Three boys adopt an old car after paying $100 each to the council. They do it up as a paddock basher as they haven't got their licences yet.
Story about growing up and getting a part time job so you can have money and not rely on handouts from your divorced father.
Boy takes a job at a dairy farm - responsibility when owner has a heart attack.
Relationship with nagging grandfather and eventually gets his licence.
Also meets some girls on the beach. ( )

On the way home from the beach teenage friends Jake, Buzz and Robbie find an abandoned car in a ditch and Robbie comes up with an awesome plan; a paddock basher. The three mates decided to split the repairs three-ways or not at all. Not a problem if you have an income to pay for it. But Jake doesn’t and is not keen on getting a job, but why should he keep sponging off the others to pay for the car parts and gas.
As the weeks go by with the help of his Grandad, Jake finally comes around to the idea of getting a job, but what sort? Buzz talks him into helping out do some relief milking. A light goes on in Jakes head… good money, enough to pay off a fine and to pay for the car parts and gas, maybe he could save to get his learners license too.
I just loved the kiwi language, the subtle teen boy jokes and the description that was used in the story. I could smell and hear the NZ countryside and imagine the faces of these boys as it story went along. A fabulous read for teenage boys 12 years and over, they won’t be able to put this down. Dirt Bomb bought back many childhood memories for me, to me a priceless piece of kiwiana in a book. ( )

Jake's life changed when Robbie thought the friends should "do-up" an old bomb and thrash it around the paddocks. Buzz, the only friend with work said they all had to put money into the joint venture. A good teen read but there is cussing and swearing which will exclude this book from a few school libraries. ( )