A lovely visit back in time to a village school in the 1950s. Mrs Pringle is the efficient school cleaner who scolds everyone including Miss Read, the head teacher. Nothing much happens, just a very pleasant, gentle story of the ebb and flow of village life. ( )

This was less successful than most of the other books for me because it was a rehash of all the Mrs. Pringle stories told in the earlier books. I would probably have liked it better if I were not doing an intensive start to finish read of the series. But I am. ( )

A gentle novel set in a small English village. Schoolteacher Miss Read recounts the joys and the occasional headaches of village life, through the lens of her experiences dealing with the crusty custodian Mrs. Pringle. Cantankerous but hardworking, Mrs. Pringle presents a challenge to all she meets, including Miss Read. However, the years of interaction show a soft side to the formidable lady, too. ( )