This schools' edition of Mark Haddon's multi-award-winning novel adapted for the stage of the National Theatre by Simon Stephens is perfect for Key Stages 3 and 4. Featuring the play script from the Modern Plays edition but with the language adjusted for school use*, this edition includes a wealth of classroom activities for the English and drama classrooms.

Christopher, fifteen years old, stands beside Mrs Shears's dead dog. It has been speared with a garden fork, it is seven minutes after midnight, and Christopher is under suspicion. He records each fact in the book he is writing to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington. He has an extraordinary brain and is exceptional at maths, but he is ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched and he distrusts strangers. But Christopher's detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a frightening journey that turns his world upside-down.

This educational edition in Methuen Drama's Critical Scripts series has been prepared by national Drama in Secondary English experts Ruth Moore and Paul Bunyan. Building on a decade of highly effective work and publications endorsed by national organisations and supported by teachers and consultants across Britain, each book in the series:

> meets the requirements at KS3 and GCSE
> features detailed, structured schemes of work utilising drama approaches to improve literary and language analysis
> places pupils' understanding of the learning process at the heart of the activities
> will help pupils to boost English GCSE success and develop high-level skills at KS3
> will save teachers considerable time devising their own resources.

Simon Stephens's adaptation of Mark Haddon's bestselling, award-winning novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time offers a richly theatrical exploration of this touching and bleakly humorous tale.

* The instances of stronger language have been tempered in this edition specifically for school use. Teachers may still wish to satisfy themselves that it is suited to the age of their pupils.

Mark Haddon's work as an author includes A Spot of Bother, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Real Porky Philips, Agent Z and Titch Johnson - Almost World Champion. His work for television includes Coming Down the Mountain, Fungus the Bogeyman and Microsoap. Polar Bears (2010) was Mark Haddon's first work for the theatre.

Simon Stephens has been the recipient of both the Pearson Award for Best New Play 2001-2 for his play Port, and the Olivier Award for Best New Play 2005 for On the Shore of the Wide World. His recent plays include Harper Regan (National Theatre), Punk Rock (Lyric Hammersmith/Royal Exchange, Manchester), Pornography (Traverse and Birmingham Rep), Wastwater (Royal Court and Wiener Festwochen), The Trial of Ubu (Hampstead Theatre) and Three Kingdoms (Lyric Hammersmith).