The GiantPrintLibrarySchool stories for younger readers
Updated: January 2013
Any UK member of our library service may borrow up to a maximum of 6 books per service for a 3 month loan period.
Most of the books have been produced by the National Blind Children's Society and are in 24 point type with identical covers to the ordinary print versions of the books.
Please be aware that due to their size, many of the books are split into two or more volumes, and these will have the same covers.
For details on borrowing any of the titles listed or for further information regarding the Giant Print collection please contact Liz Farrell or Hazel Sharrock, Children's Librarians at RNIB National Library Service on 0161 429 1975.
School stories
Abdel-fattah, Randa
Does my head look big in this? 2006. Suggested reading age 13+. 2v.
Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full- time and everyone has a reaction. Can she handle the taunts of "nappy head," the prejudice of her classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school?
Ahlberg, Allan.
Mr Tick the teacher. 1981. Suggested reading age 5+. 1v.
A book from the Happy Families series. Mr Tick loves teaching his six children at their little school. But then they hear news that all small schools must close, so Mr Tick starts teaching some rather unusual lessons - in how to trick stern school inspectors.
Bentley, Sue
Classroom chaos. 2006. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
Part of the Magic Kitten series (other books in this series are also available). Keera Moore, the school bully, decides that Abi is going to be her target this year. Then Abi comes across an old store cupboard with sparkles flying from under the door. And inside is a fluffy back and white kitten.
Blyton, Enid
First term at MaloryTowers. 2006. Suggested reading age 9+.
Book 1 of the MaloryTowers series (other books in this series are also available). Life at MaloryTowers is full of excitement - midnight feasts, sporting matches and tricks to play on teachers! There are plenty of adventures to be had in Darrell's first term at boarding school if only she can keep her terrible temper under control!
Blyton, Enid.
The naughtiest girl in the school. 1997. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Book 1 of the Naughtiest Girl series (other books in this series are also available). Elizabeth Allen is spoilt and selfish. When she is sent away to boarding school she makes up her mind to be the naughtiest girl in the school.
Blyton, Enid.
The twins at St Clare's. 2000. Suggested reading Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Book 1 of the St Clare's series (other books in this series are also available). Pat and Isabel O'Sullivan hate having to start at St Clare's. They were the most popular pupils in their old school and they're determined not to like this new one. But is St Clare's as awful as they think?
Bradman, Tony
The Frankenstein teacher. 1998. Suggested reading age 5+. 1v.
Class F are given a very unusual teacher - Frankenstein's monster! But although he looks very scary, he has a very big heart, and the class learn to see the real person beneath the scary appearance.
Bradman, Tony.
The two Jacks. 1999. Suggested reading age 7+, suggested interest age 9+. 1v.
A Barrington Stoke book.
Are you always getting told off at school? Or are you the teacher's pet? Jack Baker is the perfect pupil until a new teacher mistakes him for bad boy Jack Barker!
Burnett, Frances Hodgson.
A little princess. 2003. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.
When Sarah Crewe arrived at Miss Minchin's school, she was like a little princess. But she was soon to be very unhappy and lonely and it was some time before her fortunes changed again.
Byars, Betsy.
The eighteenth emergency. 1991. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Benjie, the one they call "mouse", is threatened by the toughest boy in the school, Marv Hammerman. Benjie and friend Ezzie have often worked out solutions to problems, but how are they to deal with the biggest emergency of all?
Carpenter, Humphrey.
Mr Majeika and the school play. 1991. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
(Other Mr Majeika books are also available.) Mr Majeika's wizardry is still getting Class Three into all sorts of trouble, but they have a lot of fun along the way!
Coolidge, Susan.
What Katy did at school. 1994. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.
Book 2 of the Katy Did series. Katy and her sister Clover are to spend a whole year at boarding school on the East Coast, far away from home. They soon find that school is not quite what they expected. In fact, with irrepressible Rose Red around, quite often nobody knows what to expect.
Cormier, Robert.
The chocolate war. 2001. Suggested reading Suggested reading age 13+. 2v.
The headmaster of TrinityCollege asks Archie Costello, the leader of the Vigils, a secret society that rules the school, to help with the selling of 20,000 boxes of chocolates in the annual fund-raising effort. Jerry Renault, a newcomer to the corrupt regime, refuses to sell chocolates…
Cross, Gillian.
The demon headmaster. 1984. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Book 1 of the Demon Headmaster series (other books in this series are also available). Something is horribly wrong at Dinah's new school - the children are strangely neat and well behaved. What is the secret of the Headmaster's control?
Cross, Gillian.
The Roman beanfeast. 1997. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
Davey's class is doing a project on the Romans. The best piece of work will get a prize at the Roman feast on the last day of term, and Davey is determined to win. But so is Molly - and she'll go to any lengths to beat him. Davey has to make something really special. But what?
