Book returned to school library after 120 years

Have you ever seen a book this old before?

Have you ever lost or returned a school library book a little bit late?

One school in Birmingham got a surprise when a missing library book showed up on their doorstep after 120 years.

The unexpected parcel contained Father Tuck's "Book of Animal Life", which was last recorded at Brookfields Primary School in Birmingham in 1904.

Thankfully it wasn't a long overdue loan, and had in fact been presented to a child called Florence Taylor in recognition of her good behaviour.

The book recently showed up at a charity jumble sale in Dorset and was found by a woman called Cindie Raven, who helped the book find its way back home.

"It is a little bit of history," she said. "I picked it up a couple of years ago and it has been sitting in a box in my house."

Brookfields Primary School's head teacher, Leanne Mahony, said it was a real joy to see the book.

"While the world has changed significantly in the last 120 years, what was nice to see is that encouraging a love of reading was as important then as it is now," she said.

"Books are such an important part of school life and there is something reassuring in seeing that is something that has endured over the years."