The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler

Follows the ups and downs of a school year for Tyke Tiler, including taking care of a friend, Danny, who has much more trouble at school than Tyke, both mean and kind teachers, a hectic but loving home, and adventures in an abandoned mill.

Above-average entry in the genre of first-person school narratives. The story was fun and the characters believable; I was particularly impressed with how I was completely fooled until the very end into thinking Tyke was a boy. (I assume this was the point and not that I was just weirdly dense about it, because it *did* seem to be a purpose-filled reveal, with no indication of her gender previous to the last couple of pages).

This was one of our compulsory books at primary school, but despite that, I still love it. Tyke's life in the final year of primary school is drawn with warmth and wit, exploring abandoned mill buildings, fighting bullies, trying to save their friend, escaping mice in assemblies and helping their dad run for council. And I still remember the twist being such a punch when I was younger, and rereading it already knowing that is interesting.

I first read this book, or more likely had it read to me, when I was at infant school in the early 1980s. Although I couldn't remember many details of it, I had fond memories of it. I've just finished rereading it and I enjoyed it at least as much this time round. Doubtless I'm biased by nostalgia, but I think the book has aged well. It also has a brilliant plot twist right at the end, which is one of the few details I had remembered. Because of that, it can perhaps be most completely enjoyed when reading or hearing the story for the first time, but there's plenty still to enjoy on subsequent readings.

Read in year seven English when I was about 11/12 and remember thinking it was okay... not my usual.

Worth reading for the twist at the end.