# Ten of the Best: School Stories with a Difference

Wendy Cooling

Ten prize-winning authors each with a brand new story based on their own schooldays. Bernard Ashley, Malorie Blackman, Berlie Doherty, Paul Jennings, Margaret Mahy, Michael Morpurgo, Jenny Nimmo, Michael Rosen, Jeremy Strong and Robert Swindells.Brand new stories based on each author’s own schooldays – sometimes funny, often poignant, always riveting. Written in each author’s unique style and based on something that is common to every child in the country – SCHOOL. Authors as below:PAUL JENNINGSMICHAEL MORPURGOJEREMY STRONGBERNARD ASHLEYROBERT SWINDELLSMALORIE BLACKMANBERLIE DOHERTYJENNY NIMMOMARGARET MAHYMICHAEL ROSENStories of running away from school; getting the strap for punishments; vindictive teachers; boys who tell porky-pies; the shy girl who could only talk through her puppet; getting expelled ; being an evacuee; original ways of getting out of being in the school play, as well as meeting one’s own true love at school! Stories that contemporary schoolchildren will relate to in sharing the triumphs and disasters of their favourite authors’ schooldays.

## ten of the best. School Stories with a Difference!

Edited by

Wendy Cooling


## Dedication

To Rita

## Contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Margaret Mahy School Days

Margaret Mahy: School Days

Robert Swindells Porkies

Robert Swindells: Porkies

Berlie Doherty The Puppet Show

Berlie Doherty: The Puppet Show

Jeremy Strong A Thoroughly Idle Boy

Jeremy Strong: A Thoroughly Idle Boy

Jenny Nimmo Dormitory Nights

Jenny Nimmo: Dormitory Nights

Bernard Ashley ‘Ashley, Sit There!’

Bernard Ashley: ‘Ashley, sit There!’

Malorie Blackman Jessica’s Secret

Malorie Blackman: Jessica’s Secret

Michael Morpurgo My One and Only Great Escape

Michael Morpurgo: My One and Only Great Escape

Paul Jennings Strap Stopper

Paul Jennings: Strap Stopper

Michael Rosen ‘Tilly-vally, Lady!’

Michael Rosen: ‘Tilly-vally, Lady! ’

About the Author

Other Works

Copyright

About the Publisher

### Margaret Mahy School Days


### All the Fleas ran up your back

MARGARET MAHY has been a nurse, a librarian and is New Zealand’s best-known children’s author. She became the first writer outside the United Kingdom to win the Carnegie Medal, for The Haunting, winning the same award two years later for The Changeover. Her other novels include Memory, Twenty-four Hours, Riddle of the Frozen phantom and her soon-to-be-published Alchemy. In 1993 she was awarded New Zealand’s highest honour, the Order of New Zealand, which is only ever held by twenty living people at any one time.