Danziger, Paula.
The cat ate my gymsuit. 2006. Suggested reading age 13+. 1v.
Marcy hates gym, and uses excuses like "the cat ate my gymsuit" to get out of it. But her confidence is helped by the arrival of a new teacher.
Dhami, Narinder.
Bollywood babes. 2004. Suggested reading age 11+. 1v.
Amber, Jazz and Geena are the sassiest sisters around. The girls' school is desperate for money and their formidable young auntie has volunteered to do some fundraising. be impressed with her plan for an end-of-term Bollywood party.
Dougherty, John
Niteracy Hour. 2005. Suggested reading age 5+. 1v.
Jim is a head-louse, newly hatched from a nit on Gregory's head. But as Gregory is a good listener and it's 'in his blood', Jim's breakfast turns him into a good listener too and suddenly school storytime changes from Literacy Hour to Niteracy Hour.
Farmer, Penelope.
Twin trouble. 1996. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
A collection of read-aloud stories about mischievous girl twins and the trouble they get into. Set largely at the girls' school.
Farmer, Penelope.
Charlotte sometimes. 1969. Suggested reading age 11+. 1v.
It is Charlotte's first night at boarding school. Before she goes to sleep she sees from the window a corner of the new building, but when she wakes up, there is a huge, dark cedar tree in its place. Somehow, Charlotte has slipped back forty years.
Fine, Anne.
The angel of Nitshill Road. 1993. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
Until the angel came, there were three terribly unhappy children at NitshillRoadSchool: Penny, Mark and Marigold. They had Barry Hunter to worry about. Everyone knew what a bully he was, but no one did anything about it until the angel came.
Fine, Anne.
Bill's new frock. 2000. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
When Bill Simpson woke up on Monday morning, he found he was a girl. Forced off to school in a frilly pink dress Bill discovers one of the worst days of his life is about to begin.
Fine, Anne
Charm school. 2000. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Bonny has no choice. If her mother is to keep her new job, Bonny must take a one-day course at CharmSchool. One day at CharmSchool turns out to be every bit as bad as Bonny had feared…
Fine, Anne.
Flour babies. 1994. Suggested reading age 13+. 1v.
To their intense disgust Mr Cartwright's pupils must care for the Flour Babies - sweet little six pound bags of flour And, worse, all of them have to keep a diary explaining how they feel about this new responsibility.
Fine, Anne.
How to write really badly. 1996. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Chester Howard quickly decides he hates his new school. The boy he sits next to, Joe, is the 'Writer from Hell' and when Joe chooses 'How to write neatly' as his project, Chester persuades him to change the title to 'How to write really badly.'
Fine, Anne
Ivan the Terrible. 2007. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
It's Ivan's first day at his new school, and Boris is told to translate for him as Ivan can only speak Russian. After all, St Edmund's is a civilized school! Only problem is, Ivan isn't civilized.
Grace, N. B. (Adapted by)
High school musical: book of the film. 2006. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v. Suggested reading age 7+.
The story of the film, how Troy and Gabriella meet and fall in love.
Green, Jessica.
Diary of a would-be princess: the journal of Jillian James, 5B. 2007. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
All Jillian wants is to be like the princess-y girls who rule her class. What she doesn't want is to hang out with a load of dorky boys. But it's only when her plans go hilariously wrong, that things start turning unexpectedly right.
Green, John.
Looking for Alaska. 2006. Suggested reading age 15+. 2v.
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words - and tired of his safe, boring and rather lonely life at home. He leaves for boarding school filled with cautious optimism, to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps."
Hoffman, Mary
Amazing Grace. 1993. Suggested reading age 5+. 1v.
Grace loves to act out stories. When her school decides to do "Peter Pan", Grace longs to play Peter, but classmates say that Peter was a boy, and besides, he wasn't black. But her mum says she can do anything if she puts her mind to it.
Horowitz, Anthony.
Groosham Grange. 2003. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
(Return to Groosham Grange is also available.) David quickly discovers that his new school, Groosham Grange, is a very weird place indeed. New pupils sign their names in blood; the French teacher disappears every full moon and the assistant headmaster keeps something very chilling in his room...
Hughes, Thomas.
Tom Brown's schooldays. 1999. Suggested reading age 11+. 3v.
A classic of Victorian literature set at a public school for boys, in the 1830s.
Ibbotson, Eva.
The dragonfly pool. 2009. Suggested reading age 9+. 3v.
Tally Hamilton is furious to hear she is being sent from London to a horrid, stuffy boarding school in the countryside. And all because of the stupid war. But an exciting school trip to the beautiful and luscious kingdom of Bergania whisks Tally into an unexpected adventure.
Jones, Ursula.
The witch's children go to school. 2008. Suggested reading age 5+. 1v.
