The Turning of the Year

By Jim Crompton

Time passes, and seasons change. Often, we change with them. The Turning of the Year is a short story collection that looks at each of the twelve months as separate and special. These stories are both down-to-earth and optimistic, based on author Jim Crompton’s observations from forty years spent teaching, as well as watching nine grandchildren and a great-grandson.

Each tale covers a wide range of challenges faced by children and young people today. Read of the autistic boy who comes to terms with a New Year’s celebration. A brother and sister come to realize that a scary witch is in fact a caring young woman with a disability. There are tales of bullies, the culture shock of moving to a new country, and a slow recovery from illness.

The Turning of the Year looks at and celebrates responses to a diverse spectrum of challenges. Each chapter embraces the turning seasons and the joy that each month and each kind of weather can bring. Crompton shares a message of faith and hope, applauding the unnoticed bravery and kindness inherent in us all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jun 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665598910

Jim Crompton

Jim Crompton comes from Lancashire, England. He had a vast array of jobs from farm laboring to metallurgic technician, baker to delivery driver. He eventually found his calling with the church, working as a teacher and minister. After being ordained, he ministered in Baptist and Congregational churches but has spoken in churches of just about every denomination.

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2022 Jim Crompton. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/23/2022

ISBN: 978-1-6655-9889-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-9890-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-9891-0 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

JANUARY

Auld Lang Syne

FEBRUARY

Danila’s Rainy Season

MARCH

Springtime Comes to Jenny

APRIL

A Passover Story

MAY

Which Witch is This Witch?

JUNE

Sister Honore

JULY

You’d Better Not Kick Sand in My Face!

AUGUST

On the Beach

SEPTEMBER

Harvest Home

OCTOBER

A Bad Day for George

NOVEMBER

A Ride in the Fog

DECEMBER

What a Christmas!

PREFACE

T he twelve stories in this book each look at a month as separate and special.

The stories are not all obviously Christian, but they are all both down-to-earth and optimistic, based on the experience and observation of forty years teaching all manner and ages of students, as well as watching nine grandchildren and a great-grandson. The Just William books by Richmal Crompton (unfortunately, no relation) have been the great favourite reading of mine even as an adult, and William comes through in these stories quite plainly—with the occasional dash of Walter Mitty.

The book looks at and celebrates responses to quite a spectrum of the life of schools and children closely approaching the teens: bullying, boredom, rampant imagination, homesickness, teachers viewed as ridiculous, teachers viewed as ‘on our side’, scary head teachers, parents—and a lot of unnoticed bravery and kindness that children are capable of.

There is an uncringeworthy message of morality and ethics in each story—I hope enjoyably!

JANUARY

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Auld Lang Syne

J osh wasn’t bored. Josh was never bored. He could always find something to attract his attention—the bright glitter of a car’s hubcaps going past, the red of a lady’s dress, the funny look of the teacher’s moustache. He would stare for hours. Sometimes people would get offended or worried by him, but he would think at them, Don’t worry. I’m just looking at … whatever . But they rarely understood.

His mum and dad would try to teach him not to stare, but at other times, he was told to look at people. He found all this stuff most difficult to understand.

‘Tonight’, his dad had said, ‘we’re going to a New Year’s party! You might enjoy that!’

‘My teacher told me about six faithful serving men—but they’re not men; they’re words. So listen to this, then I’ll ask you questions. I have six faithful serving men. They taught me all I know. They are who and what and when and where and why and how. So, Dad, who will go to this party? What is it all about? Is it a birthday? When is it? Where is it? Why are we going? And how do we behave? You know I don’t do party games.’

Dad sighed; it was difficult having such a different son, but he loved him dearly and tried to explain. Josh wasn’t sure he was convinced, but he went along.

The party started. ‘Why are some men wearing skirts, Mum?’ he asked.

‘They’re called kilts, and people from Scotland wear them.’

‘Oh.’

‘This is a special night, Josh—it’s the last night of the old year and the first day of the new.’

‘Don’t get it! Surely it’s just the earth spinning round the sun like it always does.’

‘The earth is in the same place as it was