Scrawl

by Mark Shulman

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Scrawl, by Mark Shulman, is a novel about a bully named Tod

Munn who gets in trouble and spends his detention by writing a story

that explains his story in a beat up notebook. Tod Munn has to explain

his journey until he realizes that he could actually turn into a good guy.

At first Tod thought that his punishment was stupid, but as his narrative

takes shape, he understands why readers write novels and what it takes

to write one. Tod says, “you've definitely gone above and beyond, but

why?” (229). Tod doesn't believe in himself and what he can

accomplish until Mrs. Woodrow comes into his life and decides to help

Tod become a protagonist instead of an antagonist. As he scribbles all

afternoon, he writes his novel and sees how real life authors go through

the experience of preparing a novel by describing the main character’s

personality traits, his background, and his story throughout the book.
 Being a bully occurs when a person loses control of some aspect of

their life, and it can be difficult to others. Bullies most likely become

who they are because they usually have no friends at first or are

insecure. In order to change their behavior, bullies must learn how to

identify and cope with the source of the insecurity. Like the novel, many

teens struggle with being bullied at some point in their lives. Scrawl is

the kind of book that makes a person realize how their attitude affects

their outlook. Tod Munn’s world is fictional, but many of his old

negative characteristics can be seen in the real world with the bullying

that occurs in schools. Tod’s journey towards self-awareness allows the

reader to experience a similar process.

Works Cited

Rosenthal, Beth. Bullying. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2008. Print.

Shulman, Mark. Scrawl: A Novel. New York: Roaring Brook, 2010.

Print.