What is your favourite school series?

Kirrin · Post by **Kirrin** » 04 Jun 2005, 11:38

having read at least one of all the school series I cant choose the best as they are all so different
am I right in thinking there are no all boys school series?

Belly · Post by **Belly** » 04 Jun 2005, 12:36

Think so on the all boys school series. There were of course the 'Naughtiest Girl' set at the co-ed Whyteleaf school.

I think I prefered the Malory Towers series but always get them confused with the St Clares. Was it Miss Grayling that headed up Malory Towers and Miss Theobald, St Clares - or the other way around?

Miss Grayling was so sensible and together, almost like some sort of deity. She 'forgave' those girls who she knew really wanted to mend their ways but woebetide those who lacked courage.

Darrell Rivers was great, I could identify with her - a sensible girl with a few 'flaws' she had to work on, very human.

Darrell Rivers, I read, came from the surname of Enid's second husband - Kenneth Darrell-Waters. I have never heard of a girl called Darrell, sounds very American and modern and not the sort of name you'd expect to crop up at a 50s very 'English' boarding school!

Gwendoline Mary Lacey was brilliantly portrayed - don't we all know a Gwendoline.

Alicia seemed very real with her quick brain and humour.

These books made me long to be at boarding school as a child.

Raci · Post by **Raci** » 05 Jun 2005, 00:29

When I was a child I definatly prefered Malory Towers to the St Clares books.

Although I do remember reading House-at-the-Corner and thinking that Whyteleafe School sounded great and wishing there was a follow-up story that told about the twins going there.
Then when I found this site and was reading the list of books I was so shocked to discover that Enid had written about this school in the Naughtiest Girl series. I got all 3 original books and thought they were great.

Its very hard to compare books I loved as a child with books I have recently discovered as an adult as it is such a different perspective to read them from.
I think I'd probably have to say I still 'prefer' Malory Towers but only because they seem more complete than Whyteleafe because they look at all 6 years in the school instead of only covering one.

Carlotta · Post by **Carlotta** » 05 Jun 2005, 13:25

I think they've all been my favourite at some stage, but at the moment I like St Clare's the best - the staff are somewhat less efficient than those at MT, and the school seems slightly less exclusive (though obviously very solid and academic!), which I think makes for slightly better drama, sometimes. I think I also prefer the twins and Alison to Sally and Darrell, especially Sally, who could be very pompous! MT does have a fantastic supporting cast, however, - I always adored Alicia, Daphne was fascinating, and the quieter stories, like the development of Mary-Lou, are really well-handled! Agree about Gwendoline, too - she was really interesting, and I always found it kind of touching that by the end of the series MT had affected her, and she probably would grow into "the kind of woman the world could lean on" or whatever it was!

Whyteleafe is bizarre - the EB version of Summerhills - I often found the self-governing children rather revolting, and the arbitrary rules were not to my taste - that said, it is a really enjoyable series, and Elizabeth Allen is one of Enid's best characters!

Kirrin · Post by **Kirrin** » 06 Jun 2005, 15:04

Belly wrote:
I think I prefered the Malory Towers series but always get them confused with the St Clares. Was it Miss Grayling that headed up Malory Towers and Miss Theobald, St Clares - or the other way around?

.

yes I think thats right.

Its funny most people like Malory towers It must be the famous five of the school books!

I think the naughtiest ones are funny malory is good.
Its good boys and s can read them as enid said I aim my books at both as I may as well get most of the market!

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 06 Jun 2005, 18:29

I always think that whatever book one is reading at the moment is the best one!

booklover · Post by **booklover** » 08 Jun 2005, 11:06

Merged.

Hello everyone, I'd be interested to know which school series is the most popular. My personal favourite is the Naughtiest Girl/Whyteleafe - but I can see from other posts that St. Clare's and Malory Towers are very popular.

Rob Houghton · Post by **Rob Houghton** » 08 Jun 2005, 14:35

I think Naughtiest Girl is too. Probably because its a mixed school, and also due to the school meetings, the rules made up by the children etc.

It was a very progressive school for the 1940's, and even for today it shows a lot of innovation on Enid's part.

It would have been a great school to go to!!

Belly · Post by **Belly** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:32

It reminds me a lot of Bedales in Sussex.

Progressive, children call teachers by first names, children 'make' the rules and Blyton books are 'set texts' in the Feeder schools!

The Physics teachers believe in ghosts and go 'off script' as well as teaching the syllabus.

Probably always been like this since Enid's day.

Someone mentioned another school it was similar to?

Raci · Post by **Raci** » 02 Jul 2005, 18:10

Kirrin wrote:Am I right in thinking there are no all boys school series?

There aren't any Enid Blyton School series set at all boys schools but there are a couple of short stories.

'Well my Father Says' is set in a boys boarding school.
'Fred's Forgettery and possibly 'Something Went Wrong' are set in boys day schools.
There might be others but I don't know.

These stories are in 'A Treasury Of Enid Blyton's School Stories'.
It also has short stories set in girls/mixed schools.
And a 10 chapter longer story set in a mixed boarding school called 'Mischief at St Rollo's'.

Lenoir · Post by **Lenoir** » 02 Jul 2005, 21:06

I liked Malory Towers series the best. It's nice to follow the progress of each character throughout the series. In the end you feel that you know them well.
There is plenty of drama and humour in the books.
The best scene for me was at the end of 'in the fifth' - when the play is being acted. Quite a touching moment. "There'll never be another quite like it!

Kirrin · Post by **Kirrin** » 04 Jul 2005, 10:17

Raci wrote:
Kirrin wrote:Am I right in thinking there are no all boys school series?
These stories are in 'A Treasury Of Enid Blyton's School Stories'.
It also has short stories set in girls/mixed schools.
And a 10 chapter longer story set in a mixed boarding school called 'Mischief at St Rollo's'.

I read that last week it was good!

Julian · Post by **Julian** » 30 Jun 2008, 23:00

St Clare's no doubt

I never had much time for Malory Towers

And I also think that the St Clare's books are much more imaginative and have diverse characters

Kitty · Post by **Kitty** » 01 Jul 2008, 09:54

EB school stories are under-rated!

I voted for MT. I like the others, but I think MT has the best characters, plots, and also that it is a very good attempt at a big 'establishment' public school, something that the girls' genre often shied away from. I love school stories, but you can get a bit bored with eccentric headmistresses with a passion for folk dancing and/or a criminal half-brother, and tiny schools in Elizabethan manors that house buried treasure.

Oh, I and I think the character progression in MT is brilliant. From Darrell to Gwen, but even with someone like Mary-Lou - you can still see the original girl, but also how the school and life have changed them.

Sabina90 · Post by **Sabina90** » 01 Jul 2008, 14:18

Naughtist Girl...