A boarding-school story set in Hornsby, Sydney, that follows two friends, Buzz and Monkey, as they become involved with the people who live next to the school. 'Here lives Mrs Dornton, a domineering woman who has made slaves of her family, including her invalid son, Clive. The latter provides the romantic interest in the book when he eventually marries one of the girls' favourite teachers. A healthy spirit of fun runs through the book; and the friendly relationships between teachers and pupils are more than in most books of this nature' (Saxby,
A History of Australian Children's Literature 1841-1941, p. 161).
