1

Buster comes

to Town

Nobody was better at being bad Buster reed. Being bad was what Buster did best. What Buster first came to town with his family, it did't take long for

everybody to find that out. Buster Reed flicked paint ...  said rude words to girls...

stuck chewing gum under the seat ... wore the same socks every day for a month ... 

and wrote his name on the desk with a crayon. When the teacher in class said, 'Buster Reed, do you know the answer?' Buster just poked out his tongue and said 'No!' Buster was so busy being bad that he was having a bit of trouble making new friends Nobody seemed to want to play with 

2

A Ride on

Roger's Harley 

Buster's mum, Vee, was bad too. Everyone knew she had a big skull and crossbones  tattoo on her bum ( Miranda  Morell saw it when she was getting changed in the swimming - pool change rooms).

Vee Reed was always late for parent - teacher meetings. When Vee worked in the canteen she got 

everybody's orders mixed up.  It made the other mums cross. Sometimes she gave all the Kids free icy poles 

when she wasn't supposed to. Buster's dad, Roger,  was even dadder then that! You could see all his tattoos and he never even made it to the parent-teacher meetings.Roger always made a lot of noise on his motorbike when he dropped Buster off at school in the morning. Sometimes he took the car spot of the principal, Mr Meed. It made Mr Meed cross. 

Roger Reed spent his time working on his hardly and carving sculptures out of old 

tree stumps. He used a chainsaw!One Friday afternoon

Buster came home from school with a letter to show his dad. It was the third letter from school in a week saying he'd been dad. 

Roger stopped work on his Harley, read the note, scratched his beard and said, 'Buster, I think it's time we found something to keep you out of trouble.' The next morning Roger took buster for a ride on the Harley. 

3

Finding 

a Friend

Soon they came to a big brick building with a sign over the gate. The sign said: 

Home For Lost And Unwanted Dogs

Roger Read reed rang the bell in the office and a grey - haired lady wearing orange overalls and a big straw hat came  to the desk.

'Hello,' she said, 'how can I help you?'"I'm Buster Reed,' said Buster, 'and I'm looking for something to keep me out of trouble.'

'I'm Rhonda,' said the lady, 'and it sounds like you might be looking for a dog.'

Rhonda introduced Buster to the most lost, most unwanted, baddest bunch of dogs he had ever seen. Buster liked the dogs very much.Rhonda could see that Buster was having a bit of trouble deciding which one he wanted for a friend. "If you like,' she said to him, 'you come back

after school and spend some more time with the dogs. That might help you to decide which one you like the most.'

And so, on his way home from school on Monday, Buster dropped into the Dogs Home ... and the next day after that ... and the next day after that too. Buster and the dogs got along very well. 

4

Buster and 

the Dogs 

When Harry, the boxer, snarled at Buster, Buster just snarled right back. Soon Harry wagged his tail instead. When Chester, the grumpy sausage dog, 

turned his back on Buster, Buster rubbed him under his tummy and said, 'Come on, Chester!'

Soon Chester jumped up and ran in circles Whenever he saw Buster coming. When Shirley, the three-legged poodle, snapped at Buster, Buster just snapped right back. Soon Shirley licked Buster instead. When Lenny, The one-eyed healer, looked too unhappy, Buster put his unhappiest face and tickled Lenny under the chin.

It made Lenny grin and they both felt better. When Linda, the postman-chasing doberman, tried to 

Buster spent lots of time trying to train the dogs.He took them to the park and tried to train them to come when he whistled. 

He never had much success but it was lots of fun privatising. Sometimes he threw the ball for them.  They didn't bring it back very often. Buster had to go and get it himself. Buster did't The dogs made him feel happy. Buster liked Rhonda too. She didn't care about his grubby face and scabby knees and she never seemed to notice his smelly socks. She was a bit smelly herself from spending so much time with the dogs.

Buster liked to help Rhonda with the dogs. Together they cleaned out the cages ... did lots of washing and brushing ... gave the dogs food and water ... and took them on big walks in the park. Sometimes, after they'd finished work, Rhonda took Buster over to her cottage next door. She showed him all her dog books while they 

ate chocolate cake and drank tea from her best china tea set. 

Rhonda always gave Buster as much chocolate cake as he wanted. He always looked very happy when Vee and Roger came to pick him up. 

At school Buster Reed forgot to be so bad.  He stopped flicking paint. He stopped saying rude words to girls. He forgot to chew gum or write his name on the desk with a crayon. But everybody else remembered. Buster still  didn't have anyone to play with. 

5

Buster gets a Feeling 

One Thursday afternoon,with fifteen more minutes of school to go, Buster got a feeling about Rhonda and the Dogs Home. It was a very strong sort of quivery feeling deep in his tummy. 

The feeling told him that Rhonda and dogs needed him right now! Buster watched the hands of the clock and waited for 

the end-of-school bell to ring.  At last! Buster ran as fast as he could. When he got to the Dogs Home all the dogs were darking and howling and scratching at their cages. He ran through the gate to check on the dogs. Harry was snarling. Chester was covering his eyes his paws.

Shirley was snapping. Lenny looked angry. Linda was running in circles. Something was wrong.