Wart, Son of Toad

It’s not Steve’s fault that his dad is the most hated teacher at school, nicknamed the Toad. What the kids at school don’t know is that Steve’s dad is even harder on Steve than he is on his students. And that his dad has been miserable ever since Steve’s mom and sister died in a car crash three years ago. Most of the kids don’t even know Steve’s real name – they just call him Wart, Son of Toad. Steve’s failing most of his classes, and the auto mechanics program he wants to get into is looking like an impossible dream. Not that it matters, anyway: the Toad would never sign off on his son fixing cars. Steve and his dad may live in the same house, but they exist on completely different planets. And then there’s Trish, the one person who actually understands Steve – but she’s in love with someone else.

First published in 1985, Alden R. Carter’s Wart, Son of Toad is a powerful, acclaimed story about love, loss, and taking control of your own destiny.