For parents & teachers

A wrong answer is a clue, not a verdict.

Murphy's Law for Kids: School Edition is nine new school stories. Each one is told by a different kid in Noah and Ella's class, about the day something went wrong at school and what they did next. It's the book for the child who comes home and says nothing about their day.

Buy on Amazon Teachers: free School Kit

✓ Nine school stories ✓ Ages 7-10 ✓ No need to read Book 1 first

Murphy's Law for Kids: School Edition book cover

If this sounds like your child

These stories were written for them.

✗ One wrong answer in class and their hand stops going up.
✗ A bad morning at the gate becomes a bad day in class.
✗ A falling-out at lunch comes home with them.
✗ They freeze rather than go first.
✗ A test comes back covered in red and the whole evening goes with it.

Inside the School Edition

Noah, Ella and Biscuit are back, now with the whole class. Every chapter is a school day that goes wrong in a way your child will know straight away, told by the kid it happened to. Read it together at bedtime, or hand it over for a quiet read after a hard day.

The Murphy's Law for Kids: School Edition crew lined up, with Biscuit the dog

A girl smiling at the whiteboard after working through a fraction problem — Oops-and-Adjust, at the board

A boy swinging across the monkey bars while a grumpy bird watches — The Power of Yet, on the monkey bars

Two friends on a bench working through a page together — What Did It Teach Me?, on the bench

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For teachers

The free Bounce-Back School Kit

The classroom companion to the School Edition. 24 printable pages, a lesson you can run in 15 minutes, and everything prints on a black and white copier. Shields print as outlines, because coloring them in is the reward.

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A 15-minute lesson plan

Open with a mishap story, name the power, turn and talk, then try it for real. One lesson written out in full, plus the frame for the other eight.

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A 30-day challenge calendar

One small bounce-back task a day. The count only goes up and never resets, so a missed day is never a failure.

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Badge of the Day cards

One power on the board each morning, so the class has a shared word for the moment something goes wrong.

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A Power Catch log

Count the times the class catches a power in use. It counts even when it did not work. No rankings.

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A classroom wall poster

All nine powers on one sheet, ready to point at.

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A certificate for everyone

No score on it, and every child gets one.

The nine powers

The same nine from the first book, now at school. One per chapter, each told by the kid it happened to.

1. What's Next?

For the moment you freeze.

2. The Magic Pause

For when everyone is watching.

3. Oops-and-Adjust

For a wrong answer at the board.

4. The Tiny Brave Step

For going first.

5. Plan B Power

For a plan that falls apart.

6. The Power of Yet

For the thing you cannot do yet.

7. The Reset Button

For a morning that keeps going wrong.

8. Fixing It

For putting things right with a friend.

9. What Did It Teach Me?

For a test that comes back covered in red.

Every power rests on well-established growth-mindset and social-emotional learning ideas. You can read the full source list here.