Duck

"I hope that one day I would have the courage to stand up to Fish. Although that day is coming, it isn't going to be today, and now I need a plan B in a hurry." Everybody has a point when they are not going to take it anymore. Few get the national attention that Zeke gets when he reaches that point. Duck follows the life of Zeke Zebman as he navigates his way through tenth grade, a year punctuated by an egg battle, an epic snowball fight, a Valentine's Day dance disaster, antiwar protests, first love, and multiple black eyes. Set in 1969-70, the first moon landing, Woodstock, and the Vietnam War serve as a backdrop for Zeke's struggles against his nemesis, Fish, an eleventh grader with a grudge. Zeke's fears about being reunited with Fish in high school come to reality on the first day of tenth grade before he even gets on the bus. With his big brother in the army, Zeke no longer has his security blanket and needs to figure out how to deal with Fish on his own.