‘I’m thinking,’ said Romi, ‘that even if the fire is out in a day or two, it will be a long time before the bridge is repaired. So it will be a nice long holiday from school!’

‘But you can walk across the river,’ said Teju. ‘You just did it.’

‘Impossible,’ said Romi. ‘It’s much too swift.’

There is a sense of anticipation in the air, increasing as the clock slowly ticks on, each second seeming to last forever. The teacher’s voice drones on in the background as you exchange another grin with your best friends, already planning your summer routine in detail in your head. And then the bell rings—that sweet sound of freedom—signalling that school is finally out!

Revelling in the joy of this moment, School’s Out! brings together a collection of Ruskin Bond’s best children’s stories, the perfect summer vacation read. Journey through streets and tunnels and forests, on tongas and trains and bicycles, with friends old and new, and make the most of the holidays through the delightful style of the writer on the hill.