"Winston must have held the grade-nine record for being stuffed into his locker. He refers to it as his 'tin can condo.' He even has a pillow in there with a special loop so it can hang on a coat hook-just in case the janitor takes a little longer than usual with the hacksaw.";

But for kids like Winston, there's hope. Nicknamed 'Savior Sherwood.' Alex Sherwood has taken it upon himself to defend all the kids being bullied, robbed and generally made to feel miserable in John Lekich's teen novel The Loser's Club (Annick $10.95).

Also by Lekich is Reel Adventures (Annick $10.95). With succinct write-ups and theme summaries, the teen movie guide covers films from Harry Potter to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Complete with an index, it features gossip about Hollywood actors, such as this tidbit about Jim Carrey: "For years, the struggling comedian kept a cheque in his wallet, which he had made out to himself for the amount of $20 million. He reportedly stopped carrying the cheque around the time he actually earned $20 million from The Cable Guy."; John Lekich lives in Vancouver.

Loser 1-55037-752-3; Reel 1-55037-735-3