It's not the most famous book by the author of Emil and the Detectives but it's his best... breathes new life into the school story
- Alex O'Connell, Books of the Year, The Times
Atmospheric... bittersweet... a memorable exploration of bravery, boyhood and friendships
Wall Street Journal
Walter Trier's deceptively innocent drawings are as classic as Kästner's words; I never tire of them
- Quentin Blake,
A treasure-trove of childhood reading
Huffington Post
There are so many books where it's the combination of author and illustrator that makes you love them. In the case of The Flying Classroom and The Parent Trap... it's the combo of author, illustrator and translator. The bold line drawings by Walter Trier are the work of genius... As for the stories, if you're a fan of Emil and the Detectives, then you'll find these just as spirited
- Melanie McDonagh, 'Children's Books of the Year', Spectator
A perfect story for Christmas!... The Flying Classroom tells of the friendships and adventures of a group of lively boys... As Christmas gets ever closer, hopes and fears are raised and, in the final pages, beautifully resolved
- Julia Eccleshare, Books of the Year, Lovereading4kids
Gorgeous
Books Are My Bag
A marvellous piece of history... This book moved me to a place that few books do. Oh, just buy it!
Bookwitch
Generous and wise
- Julia Eccleshare, Books of the Year, Guardian
(On both The Parent Trap and The Flying Classroom) I enjoyed every word of both, before reluctantly passing them onto my grandson. They explore childhood with wit and invention while spinning magical yarns interwoven with the erratic and bizarre actions of adults and the independent-mindedness of children
- Amanda Hopkinson, PEN Atlas Books of the Year
Magical
- Daniel Hahn, Independent Children's Books of the Year
Warmly recommended, as is The Parent Trap, which, two film versions notwithstanding, survives as an affectionately humorous portrayal of family life
Irish Times
The Flying Classroom dazzles with its perceptive depiction of schoolboys, schoolmasters and snowballing
Irish Times
[A] charmingly illustrated... pleasingly sentimental tale of early 20th-century boarding-school life
Publishers Weekly
Perceptive... warmly recommended
Irish Times