Ian Whybrow - Muckabout School

First Published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2005

This electronic edition published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2015

HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF

The HarperCollins Children’s Books website address is: www.harpercollins.co.uk

Text copyright © Ian Whybrow 2005

Illustrations by Steve May 2005

Ian Whybrow and illustrator assert the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of the work.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

HarperCollins Publishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication.

Source ISBN: 9780007158768

Ebook Edition © MARCH 2015 ISBN: 9780007390625

Version: 2015-07-23

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Copyright Copyright A New Boy at Muck About Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Much about Outing Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Other Books by Ian Whybrow About the Author About the Publisher First Published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2005 This electronic edition published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2015 HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF The HarperCollins Children’s Books website address is: www.harpercollins.co.uk Text copyright © Ian Whybrow 2005 Illustrations by Steve May 2005 Ian Whybrow and illustrator assert the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of the work. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. HarperCollins Publishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication. Source ISBN: 9780007158768 Ebook Edition © MARCH 2015 ISBN: 9780007390625 Version: 2015-07-23

A New Boy at Muck About Gary Goody walked through the empty corridors of Muckabout School to his new classroom. He entered and stopped in his tracks. “Oh no!” he thought. “I’m the first to arrive – again!” He was just about to go back out to the playground when he heard a snort from behind the teacher’s desk. It was Mr Dawdle just waking up from a nap. The lazy teacher straightened his sunglasses and stared straight at Gary. “Gary!” Mr Dawdle groaned. “You’re early again!” Mr Dawdle dragged himself out of his comfortable armchair and stumbled over to where Gary was. In any other school, Mr Dawdle would have been a disgrace. He was as tall and skinny as a beanpole, with greasy hair scragged into a ponytail. His jeans and T-shirt were filthy and full of holes and he peered at Gary through sunglasses that were smeared with what looked like tomato ketchup. “I’m sorry,” sighed Gary. “You should know the rules by now, yeah?” the teacher said, producing a biscuit from his pocket. He dusted the biscuit off and popped it into his mouth, chewing the biscuit as he yawned. “Well? What are they?” the teacher asked, spraying Gary with crumbs. “Run in the corridors,” Gary said. “ Uh-huh ,” said Mr Dawdle. “Don’t put up your hand. Be rude to teachers. Don’t mind your manners. Always eat in class.” “And…?” “…and never be on time,” Gary said, quietly. “Never be on time. Exactly, man. So what’s so difficult? I haven’t seen you run once, you’re polite to everyone, you always say sorry and thank you (and please, come to think of it). And I haven’t seen you eating anything in class all week.” “Sorry, sir,” Gary replied. “There you go again,” Mr Dawdle grumbled. “You’re just so… nice. You’ll give Muckabout School a good name if you’re not careful. It really isn’t bad enough you know. Not bad enough at all. So maybe you should stay in at playtime and write the school motto one hundred times! Know what I mean?” “Yes sir. Sorry sir.” “And cool it with the ‘sorry’ all the time, OK?”

Chapter One Gary Goody walked through the empty corridors of Muckabout School to his new classroom. He entered and stopped in his tracks. “Oh no!” he thought. “I’m the first to arrive – again!” He was just about to go back out to the playground when he heard a snort from behind the teacher’s desk. It was Mr Dawdle just waking up from a nap. The lazy teacher straightened his sunglasses and stared straight at Gary. “Gary!” Mr Dawdle groaned. “You’re early again!” Mr Dawdle dragged himself out of his comfortable armchair and stumbled over to where Gary was. In any other school, Mr Dawdle would have been a disgrace. He was as tall and skinny as a beanpole, with greasy hair scragged into a ponytail. His jeans and T-shirt were filthy and full of holes and he peered at Gary through sunglasses that were smeared with what looked like tomato ketchup. “I’m sorry,” sighed Gary. “You should know the rules by now, yeah?” the teacher said, producing a biscuit from his pocket. He dusted the biscuit off and popped it into his mouth, chewing the biscuit as he yawned. “Well? What are they?” the teacher asked, spraying Gary with crumbs. “Run in the corridors,” Gary said. “ Uh-huh ,” said Mr Dawdle. “Don’t put up your hand. Be rude to teachers. Don’t mind your manners. Always eat in class.” “And…?” “…and never be on time,” Gary said, quietly. “Never be on time. Exactly, man. So what’s so difficult? I haven’t seen you run once, you’re polite to everyone, you always say sorry and thank you (and please, come to think of it). And I haven’t seen you eating anything in class all week.” “Sorry, sir,” Gary replied. “There you go again,” Mr Dawdle grumbled. “You’re just so… nice. You’ll give Muckabout School a good name if you’re not careful. It really isn’t bad enough you know. Not bad enough at all. So maybe you should stay in at playtime and write the school motto one hundred times! Know what I mean?” “Yes sir. Sorry sir.” “And cool it with the ‘sorry’ all the time, OK?”