The Naughtiest Girl Series

[Adventure83]

I am 3 quarters of the way through this book. Anyone read it and what are your veiws on it?

I wish my school had been this laid back and allowed the kids to make the decisions!

[Fiona1986]

I love the series, and I know Anita is a big fan.

Here's a couple of threads with some opinions:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... tiest+girl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... tiest+girl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I actually thought there'd be more, unless they have less obvious titles.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks, Fiona. Yes, I love the Naughtiest Girl books. The first book in particular is fresh and engaging and I like the unusual aspects of Whyteleafe School such as the weekly meetings run by the pupils with little or no interference from the staff, and the children being allowed to keep pets and take charge (up to a point) of the school gardens and the stables. There is quite a lot of Enid Blyton in the character of Elizabeth, and glimpses of Blyton's own "experimental school" at Southernhay in Whyteleafe School.

Some more "Naughtiest Girl" threads:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... whyteleafe" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... naughtiest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[izzy_1991]

Anyone read it and what are your veiws on it?

I have read this series over and over and over again.

This was one of the first series I had when I started collecting. I was still at school and was brought the book by a family member (firstly, because they knew I enjoyed Enid books and secondly, because Izzy is short for Elizabeth in my case - what child doesn't get excited when their name is in a book?).

It is one of my favourite series and I used to go into my primary school telling teachers, "well, if I was at Wyteleafe School ... things would be done this way or that way ... I could bring my pets ... pupils would deal their own punishment" etc etc.

Enid Blyton's writing in ALL of her books, absorbs readers from the start. I was not a social person when I was younger and that is mainly due to sitting in my room from the moment I got home from school to the minute I went to bed (and often after) reading Blyton books from cover to cover.

Izzy

[Fiona1986]

I used to go into my primary school telling teachers, "well, if I was at Wyteleafe School ... things would be done this way or that way ...

Izzy

And how did your teachers take this? Have to say I never did that, I quite liked my primary school as it was. (Not that Whyteleaf didn't sound lovely of course!)

[izzy_1991]

They never seemed to respond. I think they were probably happy that I spent my spare time reading.

I loved my primary school butwhen reading the Naughtiest Girl series, I felt so absorbed in the story, I wanted it to be my reality.

x

[Aurora]

It was my first blyton's book. i have read it over a twenty times i am still reading it. no matter how much i read i have never got bored of it. i am sure you will not too.

[VeraKeisey]

Yeah, you are right. I've read it three times. And i will read it later.

[joanne_chan]

Of the three school story series EB did (and I love them all), this one is the 'one' that speaks to me more.

[Stephen]

It's not the first Blyton I read - but I think it was the first Blyton read to me! I've got memories of the teacher reading it out to the class when I was only about 7 or 8. In fact that's why a few years later when I discovered Malory Towers a few years later, they didn't really feel at the time as though they had been written by the same person. The MT girls seemed older (which I think they were supposed to be anyway) and more prim and proper than the pupils at Whyteleaf.

[katrina10]

To be honest, I didn't like the way the school was run. I thought some things seemed a little unfair. I'd prefer to go to a school such as St Clare's.

But my opinion changed after reading the second and third book

[Deej]

Anyone think Elizabeth was a very similar type of character to George in Famous Five?

They were both lonely as an only child, with the aim of misbehaving in a different way and very misunderstood due to this. George would misbehave infront of her cousins for a short while, and Elizabeth would for a short period at boarding school. But they both soon made plenty of friends, although they both made their usual assortment of enemies and fallouts along the way because that was the type of hot-headed but kind-hearted temparament they both had.

I enjoyed reading this series because it's good to see a child grow in confidence. The best part of the Naughtiest Girl books were the lacrosse games and when Elizabeth saves the young boy from drowning as a monitor. Elizabeth and George both show remarkable bravery and a lot of courage. Can't help thinking that a lot of Blyton's childhood is reflected in these books. Obviously it's quite old fashioned the way there are boarding schools and sports such as lacrosse, but that's only a sign of the times and possibly her own experiences growing up.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Can't help thinking that a lot of Blyton's childhood is reflected in these books.

There is certainly a lot of the young Enid Blyton in Elizabeth Allen as Enid was also a talented pianist, a skilled lacrosse player, good academically, fond of tricks and jokes, interested in art, nature and gardening and independently minded. Though Enid attended a private day-school, not a boarding-school.

The way Whyteleafe is run (with the pupils discussing issues openly, deciding on rewards, punishments and allocation of money, being encouraged to take on responsibility, being permitted to bring their pets...) may owe something to Enid Blyton's Froebel-based teacher-training (emphasis on learning by doing, engagement, creativity and child-centredness) and to her own little "experimental school" which she ran for four years in the 1920s at a house called Southernhay in Hook, Surrey. It's possible too that Enid took an interest in A. S. Neill's liberal boarding-school, Summerhill in Suffolk, where the pupils also make collective decisions at regular meetings, though Whyteleafe is nowhere near as free and unstructured (at Summerhill, attending lessons is not compulsory).

[Deej]

Whytheleafe was also an all girls and boy school which along with the way that decisions are made by the pupils makes it suprisingly progressive considering the time period. I like Blyton's emphasis on pupil-centred education, learning and decision making, something that encourages children to take a more active and innovative approach to their learning. Standards were clearly high and you do wonder why this isn't the case for so many schools today, where children are spoon fed and learn a controlled, limited curriculum in order to pass exams. No wonder we don't have as many employable graduates.

Indeed, this educational approach is coming from quite a priveledged stance as Blyton was clearly quite upper class. So Whyteleafe might not be that realistic in terms of the way modern comprehensive schooling is run especially, but I think it definitely has a lot of ideas and a set of standards that some schools certainly do adhere to, and that others would do well to follow if at all made possible.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Indeed, this educational approach is coming from quite a priveledged stance as Blyton was clearly quite upper class.

I would have put Enid Blyton's family as middle-class but aspirational when she was growing up. As a girl Enid lived in a succession of fairly modest houses with her family, though in a "nice" area. Her mother stayed at home and employed a maid to help with the housework, while her father was a successful businessman who was able to afford privileges for his children such as private education, music lessons and outings to the theatre.

Of the three school story series EB did (and I love them all), this one is the 'one' that speaks to me more.

Same here. Whyteleafe seems to have more of a "family" atmosphere to it, though the fact that it's a co-educational establishment no doubt contributes to that.