly common; “feral” is the term currently used. Life for both him and his mother is wretchedly miserable. He is an accomplished failure and has no friends. He burgles his own home, injures himself and meets Steve, a nurse. With Steve’s help, Jon becomes an apprentice adult and begins to learn how to trust people, something that he finds very difficult. This is Jonathan’s one success. It’s not something he tries to do; it just happens.
Despite girls, bullies and petty criminals of his own age, despite his mother, teachers, policemen, school attendance officers, neighbours and one of his mother’s boyfriends, Jon learns to survive and his decent, common humanity slowly emerges. Once he finds Paul and Jimmy, two older men, he begins to find himself and gains some control over his own life; he is very lucky for he finds decent adults who choose to allow him into their lives, something that most adults would find very daunting.
Misunderstandings and misapprehension between generations is a major theme in 'dunno'. Teenagers want to be understood, respected as people and trusted. 'dunno' helps them to understand why adults can be difficult to deal with. It enables adults to see the stumbling blocks that they put in the way of young people and to appreciate why trying to help disaffected young people can be so frustrating.
Reviews
"Greatly convincing, as far from patronising as possible. A worthwhile read" - Edward Malnick (15) Independent on Sunday
"Fluent, engaging writing for adults and teenagers alike." - Sunday Express
"A starkly honest novel about Jon who lives a hopeless and bleak existence on the edge of society. For anyone who wants a realistic and gritty look at the life of a down-and-out teenager." - Kimberly Pauley www.yabookscentral.com
"Very, very moving. I wanted my teenage sons to read it." - Sue Wardell, Independent Retailer of the Year, BBC Radio Lancashire
"All magistrates who deal with young people would benefit from reading 'dunno'. No hard and fast answers, just possibilities. A teenage book for adults, and an adult book for teenagers; it may open your eyes." - Herschelian blog http://the-3rs---reading-ranting--recipes.blogspot.com, - follow to Thursday, September 7th 2006.
About the Author
Peter Inson grew up in Essex. He trained as an agriculturalist then swopped careers in his mid-twenties. He has a diploma in agriculture and degrees in English and education. He was head of a church school in London and has also taught in the world’s most expensive boarding school. Peter and his wife, Jean, once fostered a fifteen year-old girl who had been expelled from two local schools. He has wide experience of working with teenagers and has written about them. His passions include beekeeping, skiing and choral singing.
Peter Inson remembers infuriating his own teachers and parents, and surviving. He wants adults and teenagers to understand one another better so that they will annoy each other less. He has written for: The Times, The Guardian, The Express, The Independent and The Daily Telegraph, The Times Educational Supplement, Farmer’s Weekly and Swiss News
Book info
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Genres
Format
Paperback
pages pages
Author
Peter Inson
Publisher
Publication date
1st September 2004
Author's Website
ISBN
0954761405/978
