Spud - Learning to Fly

I would suggest if you are planning on reading the series and watching the Movies don't do it. I found the books much more entertaining then the movies. I loved the style of the writing and sharing Spuds growth into a man. But if your a John Cleese and Troy Sivan fan watch the movies. Don't be surprised that the farther from the book the movie gets the less funny and touching it beccomes

Just read the series if you're a teenage male. You won't regret it at all. The books hit some deep points but are always funny and keep you invested. This will never be in schools and is better because of that fact. Just read the books and thank me later

Brilliant book Liked all the funny bits and the mischievous stuff these boys do! I recommend it to all people with a good sense of humor! I gave it a five star rating because of the writer and his perfect writing. Some mistakes but still stays an awesome book!!

The fact that Spud's journey through high school took place at the same time as mine, made this book more relevant and funny. Many of his comments around the political situation mirrored our thoughts and the humor which John van der Ruit uses, really tickles my funny bone. The Crazy Eight are without a doubt crazy, and their antics are typical of young men in a boarding school. The Guv with his infinite wacky wisdom was played out in my mind as a typical John Cleese character, so it was with great delight that I found him to play the part in the movie. I have enjoyed seeing each of the characters growing throughout the series of Spud, and now on to "Exit, pursued by a bear"

I read these years ago and got my son into them recently and he can’t get enough!!!

What an awesome book from a great first-time South African writer. The character development is fantastic and I was taken back many years to my school years. I have visited the school In KwaZulu Natal and thanks to brilliant writing by the author, I have "seen" the story before my eyes while driving around there. A must read for any story lover and teenagers of all walks of life.

I've been following the Spud series for a year. The first one is the best of all. The last two that I read didn't impressed me as much. It was pretty entertaining tho.

Excellent. It is most enjoyable and very amusing. Would like more of this sort of book. I have already read it several times.

Bought this book and 2 others in the series for my niece at Xmas. They arrived very quickly and in perfect condition. She was very happy and surprised Xmas morning.

This book is the third instalment in the Spud series by John van de Ruit. If you've read the other two, you'll know all about the Spud series by now. If you haven't, I'd recommend buying the first two, but I'll explain the basic outline. John 'Spud' Milton goes to an exclusive South African boy's boarding school in the early 1990s. He is a member of the 'Crazy Eight', the nickname of the boys in Spud's house and year group, including the tough Robert 'Rambo' Black, the muscular, self-appointed leader, Vern 'Rain Man' Blackadder, a deranged boy who pulls out his hair in clumps and generally acts very weirdly, Sidney 'Fatty' Smitherson-Scott, a rather obese boy (hence the name), who will eat almost anything, holds the unofficial school farting record and is one of Spud's best friends throughout the series, and Leonard Pike, a boy two years ahead of Spud, not in the 'Crazy Eight' and a very nasty, vindictive boy. This third book is set in 1992 and as always, mad things are going on around Spud as he returns for his third year. Much to his horror, Pike is back and is now a prefect, while a new, extremely talkative and hyper boy from Malawi has moved into Spud's dormitory. He gets a part in a Shakespeare production and in the process, spends a term at a girls' school along with several other boys. His family are as nutty as ever, with Spud developing an aversion to eating fish after a stay with his news bulletin and Queen Elizabeth II-obsessed grandmother, Wombat. Girls are a major trouble in Spud's world, with his large-breasted girlfriend 'Mermaid' wanting to be just friends with him and femme fatale Amanda still the object of his pinings, while school slapper Christine being the subject of surprisingly pleasureable dreams. All in all, this is a slightly puerile, very funny sequel to the first two Spud books, "Spud" and "Spud: The Madness Continues". If you've already read them, buy this book. If you haven't, I highly recommend buying them first so you are up to date with the full story of John Milton's schooldays. Happy reading!

brilliant book, may be a bit too "South African" for others - or maybe not, great comedy! I would highly recommend this.

Great Book! The first ones are better though but still fun to read! Enjoy your read about south african School life

If you liked the first two Spud books, you'll love this one. With a big chunk of the book set in a girls school, it's very different to the previous books and sees Simon suffer a questionable breakdown and Fatty fall in love! This book has plenty of laughs and is a very successful third entry in the series.