Richard Scrimger
This Just In!
At The Speed Of Gus is written by a chaotic class clown who thinks and talks fast and in many directions at once. When he’s expelled from school by a principal who doesn’t ‘get’ him, he sets out to visit his college-aged sister, who is almost the only one in the world who does. The journey becomes an odyssey when Gus’ new pills (of course he’s medicated) have unexpected side effects. Think Catcher in The Rye meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Most of my heroes are versions of myself: me if I were a little different – an alien, an old lady, a zombie. Gus is just me. If you feel breathless trying to keep track of the plot (as my own agent did), remember, you’re just reading. This is how I live.
At The Speed Of Gus is one of Canada's short-listed books for the IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities 2025.
Have you ever thought about writing a story? Do you have to write one for school? Your Story Matters is my take on the process. I’ve thought about how stories work ever since I started reading, and this book is what I’ve come up with so far.
I want to make a couple of deep and meaningful points, and for those paragraphs I put on a serious expression, but most of the book is anecdotal and funny (at least I think so). It’s also – as the subtitle suggests – practical. You can laugh along with me and my jokes, but pay attention to the exercises dotted through the book. These are designed as a step-by-step guide to writing your own story.
Books
I do not have a favorite child. Each of them makes me smile, drives me crazy, and fills me with pride and wonder. I couldn’t imagine life without any one of them. The same is true for my books. Here they are. Read about them. Check out what people say. Read an excerpt.
At The Speed Of Gus
At The Speed Of Gus features a goof who gets expelled from school and goes to visit his big sister. Think Catcher in The Rye meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
At The Speed Of Gus is one of Canada's short-listed books for the IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities 2025.
