The Things That Matter Most

'Gabbie Stroud is a teacher whose classroom has expanded to embrace an entire nation. First in non fiction and now in moving, powerful fiction, Stroud educates us all about the tender, excruciating burden on the hearts of teachers today.' – Annabel Crabb

 

'Lionel Merrick stumbled into my heart like a kid late for class, then the whole book swept in after him … gut-wrenching and important.' –Trent Dalton, bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe

There's Tyson, first year out of uni and nervous as hell, Derek the Assistant Principal who's dropped the ball on administration, Bev from the office who's confronting a serious diagnosis, and Sally-Ann who's desperate for a child of her own.

Thank goodness for kids like Lionel Merrick. Lionel is the student who steals your heart and makes the whole teaching gig worthwhile: he's cheerful, likeable, helpful - and devoted to his little sister Lacey. But Lionel has a secret of his own. As his future slides from vulnerable to dangerous, will someone from St Margaret's realise before it's too late?

As secrets threaten to be exposed and working demands increase, each staff member struggles to recall the things that matter most.

 

A moving and compelling novel about teachers and their students by the acclaimed author of the bestselling books Teacher and Dear Parents.