Product Description

Big School is an adult school novel which conbines a fast-moving narrative with both serious and comic reflections on life in the modern secondary school. Set in the fictional town of Yarrow at the Peregrine Lane Grammar School, it tells the story of its 28-year-old anglo-American narrator, Tim Weaver, and his first term in the big, wide working world of the school class and staff room. He is, however, not the only new man to join the Peggy Lane staff on the first day of September. That Monday, a new headmaster takes the reins of the under-achieving town comprehensive (its 'Grammar School' title is a mere relic of its supposedly glorious past), hell- bent on reform. Michael Peniston is "fresh, forty and ready for ****ing anything," and sweeps into the school in a blaze of self-ambition and a vast administerial straight-jacket to lock up his staff in. Quickly running into the brutally acidic opposition of 53-year old Sefton Demmler, the charismatic mystery-man of!
the English department, Peniston plots dastardly revenge.

Meanwhile, newbie Tim joins Peggy Lane in search of love, friendship and stability; he is trying to find a classic 'place in the world.' He needs not so much answers as anchors, and whether he finds them is for you, dear reader, to find out.

Also to discover is who wins and who loses. Thomas's voice is fresh and individual; as the chapters slip by to a breakneck speed finish, do not expect the predictable.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1947835 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 301 pages

Times Educational Supplement, February 28, 2006
"A lively, entertaining comic novel..wickedly delightful...Thomas is a flamboyant writer who slings around arresting metaphors."

From the Publisher
Big School is trapped, gloriously, I think, between a serious reflection of modern life and comedy. It is both a modern meditation on the stresses, strains and agonies of being alive in the early twenty-first century and a wild and beautiful comedy. Although it takes one or two liberties with everyday reality - this is fiction after all - it is remarkably in its naturalism. Test readers for Inside Corner commented enthusiastically upon Big School's realism, particularly the emotional realism of the book's key set-piece moments. They also spoke of terrific, and subtle, characterisation, again speaking of authenticity and believability, but also of the sheer attractiveness of Sef Demmler and Tim's fellow young English teacher Jezebel Treat.

This is a book that seems to have effortlessly won over adult readers both male and female, non-teacher and teacher, young and not-so-young! We fervently hope that Amazon shoppers discover it and obtain equal pleasure from what we think is an outstanding first novel.

About the Author
Big School is Craig W Thomas's third book. His first, Losing My Religion, published by Juma in 2002, is a highly unusual football-fan autobiography, telling not so much of his falling in love with the game, but of his need to rid himself of the curse of a helpless addiction to it as he approached 40 years of age. His second book, his first for Inside Corner saw him moving sideways into writing about another sport, baseball. Arriving in 2005, Roads to Redemption - A Guide to Major League Baseball, was both personal approach to this still largely unknown sport in the UK, and practical guide to it. The 90 + page encyclopedia is perhaps its outstanding feature along with a majestic choice of old photographs from the collection of the Cooperstown Hall of Fame.

Having worked for almost a quarter of a century himself as a classroom teacher in various English secondary schools, in the latter stages part-time, in July 2005 Craig quit the profession to devote his time to writing. He began by successfully submitting articles to the pre-eminent Rock's Backpages website, music being a significant and life-long passion. He also finished his first novel Big School, begun in 2002. His immediate intention is to write more fiction: two books are in the planning stages, including a sequel to Big School.

Craig lives in Derbyshire, has been successfully married since 1982 and has three children.

Customer Reviews

New talent on the block
How often do you come across a book that's fresh, funny and intelligent? I got hipped to this one by a friend of a friend of the author, and it's a real gem. It's a book about what it's like to be a teacher NOW, which means that there's politics and power struggles, friendships and foeships, love, sex and even a semi-climactic inter-school footie game. Great characters, acute observation, strong storyline, and banter that is nothing short of hilarious.
It's the first piece of fiction by a teacher-turned-writer who's previously written a well-received history of baseball book; and it's so much better than most of the stuff put out by the big publishing houses - further proof that there's plenty of talent out there if you can see past the bright lights of our vacuous celebrity culture.

BIG up BIG school
As a 20 year-old female i find myself easily sucked in by a lot of modern fiction, which is like the rom. com. movie in literary form.
I was more than pleased to find that this piece of modern fiction didn't work on the assumption that the reader is vacuous, but rather was intelligent, witty, and more importantly was believable and real.
This is not a book exclusively for teachers; the school is merely the setting for a story of real-life relationships and experiences.

A Good Read
This is a thoroughly good read. It had me laughing out loud. I couldn't put it down. Anybody who has worked in a modern organisation with management speak and mission statements will appreciate the satire and ironic humour in this book. It is not just for teachers of a certain age. It is pacy, funny and full of truths and best of all the 'baddy' gets what he deserves. Great!