The Enid Blyton Society

Just read these books. They are really wizard!

I definatly agree!
I only recently read them - having always wished that there was a series of books set at Whyteleafe school after hearing about it in House-at-the-Corner.
I just never realised that the Naughtiest Girl books were the series I had wished Enid had written.

Well everyone always says one of the secrets to her success as an author was to know what children wanted to read. I guess this is another example of this!

that is so true.
People who dont like them are just jealous and pig headed!

Hello everyone!

The Naughtiest Girl series is one of my absolute favourites. I love all the characters - everyone is so vivid and realistic! And Whyteleafe seemed liked such a wonderful school - so very noble and fair, with its mini-Parliament each week to sort out everyone's problems!

By the way, there's a real-life Whyteleafe school out there! I found it on the internet! It's located in Surrey, on the A22, near Warlingham (I assume that means something to everyone in the UK).

You can visit the school on the following link:

http://www.whyteleafe.surrey.sch.uk

The school is set on a hill, just like Blyton's Whyteleafe! The buildings look quite modern but the school vision statement reflects the Whyteleafe we know and love:

"Our vision is for a supportive environment where everyone is valued for his or her contribution.

Individuals will be able to respond positively to the many opportunities and challenges of a rapidly changing world and achieve their full potential."

I can just imagine Elizabeth and all her friends going to classes there!

The school is set on a hill, just like Blyton's Whyteleafe! The buildings look quite modern but the school vision statement reflects the Whyteleafe we know and love........I can just imagine Elizabeth and all her friends going to classes there!

It'd be interesting to see how a school ran in real life along the same line Enid's Whyteleafe did - But this school seems to be a standard UK primary school in the way it runs.
Wouldn't you just love to go to a school with this address though:
Whyteleafe School
Whyteleafe Hill
Whyteleafe
Surrey

I didn't even know there was a real place called Whyteleafe

wow I wouild have loved to have gone there!
but anyway its only promary school!
I wonder if the pupils realise how lucky they are!

Raci wrote:

The school is set on a hill, just like Blyton's Whyteleafe! The buildings look quite modern but the school vision statement reflects the Whyteleafe we know and love........I can just imagine Elizabeth and all her friends going to classes there!

It'd be interesting to see how a school ran in real life along the same line Enid's Whyteleafe did - But this school seems to be a standard UK primary school in the way it runs.
Wouldn't you just love to go to a school with this address though:
Whyteleafe School
Whyteleafe Hill
Whyteleafe
Surrey

I didn't even know there was a real place called Whyteleafe

Perhaps someone should write to the school!

maybe someone could get a brochure on it and post it on here!
but we musnt all write in unless some of us actually intend on going there as it wouldent be fair to ask them to send lots of them out!

i would of loved to go to this school. bullying was not tolerated and was dealt with in a positive way. The only thing i did not like was that Elizabeth was some king of child prodigy! excelled at everything, sports, music and lessons.....! there was no one at the school who struggled apart from maybe kathleen. Did you know another writer has taken over these stories and has re writtn them.

ebfan wrote:i would of loved to go to this school. bullying was not tolerated and was dealt with in a positive way. The only thing i did not like was that Elizabeth was some king of child prodigy! excelled at everything, sports, music and lessons.....! there was no one at the school who struggled apart from maybe kathleen. Did you know another writer has taken over these stories and has re writtn them.

I would have been one of the horrible kids in a Blyton, I think. I was hopeless at games and PE, usually 5th from bottom of the class and most of the teachers seemed to dislike me.

Oh to have been like Julian!

ebfan wrote: Did you know another writer has taken over these stories and has re writtn them.

I would just like to clear the slate here. I know the subject of prequels and sequels to Ms Blyton's work is a fiery point of discussion and I am not about to embark upon it HOWEVER .......

Anne Digby - the sequel writer I believe ebfan is referring to - has not rewritten any of the original stories, but (sensationally) added 6 more books for Naughtiest Girl fans to appreciate.

But, what is even MORE IMPORTANT is ......
Ms Digby was invited by Hodder Children's Books to continue the series. Here is an excerpt from Gateway's Interview With Anne Digby.

PN: I noticed that you "continued" Enid Blyton's "Naughtiest Girl" series. Were you an aficianado of Blyton, or was this a commission?


AD: Curiously, paper shortages again; as a young girl I read only three Enid Blyton books. They were birthday or Christmas presents: "The Children of Cherry Tree Farm", "The Children of Willow Farm" and "The Secret Mountain". I loved them and read them many times. Sometime later I remember having to read Noddy to my little brother. I found him very boring but Christopher loved him and would ask to hear the same story over and over again. I missed out on the "Naughtiest Girl" books. So before deciding whether to accept an invitation from Hodder Children's Books to continue the series, I sat down and read all three books from cover to cover. I felt an immediate rapport with Elizabeth Allen (I was not an unrebellious child myself) and thought the stories timeless, rather than dated. In fact the setting was surprisingly avant-garde. A Co-Ed boarding school which is largely self-governing (the pupils have to learn to take responsibility for their actions at a weekly meeting attended by the entire school, known as "The Meeting" and make many important decisions on a show of hands). It gave great scope, I felt, for further stories. In writing my six "Naughtiest Girl" books, I have kept to the simple narrative style of the original stories, while introducing some new characters and allowing Elizabeth to progress a little further up the school and (very slightly) to mature

This writer is completely well know in her own right.....you may have heard of the Trebizon series, and she has written others as well. I did not know she was asked to continue the Naughtiest Girl series until I read this.

If you are at all interested the site is: http://www.gatewaymonthly.com/anned.html

Cheers,
Lee

Thats a really interesting article as I always wondered how they were approached to carry on a sreies by another quthor,
rather like the 'just George books by sue.... a prequal though that time.

Speaking of the 'Just George' books, it always struck me as a pretty strange idea for a prequel. Surely Enid Blyton described george as having had a rather dull time before her four three cousins arrived on the scene?

Apart from finding and hising Timmy George seems to have been a very lonely and forlorn type of figure.

I can't really see how she had so many adventures before this time.

No I see what you mean . I think it was to introduce readers to the famous five books and she was the most plausable caracter to have advantures I mean Anne wouldent be like that!

I liked the series but not nearly as much a Malory Towers or St Clare's. Also, there was something that made me vaguely uneasy about the idea of 'humiliating' - which is essentially what it was - wrongdoers at the weekly meetings