MEET THE GANG!

Ginger’s long-suffering family consist of his patient Mum, Sarah, his short-fused wfh accountant Dad, John, and his baby brother, Dudley. Ginge wouldn’t be able to survive without his two furry best-mates: his dog, Mike and his pet monkey, Tony.

Ginger’s adventures wouldn’t be anything without the vast array of personalities surrounding him:

His best mate Benny, a frequent co-conspirator in Ginger’s capers is a bit of a scaredy-cat. He gets talked into more hair-brained schemes than he’d be willing to admit, but he always enjoys the stories he gets to tell at the ice cream shop afterwards. Fitzzy is Ginger’s ever-patient nerdy friend. His Dad makes a lot of money, so Fitzzy always has the latest and greatest gadgets; from phones to drones. he is an avid reader and usually tops the class on every test. Teacher’s Pet doesn’t begin to describe Cuthbert “Fitzzy” Fitzcloon. His philosophies on life are often shared with (and go over the head of) Ginger while they lie on their favourite hill staring up at the clouds. He often ponders why he shares his ponderings.

If you asked him, Ginge would tell you girls are yuk and that girl germs are a real thing… that is, unless your asking him about Minnie Peters. Min is a softly spoken big-hearted redhead with a big crush on our loveable larrikin hero. Many an attempt at impressing Min (in the face of being one-upped by Eddie Coogan) has ended with Ginger upside-down in a bin, or even worse: totally embarrassed in front of his mates.

Next up is Ginger’s mate Rahul - a part Sri Lankan, Part Indian Aussie kid who is the only one Ginger will admit is better at batting when it comes to a game of backyard cricket. Rahul is a tall, lanky boy with a heart of gold, and one of Ginger’s more insightful mates. His mum and dad run the town medical practice and are very proud of their only son.

If Min is a girly girl, then Aggie is the total opposite: the tomboy of the group (but an old romantic at heart). She loves nothing better than putting the big stupid boys in their place… that is, after she’s got them to pay at her kissing booth… or get a reading from her ‘magical orb of truth’ (Her mum’s old lamp, previously her dad’s missing bowling ball.) Aggie is ever an enterprising innovator: coming up with new ways to lure a couple of bucks from the local kids. If it weren’t for her on-again-off-again relationship with the aloof boofhead, Chubb, she’d be happy as a clam. Instead, she’s often found pining loudly to Min about how unfair relationships are. Her jaded love advice column has become one of the least popular blogs on the internet.

Next up is Gloria Tudehope- the fastest, funniest and most talented girl in school. Not only can Gloria claim to be the only one to be able to beat Ginger in a running race, but she also has a very special musical talent for the violin. Nobody would know it, however, since she’s the most modest kid in school. This brings us to Penny Chieng- a strong-minded young girl from the next town over, with an IQ higher than Mt Everest and the wit to match. Penny has the record for the sickest burns to the sleazy approaches of Eddie Coogan, and the biggest social media following of all the kids in school combined. Her single mother, a Malaysian immigrant who works as a family lawyer, has taught her that she can do anything she wants in life if she applies herself, and so far it’s paying off: she recently beat out Fitzzy as the top-of-the-class in the Geography exam… their rivalry is slowly becoming a thing of legend.

And last, but not least, (okay, maybe shortest) is little Hookey. Hookey is like your friend’s little brother that follows you around when you’re trying to cause trouble, and always tells your Mum what you’ve been up to when you get back home after dark. He’s a bit of a tattle-tail, but it’s only because he doesn’t want to get the wooden spoon for lying.

Where would our hero be without his ever-present villains? From the day Ginger started causing trouble, Tiger Kelly was right there to cause even more. Thwarting capers, up-ending romantic gestures and generally causing havoc, the dastardly Tiger Kelly is Ginger’s arch-nemesis. The moment those stripes are spotted, you can be sure Ginger’s legs are moving at triple-speed.

Of course, it isn’t just Tiger who causes Ginger stress; the sleazy, filthy rich Eddie Coogan is next on our list of rivals. Eddie will do anything to garner the affections of any of the girls in school (he’s yet to find any success) and is the one thing constantly coming between Ginger and Min having an actual relationship. Who can say how Min could even consider Coogan’s “charms” over Ginger’s, but it is a constant source of anxiety for our little ginger-haired mate…

…which brings us to yet another source of Ginger’s anxiety: Jugears Jonson. Jugears is so big, sometimes kids wonder if he’s taken the fifth grade more than a few times over. Food is is life, and anything that gets in his way of it will regret it. The most feared bully in school, Juggie is still capable of having a soft side. Legend has it around the schoolyard that he once played the flute… but no kids have been able to verify the rumour on account of them not being able to speak for some reason.

-and lastly, Ginger’s greatest foe of all… his teacher, Mr. Canehard. How did he get the name Canehard? It’s a long story. Let’s just say, he’s the most grumpy, exhausted teacher that ever lived, and Ginger is the number one source of that anxiety. Mr. C has given out more detentions than any teacher in history, and he’s very proud of that record. The only thing keeping him from leaving is his passion for teaching (and the reassuring grades of Penny and Fitzzy).