Dirty Ernie and the J-Men

"Dirty Ernie and the J-Men" is a coming-of-age adventure story of four young friends, the mysterious new kid in town who seemed to drift in from another time and place, and the school year where the magic and restlessness of childhood and the freedom and pain of adulthood collided. Jimmy, Kenny, Bryan and Don were tight-knit friends in mid-20th century Middle-America. But it was not a time of innocence. The boy's lives had been scarred by war, separation, alcoholism, death, and vicious family violence. Then into their world stepped Dirty Ernie. He was equal parts outcast and loner, yet with a dangerous and irresistible appeal. Dirty Ernie represented fascination and fearlessness to the boys, but a threat to be conquered by their heartless teacher, Mr. Ounces. As one adventure piled upon another, a group of friends became brothers - the J-Men, and their dull assumptions about the road ahead were smashed under the weight of their courage, hope, and a thirst to chart their own paths.