Andy Seed
Last Christmas, my sister gave me the 1st book of Andy Seed's memoirs from when he was a young teacher at a village school in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1980s. That first book was a paperback, and I reviewed it here. Then, I read the 2nd book on my kindle, ; you can find my review here.
Earlier this week, I have finished the 3rd - and, from what I see on the author's website - last one (again on my kindle). That's a shame, because I really enjoyed them very much, and wouldn't mind more!
Just like with books 1 and 2, the author follows an entire school year along with the seasons, and as before, each chapter bears the name of one of his students. Those chapters do not focus exclusively on the one student, but they feature in a special way; we learn about their background, their strengths and problems, and how their teacher is able (and very rarely, unable) to build a good relationship with them and help them grow.
In this one, we find Andy and his young family having a few adventures: They go for walks that turn out longer than expected, take a short holiday in a caravan at a farm, the little boys (now 4 and 2 years old) have birthday parties, and much more. But of course the main thing is the teacher's work at the school and his aim to do the best he can for his students.
There are a seaside school trip and other memorable events such as football matches against other schools, visits from school inspectors, fêtes and performances for the parents, and some new additions such as a herb garden and modern whiteboards.
Just as in real life, it's not all rosy; there are financial hardships, friends move away, and one particular parent keeps pestering his son's teacher for perceived unfairness. But there is also a lot of joy and fun to be had, and some real bright moments when Andy knows it's all been worthwile.
In my opinion, buying and reading these books was certainly worthwile!
Those do sound nice but no luck at my library. Hope you are enjoying your weekend with O.K.! :)
ReplyDeleteI find them particularly nice because they are set in the Yorkshire Dales - not that I know the area like the back of my hand, but I know it a little, and like it very much.
DeleteOh this would be something that I would love to read! I only know Yorkshire from the James Herriot books but I read them so much, I feel as if I know them. "The Secret Garden", set in Yorkshire, I read that one so many times, I think I might be able to speak with a Yorkshire accent!
ReplyDelete"The Secret Garden" made it to my list of favourite books of all times long before I ever set foot on Yorkshire soil myself :-)
DeleteAs for the accent, of course it differs from place to place, and sometimes I compare what I am reading with what I know from the way Steve and his friends and family speak. And Alf Wright/James Herriot himself was from Scotland, as of course you know :-)
Oh yes, he was indeed from Scotland. I think that was part of the charm of his books, he could see Yorkshire through the eyes of someone who was used to living in a bigger city and he appreciated the countryside so much.
DeleteA bit like me - coming from a densely built-up area, and really enjoying Yorkshire everytime I'm over!
DeleteI have never heard of these books, but they sound wonderful and I am going to go find them on Amazon for my Kindle. Thanks for reviewing them.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Kathy! It would be nice to compare notes when you have read them.
Delete