Swarm in May [Paperback]

William Mayne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 18, 1997

John Owen returns to the Choir School at the start of term to find that he is the youngest Singing Boy in the school. This means he must also be Beekeeper - a traditional role. One of the traditional duties of the Beekeeper is to sing a solo in the Cathedral. Owen hates and dreads the prospect, so he persuades the smallest boy in the school, Iddingley, to take his place. Then, while exploring one of the Cathedral towers without permission, Owen finds something which makes him change his mind, and solves a mystery which has been baffling people for hundreds of years...This book broke new ground on its publication in 1955, and is now widely regarded as a twentieth-century classic. Our edition retains the original line illustrations by C. Walter Hodges. William Mayne is described in "Twentieth Century Children's Writers" as 'one of the most talented and interesting authors writing for children today.'

Editorial Reviews

Review

'It is pure joy !' -- The Sunday Times 'A brilliant and exciting book.' -- The Observer 'Mayne, at his best, is the best children's writer living' -- The Daily Telegraph '... no one writes as he does. He remains a complete original, a damn-your-eyes individualist ... never less than true to his material.' -- Jan Mark, TES 'If it comes to naming our most prestigious living writer for the young, it has to be William Mayne.' -- The Observer 'He is the most versatile and experienced of writers for children in this country, wise, good and passionately honest.' -- The Times 'In sheer artistry, Mayne is still ahead of the game, the most original story-teller of the last half-century.' -- The School Librarian What Mayne achieves here is a tour de force of the writer's craft, having the capacity permanently to shift the reader's responsibility -- BfK 20030701

About the Author

William Mayne has been described as one of the outstanding children's authors of this century (Oxford Companion to Children's Lit.). He has won all major awards including the Carnegie and Guardian fiction award. Jan Mark wrote of A SWARM IN MAY: 'elusive, eliptical, uncompromising ! I read and re-read it. I wished I had written it, I began to feel almost that I could write it. It showed me the way I must go.'

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Children's Books (June 18, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340656816
• ISBN-13: 978-0340656815
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,696,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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