14-year-old Prue and her younger sister, Grace, have been home-schooled by their controlling father for years. They’re not allowed TV, or a computer, or even to go to the cinema. But things are beginning to change: Prue should be starting on her exam courses and the Education Authority is on to her dad. Everything looks set for a battle when Dad suddenly falls ill and has a prolonged stay in hospital. There’s no question about it, Prue and Grace will have to go to a proper school.

But how will they survive at the local high school with their old-fashioned clothes and ignorance of most of the things teenagers take for granted? For Prue there’s one ray of light at school – Mr Raxberry, Rax, the art teacher. He’s cool, popular and, amazingly, he thinks Prue is very special too . . .