Books with title Swarm in May

John Owen returns to the Choir School at the start of term to find that he is the youngest Singing Boy in the school. This means he must also be Beekeeper - a traditional role. One of the traditional duties of the Beekeeper is to sing a solo in the Cathedral. Owen hates and dreads the prospect, so he persuades the smallest boy in the school, Iddingley, to take his place. Then, while exploring one of the Cathedral towers without permission, Owen finds something which makes him change his mind, and solves a mystery which has been baffling people for hundreds of years...This book broke new ground on its publication in 1955, and is now widely regarded as a twentieth-century classic. Our edition retains the original line illustrations by C. Walter Hodges. William Mayne is described in "Twentieth Century Children's Writers" as 'one of the most talented and interesting authors writing for children today.'

'I don't see why I should be Beekeeper, Owen thought, just because Crew is away from school with mumps and I'm the youngest Singing Boy in the school.'One of the traditional duties of the Beekeeper is to sing a solo in the cathedral, and Owen hates that prospect, so he persuades Iddingley to take his place. When Owen, Trevithic and Dubnet go exploring one of the cathedral towers without permission, Owen finds something which makes him change his mind, and solves a mystery which has been baffling people for hundreds of years...'Elusive, elliptical, uncompromising . . . I read and re-read it. I wished I had written it, I began to feel almost that I could write it. It showed me the way I must go.' Jan Mark'A brilliant and exciting book.' Observer'It is pure joy...' Sunday Times