Scrawl

Mark Shulman’s Scrawl (2010), a contemporary novel for middle-grade readers, follows a young teenage bully and his spells in detention, where he is encouraged by a guidance counselor to write about his experiences. Although the book was written to appeal to middle-grade readers, it also appeals to younger high-schoolers. It was nominated for the 2010 Cybils Award. Shulman is the author of more than 150 books for young readers. Before writing books full-time, Shulman had various jobs ranging from rock band manager to jingle writer for laxative commercials.

The protagonist, Tod Munn, is a bully; he is the type of character who usually serves as the antagonist. It is unclear at first why he bullies people, but Tod is serving detention for being mean to other students. As far as Tod is concerned, he rules the school, and everyone should do what he tells them to do. Detention is just a temporary setback.

Large for his age, Tod plays the class clown. He comes from a poor background, whereas, many students at the school come from wealthy families. By acting stupid and domineering, Tod carves out a reputation for himself that stops these other kids from bullying him first.



Tod doesn’t have many friends. He likes it that way. His father left when he was little, and his mother works long hours at the dry cleaner. Tod is embarrassed by the house he lives in. He hopes that no one notices that he eats both breakfast and lunch in the school cafeteria. A very unhappy boy, Tod has given up on himself. He feels like a loser.

Although Tod bullies many of the other kids, he does have two friends, Rex and Rob. He also “mentors” a younger boy, Bernie, who looks up to him for reasons that Tod can’t understand. Tod’s teachers, convinced that he is a lot smarter than he acts, wish he could settle down and fulfill his potential, but he disappoints them.

One day, Tod slinks into the detention room as usual. The guidance counselor, Mrs. Woodrow, meets him. She is strict and doesn’t suffer Tod’s nonsense. She sets him an unusual task for the day: writing about who he is, and why he bullies people. Tod is horrified and thinks this task is stupid. However, Mrs. Woodrow won’t sign him off detention until he completes the notes. Reluctantly, Tod pens his story.



Tod’s home life is directly attached to the reasons why he bullies people. He steals lunch money so he doesn’t go hungry, because his mother can’t afford to give him any money of his own. He picks on people so they don’t pick on him first. Tod knows he is intelligent, but he also knows that he can’t afford college, so he doesn’t see the point in working hard. He prefers to play the class clown. This way, if anyone makes fun of his old clothes or worn shoes, he can laugh it off without showing how hurt he is.

Mrs. Woodrow quickly realizes that Tod is in trouble when she reads his notebook. She sees that he harbors a lot of sadness and lacks confidence in himself, explaining his need to make other people feel weak. She encourages Tod to keep writing. She reads over his work every evening. She learns that Tod misses his father terribly, and he keeps a short “goodbye” note in a suitcase because that’s all his father left behind. Mrs. Woodrow knows that Tod won’t stop bullying people until he gets help.

The more Tod journals about his days, the better he understands his own feelings. Writing becomes cathartic to him, giving him the space he needs to examine his behavior without someone shouting at him or punishing him. This is part of Mrs. Woodrow’s plan. She knows Tod is smart enough to correct his own ways if he is given enough encouragement. Although her strategy doesn’t work with all bullies, it works with someone like Tod.



In Scrawl, Tod doesn’t ever do anything especially cruel or violent. This allows Shulman to make the distinction between kids who are crying out for help, like Tod, and the ones who have vicious natures, like many bullies. Tod isn’t designed to make readers think that all bullies are nice people. Instead, Tod challenges kids to see that not everyone is bad and that no one should judge someone prematurely.

By the end of Scrawl, Tod has stopped bullying people. His external circumstances haven’t changed—he’s still poor, and his father isn’t coming back—but Tod is learning how to work through his feelings without taking them out on other people. Instead of bullying people or playing the class clown, he focuses on getting good grades and being the best version of himself. Teachers like Mrs. Woodrow keep an eye on him, making sure that no one bullies him. The book ends on a hopeful note.