Read Aloud Books Series

Bill's New Frock

by Anne Fine

Published 26 January 1989

A classic children’s story from one of our best-loved authors, former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine. The Modern Classics edition features new illustrations and bonus material.

Bill Simpson wakes up to find he’s a girl, and worse, his mother makes him wear a frilly pink dress to school. How on earth is he going to survive a whole day like this? Everything just seems to be different for girls …

Perfect for readers aged 7 years and up and fans of The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams.

Anne Fine’s fun school stories have been delighting children for more than 20 years, winning her awards such as the Smarties Book Award and Carnegie Medal along the way.

The Country Pancake

by Anne Fine

Published 30 October 1989

Lancelot's teacher Miss Mirabelle is amazing, but her daydreaming and her green high-heels have not endeared her to the school head. He worries about her terribly. And now she's told the head a giant whopper about her secret idea to raise money at the school Open Day. Lance thinks desperately for an idea to save Miss Mirabelle from having to admit they're empty-handed, and he comes up trumps. As part of the plan, the class have to divide the school pitch into a thousand equal squares, each one marked with a numbered lolly stick, an exercise which delights the head for a change. When the big day dawns Flossie the cow, obliges by choosing a winning square on which to deposit her very own country pancake. It's a huge success and Miss Mirabelle is saved from the wrath of the head. Lance, on the other hand, is disgusted to see that she takes all the credit for herself!