Bastian Balthazar Bux

Any young reader undergoing growing pains is likely to identify with Bastian. Bastian is an unhappy little boy, misunderstood at home and teased by his peers. For solace, he turns to books and food. Thus, although his mind and imagination are well developed, he is pale and overweight. Having lost his mother and having been tormented by his schoolmates, Bastian has become very timid and very angry. He retreats from the world around him and spends his time imagining he is strong and handsome so he could show his mean schoolmates a thing or two. Much of Bastian's anger and fear stems from his tendency to be extremely hard on himself. He is so hyper critical that when he commits the crime of stealing a book from a book shop, Bastian decides he must run away forever for he sees no possibility of ever atoning for...