There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom

Sachar, Louis (1987). There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom. New York, NY: Bullseye Books.

You can't help but feel for the main character in this story, Bradley Chalkers. Even though he is a bright and nice kid inside, he will NOT show it (especially at school!) Kids at school hate him because he is a bully. The only real friends in his life are the animals in his collection of porcelain figurines he speaks to on a daily basis. When a new kid (Jeff) ends up in his classroom, they become friends (sort of). Both Bradley and Jeff start seeing the new counselor (Carla) and begin to build a bond with her. At first, Bradley thinks she is weird but in the end he really ends up loving her. With the counselor's support, Bradley attempts to make a 180 and change his attitude completely. He even earns his first gold star from his teacher Mrs. Ebbel. Unfortunately, Carla the counselor has to leave the school because parents in the school do not like her giving their children advice. In the end, Bradley starts to see what Carla saw in him all along. He COULD be a great kid if he just tried and believed in himself. She did and it was enough to make him try!
The author uses personification in the story by making his porcelain and ceramic figures embody his "friends". They had conversations with him on a daily basis and were his only real friends for most of the book. Sachar also used understatement by not telling us that Bradley was truly a good kid inside. We knew he acted differently outside of school but were never told why he ever started acting this way. 
(I can remember reading this book in 5th grade!!! As I re-read it, I recalled a boy named Bobby who reminded me so much of Bradley. I wonder if Bobby is still as mean and ruthless as I remember him?)