Did you love boarding school books? If so tell us why for chance to win a tennis-themed prize worth over £100 incl Trebizon books + tennis garden set

Mallory Towers books were my favourite! The crazy antics kept me gripped for hours.

I adored the Trebizon books as a child. My Dad used to tease me that wash I first started reading them as a child I mispronounced it "Trezbizon". It was always called that in our house.

I think I really loved boarding school books because parents are absent. In all the best books children are free to have their adventures without their parents interfering. I liked Rebecca as she grew from a shy newcomer to quite a confident sixth former. I always thought the books would do well of rereleased so it's lovely that that is happening.

Just ordered 'Head Girl at Melling' can't wait for it to arrive!

Could never get enough of the Enid Blyton series even though there were words that I had never come across before e.g. Lacrosse, apple-pie bed, Mamzelle, eiderdown, Upper Fourth, tuck box. Funny how I still remember them! It was school but not school as we knew it.

After Enid Blyton I fell in love with the Margaret Biggs 'Melling' series about a weekly boarding school and the Blake girls and their exploits. Must try and find these on Ebay!

I used to love Malory Towers as a girl, it all seemed jolly exciting! I imagined it all to be midnight feasts and sneaking out at night. My DD is now reading them, and would love these books too!

I loved Malory Towers books as a child, I've been able to pass on my battered copies to the dds who have enjoyed them as well. I would have loved to have gone to a boarding school when I was younger but it was never an option.

I'm so excited to see this thread...I am the biggest boarding school book geek you could possibly find!

My copies of Malory Towers and St Clare's must have been read hundreds (literally) of times, and now my 9 year old dd and I read them together. The books are falling to pieces and are utterly 'vintage', but the pleasure they have brought me over the years is huge. My 12 year old ds loves listening in as we read them aloud even though he is far too cool to ever admit this!!

I adored the Trebizon books as a child but never owned them. I read a couple of them (the only ones in our local library!) over and over again, but never read the full series. I'm so excited at the chance of winning a full series of 7 books to share with dd and very cool 12,year old ds!

Boarding school books seem to strike a chord with all children who go to normal state schools. The thought of being with your friends all the time sounds like a wonderful adventure, every night being like an exciting sleepover with midnight feasts. In reality I'd have collapsed in shock and horror if my mum had ever suggested boarding school...I was always a complete home bird and struggled with sleepovers and school residentials, but the books just were so exciting.

Fab!

Loved reading boarding school books as I was in a very singy state school where anyone who actually wanted to learn was pulled apart and abused, and where teachers told me off for not hiding my intelligence.

So the idea of going somewhere like the chalet school, other eautidulsurroundings, really decent education, the chance to learn different languages, other girls who would compete intellectually and celebrate academic achievement, was fabulous. As I was also bullied for not having a local accent, the thought of proper English being encouraged was a bonus.

Trebizon books struck me as slightly more normal life boarding and didn't appeal quite as much, but it was still a case of anywhere better than here (in the absence of a Narnian wardrobe).

I loved the Trebizon books too. I found the characters so much more realistic than the traditional boarding school stories and I liked the fact that Ann Digby didn't shy away from addressing things like social inequalities and difficult decisions.

I loved the Mallory Towers books, now DD loves them as well! It always seemed much more fun than living at home as an only child.

I loved them as a child and happy to say my niece is loving them too.

My face lit up when I saw this, Trebizon was my favourite series of books as a child, I remember sitting reading these through most of the school holidays, having to wait until the next one was returned to the library so I could read it. I always dreamed of going to a boarding school like this, sounded amazing and the friendships they all made also appealed. My daughter is now the same age as I was when I read these and was literally talking to her about them the other day, she would love them as much as me for sure!

I always liked to read them but they weren't the be all and end all for me

What do you mean "did"? Still do!

Sheer escapism. The dream that this gentle yet exciting world might actually exist.

I loved Malory Towers and Trebizon, both set in Cornwall. I really wanted to go to boarding school as it sounded so much fun. The Trebizon books were particular favourites, probably because they were a bit more modern at the time I was reading them. I think that's where my love of tennis came from too!

I loved boarding school books, especially the Chalet School ones (which I'm attempting to pass down to my own daughter). But I wasn't exclusive, and also read Malory Towers, St Clare's, Naughtiest Girl - which was a revelation as it was the first co-ed boarding school I'd come across, and lots others.

I didn't come across Trebizon until later, it was one of the books I chose to study in the children's literature module of my degree - I was gutted I'd missed them and have read a few since then, when I've come across them in charity shops.

I think I like the fantasy element of them most, and the fact that in many ways the children are left in charge of things - adults play a fairly minimal role in many ways, which is a hallmark of most successful children's stories.

Stopped boredom

I loved them that much wanted to go to boarding school!! Loved St Clare's and Mallory towers, my daughter is reading them at the moment!

I adored them, the fun the laughter and the issues they faced seemed so amazing compared to my dull childhood at the time. Pure escapism ! I'd love this set for my daughter.

I never read books about boarding schools when I was younger, it sounds like I missed out on some good series of books.

Yes, I absolutely loved Mallory Towers and St. Claires, and The Naughtiest Girl in the School, all by Enid Blyton. In fact I still have them in the loft.

I loved reading books about Boarding Schools and imagined that everyone who went there had adventures and Midnight Feasts

I love the Trebizon books and still read them now! My son plays a lot of tennis so they are even more interesting to me now. Mallett towers, st Clare's, Jennings.. Were all firm favourites of mine growing up. And the fantasy ones too for example the worst witch. Pure escapism but whereas I would have hated boarding school in theory, the books encapsulated the fun parts for me.

Trebizon and the Chalet School were a huge part of my childhood! What a wonderful reminder!

Our town library was woefully under stocked, so I couldn't get them from there. But there was a second hand book shop a few doors up. I would go in and spend my £1 pocket money on two books. The next day week I'd go in and the owner would buy back my books for half price, and I exchange them for the next one. If he didn't have the next one in stock, I'd be gutted!

I loved the tennis term, we loved Wimbledon! This is the perfect giveaway!

Oh and finally, I should tell you that I begged my parents to send me to BS. We couldn't afford it, but bless them, they got the prospectus and tried to see if they could afford it-they couldn't and I only found out years later when I found a box of old papers and there was the prospectus!

Yes, loved them all from Malory Towers to Trebizon. I think it was because it was so different to my life. Also, the girls seemed to have such close friendships. I also loved the Jennings books, set in a boys' boarding school, because they were really funny!