Dominic's middle name is trouble, but not because he's got a troublesome nature, but quite simply because he's ALWAYS in the wrong place at the wrong time. So it's not surprising that he's only allowed on the school trip to Thundercliff Bay - home to pirate legend, chilling ghost stories and lost treasure - by the skin of his teeth. Or that strict Mr Risley-Newsome, who has his beady eye on him, makes him stay at the youth hostel for forgetting his walking boots. What is surprising is that a very special discovery made by Dominic saves the day when the whole class is in serious danger, and...

Rich in language, humour and rhyme, this hilarious tale is perfectly complemented by Amanda Montgomery-Higham's witty illustrations. Lizzie and Dominic desperately want a kitten but they get much more than they bargain for

Bestselling author Gervase Phinn's third collection of children's favourite sayings, amusing remarks or impossible-to-answer questions.

Three folk tales from around the world retold by the wonderful storyteller Gervase Phinn. In the first, a golden turtle offers a kindly fisherman riches beyond his wildest dreams. In the secod, Amparo s daughter looks sweet, but when she s determined to do something nothing gets in her way. In the third, a naughty leprechaun gets a big shock

Sapphire/Band 16 books offer longer reads to develop children's sustained engagement with texts and are more complex syntactically.

A wanted poster on pages 54 and 55 for the leprechaun in the last story helps children to recap all the...

Gervase Phinn reveals his early experiences as a school inspector in The Other Side of the Dale. As the newly appointed County Inspector of Schools in North Yorkshire, Gervase Phinn reveals in this warm and wonderfully humorous account, the experiences of his first year in the job--and what an education it was He quickly learns that he must slow his pace and appreciate the beautiful countryside--"Are tha'comin' in then, mester, or are tha' stoppin' out theer all day admirin' t'view?" He encounters some larger-than-life characters, from farmers and lords of the manor to teaching nuns...

Over Hill and Dale is the second volume in Gervase Phinn's bestselling Dales series. "Miss, who's that funny man at the back of the classroom?" So begins school-inspector Gervase Phinn's second year among the frankly spoken pupils and teachers of North Yorkshire--the sight of Gervase with his notebook and pen provokes unexpected reactions from the children and adults alike. But Gervase is far from daunted--he is ready to brave the steely glare of the officious Mrs. Savage, and even feels up to helping Dr. Gore organize a gathering of the Feofees--just as soon as someone tells him what...

Gervase Phinn, school inspector, begins his third year with a spring in his step for in April he will marry Christine Bentley, head teacher of Winnery Nook School. But before then he has to suffer the wicked repartee of his fellow inspectors on the subjects of love and marriage. The well-named Mrs Savage still attempts to exert her power via incomprehensible memos, and Connie continues to rule the Staff Development Centre with a broom of iron and a duster of disapproval at any dirty marks. In the schools themselves Gervase Phinn faces every challenge with humour that is rarely far from the...

Up and Down in the Dales is the fourth volume in Gervase Phinn's bestselling Dales Series
What's your name? I asked the child.
'Tequila, ' she replied. I'm named after a drink.'
'Tequila Sunrise, ' I murmured.
'No, ' pouted the child. 'Tequila Braithwaite.'
Now in his fourth year as an Inspector for English in the Yorkshire Dales, Gervase Phinn still relishes visiting the schools - whether an inner-city comprehensive fraught with difficulties or a small Dales Primary school where the main danger is one of closure. With endless good...

Gervase tells of a life full of happiness, conversation, music and books shared with his three siblings, mother and father. This title is a snapshot of growing up in Yorkshire in the 1950s - reminisce with Gervase, and share in his personal journey - of school days and holidays as well as his tentative steps into the adult world.

Helps you discover some wonderfully funny and touching nativity play anecdotes, including children forgetting their lines, ad-libbing, falling of the stage, picking their noses and showing their knickers.