In the heart of the Liverpool docklands ravaged by bombing, Fergus and me are two kids attending a tough urban school. Having to cope with the school bully is bad enough, but it's not just the other kids who are a problem. Some of the teachers - bordering on psycho - are employing the carrot-and-stick method of motivation ... without the carrot.And then, there's Shakespeare - what use is that going to be?Set in England following World War II, this moving, and at times funny, age-of-innocence story celebrates the special bond between two best friends - a bond stronger than death itself.