Product Description

It's 1978, and Jack Sheffield begins his second year as headmaster of a small village primary school in North Yorkshire. There are three letter on his desk - one makes him smile, one makes him sad and one is destined to change his life forever. This is from nine-year-old Sebastian, suffering from leukaemia in the local hospital, who writes a heartbreaking letter addressed to 'Mister Teacher'. Jack tries to help, and so begins a journey through the seasons of Yorkshire life in which the school is the natural centre of the community.There's a colourful cast of characters who accompany Jack through the ups and downs of the school year including Vera, the school secretary who worships Margaret Thatcher and whose greatest ambition is to become President of the Women's Institute; Ruby, the 20-stone caretaker who sings like Julie Andrews; and Dorothy, the coffee shop assistant who is desperate to be Wonder Woman. Most of all, there is the lovely Beth Henderson, a teacher from a nearby school, who with her sister Laura presents Jack with an unexpected dilemma.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8171 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Daily Express
A charming memoir

Glasgow Evening Times
It will have you crying tears of laughter and sadness. A joy to read.

Glasgow Evening Times
It will have you crying tears of laughter and sadness. A joy to read.

Customer Reviews

Even better.
I enjoyed the first novel, TEACHER, TEACHER, and have been looking forward to the new one.

It was nice to be amongst old friends from the first book, and meet some new characters in Jack Sheffield's engaging tales of school life. I was at primary school at this time and so many things hit home.

The writing was great in the first book, but I thought it was even better here. Jack is a truly engaging companion in this affectionate and nostalgic tale and judging by the ending it looks like there will be more to come. Darn it, I am going to have wait!

An excellent read and thoroughly recommended.

mister teacher = jack sheffield
Excellent even better than Teacher Teacher, a very easy read, I loved it I couldn't put it down,sniggering as I read it, can't wait for your next one, keep up the good work Jack

It Will Catch On!
This is the second in Jack Sheffield's part story part autobiography of his tales as a Head Teacher at a village school in Yorkshire.

The book is set in the late seventies, when the world was a seemingly different place, where the excitement of Margaret Thatcher becoming the first Woman Prime Minister on a national level to Vera, Jack's faithful secretary becoming the President of the local Women's Institute. What I love about this book and the story is how simple everything must have been then, only merely 30 years ago and also Jack Sheffield has achieved in showing the reader that actually a lot has changed in this time.

The worries of paying 30 pence a pint, that £1 million pound was a lot for a footballer and watching football on television was free were major talking points for a little village, think how much these things are now and they are all still being talked about.

You need to have read the first book, as it is a great introduction to the characters and this book cracks on with the story without the need to go over who everyone is and what role they play in the village. The likes of Ruby, the school caretaker with a larger than life personality and the delightful Beth, who has captured Jack's heart, are all featured. Look out for Laura though! There are new characters, which I hope in further books will be dealt with more, Miss Golightly of the local shop, Tim the hardware shop's pernickety owner all add to make this a rich tale of village life and it's centre, not just being the pub but the school where the next generation of locals are being developed and nurtured by Jack and his team of teachers.

My review of the first book commented on its over similarity to Gervase Phinn. I take that back with this book, this is a unique tale within its own right and worthy of a read. It will make you laugh, chuckle but also warm your heart with its stories as you go through another year with Jack Sheffield. Cannot wait for the next in the tale.