Gervase Phinn

One hot day in the middle of a jungle, a strange little creature hatches out of an egg. 'Who am I?' he asks himself. Off he plods through the tall grass to find out. He meets many animals but all of them are different. Will he ever find out who he is and what makes him special? (Publisher).

A collection of poems based around the familiar themes of school and family, ranging from such topics as embarrassing and annoying parents, choosing a pet and running away from home, to reading around the class, facing the school inspector, and surviving a school trip. Some are funny, some are poignant, all are thought-provoking.

"Even with a huge problem to worry about, Father McKenzie still manages to see the good in everyone. Will his nosy housekeeper and the gossips down the road succeed in spoiling things or will Father McKenzie's advice win the day?"--Back cover.

For eleven-year old James Joseph Johnson (or Jimmy for short) life is not always straightforward. In fact, things can be quite complicated, and don't always turn out as he'd planned...Born in 1946, Jimmy lives with his Mum and Dad in a shiny red brick terraced house in South Yorkshire near the steel works. Sometimes the air is thick and metallic tasting, with bits of soot floating around like little black snowflakes. Despite all this, Jimmy wouldn't want to live anywhere else.His very best friend, Ignatius Plunkett, is a scrawny boy with a sharp beak of a nose, ears like jug handles and a mop of jet black hair. Micky is his rather 'posh' friend from the big houses down the road. The boys get into a few scrapes in the year leading up to the eleven-plus exams, but will they come out on top in the end?Will Jimmy survive a week looking after Butch, the temperamental, barrel-bodied bull terrier? Will the truth about the trip to buy Dad's tripe ever come out? What really happens to Jimmy's Mum's coffee and walnut cake, and will the mystery of the missing locket ever get solved?

Gervase tells of a life full of happiness, conversation, music and books shared with his three siblings, mother and father. This book 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. Devour numerous uproarious stories including the incident involving a broken greenhouse, crashing his brother's newly restored bike as well as secrets about his first dates, adventures at summer camp, family trips to Blackpool and many other captivating tales. With a wicked ear for the comical, and a sharp eye for detail, this beautifully written book visits poignant moments, significant events and precious memories from a boy called Gervase.

A Wayne in a Manger includes 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. One hilarious anecdote tells of an innkeeper who generously says there's plenty of room for Mary and Joseph, while another child, jealous of Joseph's starring role, allows Mary to come in but not Joseph, who can 'push off' ... There's the baby Jesus who suddenly pipes up with 'My name is Tammy, are you my Mommy?' and funniest of all, Mary who tells Joseph, 'I'm having a baby - oh and it's not yours'.

Summer has arrived in Barton-in-the-Dale and as a new term begins at the little primary school, it's not just the warm weather that's getting people hot under the collar. Meetings with the teachers from Urebank School to discuss the merger are producing more than a few fireworks, a disruptive new pupil arrives, set to cause trouble, and a surprising staff love affair is exposed. There's also a big school production of the Wizard of Oz to organise as well as an impending visit from the Minister of Education. Head teacher Elisabeth Devine certainly has her work cut out for her -- book jacket.

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 proves to everyone that sometimes he can be in the right place at the right time.

Eleven-year-old Royston Knapper is always up to mischief and in trouble with his teachers and parents as he disrupts his classroom, tricks his father, and brings home a vicious dog.