The Flying Classroom

Translated into English as The Flying Classroom.

For the longest time I've always associated the 'right books' with immense bouts of depression. Since I was a kid, I would happily spend the day reading tonnes of charming little tales about brave princes, mysterious elves and clever talking tigers. But then some busybody teacher would inevitably ruin my enjoyment by letting me know that these books were not age-appropriate anymore. I needed to read stories with more depth! I would generally relent and give the suggested books a try, only to end up neck deep in melancholy. And people wonder why kids are reluctant to take up reading...

How about telling them about an author's trials in finishing a story that is 2 years overdue? Let them show more giggle at his pathetic attempts to claim that Christmas stories cannot possibly be penned in August. Failing that, tell them about giving butterflies auspicious names like Gottfried, in attempt to hone their stalling techniques.

As for the story itself, wouldn't your inner child rather read about rowdy kids preparing for their winter holiday? Now don't dismiss these activities as meaningless, just because of our protagonists' age: waging a snowball-fight to liberate your friend, or protect your school's honor is no small feat. Plenty of planning is needed for this. Tactical approach to battle, stalling methodology to gain time to liberate the captive, and not least dealing with the consequences of unauthorized rule breaking.

Still seems too cheerful a representation of the real world? How about being 'unfairly' stuck in detention while your sick mother is waiting for you to visit her at the hospital?

By the end of the story, I was freely bawling my eyes out. This is the kind of story you should want 12-year-olds to discuss. Not stuffy old poems, entrenched so deep in their own metaphors that even the teachers have to rely on heavy guesswork to analyze them.

The only thing I was not too keen on, were the chapter titles. They gave away the entire plot of the story!

Score: 4.2/5 stars

This is the kind of story that will make children want to dive into a book and not emerge until they've scoured its every nook and cranny. show less

I fell in love with this story, it was so charming, moving and simply wonderful, I couldn't stop reading it! It's a school story, a group of boys living in a boarding school and their teachers and their adventures in a week before Christmas. If you want to read a heart-warming story in which teachers are supportive and love their job, I highly recommend this book.

With its whimsical content, conversational tone, and jovial characters, The Flying Classroom is a unique bit of prose with a timeless feel. While the narrative seems a bit disjointed to start, the reader soon becomes accustomed to the style, and it proves a wholly satisfying means of bringing pieces of the story together. An enjoyable and clever read.

zu lange her um es zu merken

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Match found in the German National Library.