Gemma is scared about her first day at sc. hool. So, the Little One turns her into an ogre to give her courage . . . but ogres don't fit in at school.
Kemp, Gene.
Just Ferret. 1991. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Owen Hardacre, better known as Ferret, finds it very hard to settle in to his new school. However, he finds there are friends to be found.
Kemp, Gene.
The turbulent term of Tyke Tiler. 1979. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Tyke Tiler is very fond of practical jokes. Tyke is also fond of Danny Price, who is not too bright and depends a lot on his friends. Together Tyke and Danny add up to double trouble, especially during their last term at CricklepittCombinedSchool.
Kinney, Jeff
Diary of a wimpy kid: Greg Heffley's journal. 2008. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Book 1 in the Wimpy Kid series (other books in the series are also available). Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into a new year and a new school where undersize weaklings share the corridors with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving. Desperate to prove his new found maturity, which only going up a grade can bring, Greg is happy to have his not-quite-so-cool sidekick, Rowley, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's popularity to his own advantage.
Kipling, Rudyard.
Complete Stalky and Co. 1899. Suggested reading age 9+. 3v.
Stalky, M'Turk and the Beetle are the trio who conduct a battle of wits with masters and school fellows alike in these tales of school life.
Layton, George.
The swap and other stories. 1999. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
This is a collection of nine stories about a boy growing up in a northern town in the 1950s and entering grammar school. The stories feature his problems, dilemmas, relationships and comic disasters.
Mitchelhill, Barbara
Damian Drooth Supersleuth : serious graffiti. 2007. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
Damian Drooth is electrified to hear the Headmaster tell everyone off about graffiti in one of the school toilets. He wants to bring all his powers of detection to bear to find the perpetrator - with his class of willing detective apprentices.
Murphy, Jill.
The worst witch. 1978. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
Book 1 in The Worst Witch series (Other books in the series are also available.)Mildred Hubble was a trainee witch at Miss Cackle's Academy and she was making an awful mess of it. She couldn't even ride a broomstick without crashing it and she was always getting her spells wrong. But she managed to get by until she turned Ethel, the teacher's pet, into her deadly enemy...
Nabb, Magdalen.
Josie Smith at school. 1995. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
Once again Josie Smith finds herself involved in misunderstandings. In an effort to get a present for her teacher, she is late for lessons, and in helping a friend to write a story, she forgets to do her own homework.
Nimmo, Jenny.
Midnight for Charlie Bone. 2002. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.
Book 1 of the Children of the Red King series. When he is 10 years old, Charlie discovers that he is able to look at photographs and hear conversations, one of which sets him on a search for a girl who has been missing for years and when he begins attending Bloor's Academy, an elite boarding school his life becomes full of intrigue and danger.
Potts, Ghillian
A witch in the classroom! 2000. Suggested reading age 5+. 1v.
Abigail's newly discovered powers are causing chaos at school in this funny tale where a nasty bully gets his comeuppance by being turned into a frog, and in which a young girl discovers she can use magical powers.
Richards, Frank
Billy Bunter of GreyfriarsSchool. 1968. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.
Billy Bunter falls foul of his form master, Mr Quelch, through his persistent laziness, un-truthfulness and stupidity, and is threatened with expulsion. However, the Owl of the Remove decides to get his own back on Quelch with one final defiant act...
Rowling, J.K.
Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone. 1997. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.
Book 1 of the Harry Potter series. (Other books in this series are also available.) Harry had lived with his aunt, uncle and cousin for ten miserable years, in a cupboard under the stairs. Until he is rescued by an owl and taken to Hogwarts…
Rundell, Katherine.
The girl savage. 2011. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Wilhelmina Silver's world is golden. Living half-wild on an African farm with her horse, her monkey and her best friend, every day is beautiful. But when her home is sold and Will is sent away to boarding school in England, the world becomes impossibly difficult. For lions and hyenas are nothing compared to packs of schoolgirls. Where can a girl run to in London? And will she have the courage to survive?
Sachar, Louis
There's a boy in the girls' bathroom. 2007. Suggested reading age 13+. 1v.
Bradley Chalker lies and gets into fights, and he is all alone. Until, that is, he meets the delightful new school councellor, Carla, and she persuades him that he can change - or more importantly - that he wants to change.
Simon, Francesca.
Horrid Henry's stinkbomb. 2002. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.
(Other books in this series are also available.) Horrid Henry uses a stinkbomb in his feud with Moody Margaret; he wins the school reading competition; and he enjoys seeing Miss Battle-Axe ticked off by the Head when he knows it was all his fault.
Snicket, Lemony.
The austere academy. 2002. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.
Book 5 of the A series of unfortunate events series (other books in this series are also available) As their outrageous misfortune continues, the Baudelaire orphans are shipped off to a miserable boarding school, where they befriend the two Quagmire triplets and find that they have been followed by dreaded Count Olaf.