Derek Norman

Derek "Buddy" Norman is an imaginative, easily frightened boy who is new to the town of Odyssey. Nervousness sends his imagination running wild, recasting classmates and neighbors as outlaws, mob bosses, and monsters, and he is happiest buried in his Knights of Yore books and Captain Spiff comic books. Though timid - he has hidden in a lodge bathroom to avoid an advanced ski run - Buddy shows real courage when it counts, standing up publicly for his faith and refusing to abandon a friend caught stealing. He hikes and camps with the Trail Life troop based at Whit's End, guided by his patient father and by Mr. Whittaker's gentle lessons. His friends include the boastful Jay Smouse, skateboarding Beezy, and Zoe Grant, a next-door neighbor who shares his love of knightly tales.