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Original poster

Boarding school stories for DD(9 yo) who had devoured Malory Towers, Trebizon etc?

62 replies

runningLou · 24/03/2017 12:36

DD is a huge fan of boarding school fiction and has read all the Enid Blyton series (Malory Towers, St Clare's, Naughtiest Girl etc), including the modern additions by other authors.
She's currently on book 10 of Trebizon - I need to order the last 4 for her. She reads quite fast and is getting through a book a week, so I need to have something else lined up for when she finishes.
Are there any other good boarding school series out there?
She's 9 but happy to read about older girls and the teenage years.
Alternatively, what else could I switch her on to that has similar aspects? She's read Harry Potter but didn't like the fantasy element.
Also keen on WW1 and WW2 stories e.g. Charlotte Sometimes and When Hitler stole pink rabbit - are there more of them?

OP posts:
justanotheryoungmother · 24/03/2017 13:47

Loved the Twins at St Claire's at that age Smile

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 24/03/2017 13:46

I second Jennings & Darbyshire. I loved those books as a child. Set in a boys prep school. Really good fun.

NotCitrus · 24/03/2017 13:44

Chalet School for sure, especially the ones before they end up in Switzerland and the author went a bit odd! If they are a hit then can go back further in time to Angela Brazil, and even Dimsie, Abbey Girls.

Antonia Forest's Kingscote ones are excellent and have amazing depth of characters - there are 4 school ones but the latter two make much more sense if you've read some of the holiday ones.

What about Anne of Green Gables? Or A Little Princess?
Worst Witch is also a boarding school and less demanding.

I worked my way through all of Blyton and then through Nancy Drew.

DorotheaBeale · 24/03/2017 13:44

The Chalet School covers WW2, especially in 'CS in Exile'. If you can read them in order up to 'Exile', it will have even more of an impact.

She's probably a little young for Eva Ibbotson, but she also covers the War. You could try her with 'The Dragonfly Pool', which is a children's book which has a boarding school and the War.

Another war one, again for slightly older children ( the heroine is fifteen), is Hester Burton's 'In Spite of All Terror'.

MirandaWest · 24/03/2017 13:34

Chalet school - there's a lot to get through Smile

Antonia Forest's books are great - have told DD she can wait until she's a bit older for them as I'd like her to appreciate them properly (she's 11).

AndKnowItsSeven · 24/03/2017 13:33

Also Dimsie.

Notthisnotthat · 24/03/2017 13:32

After Enid Blyton I started reading the babysitter club series of books they are still around I think.

AndKnowItsSeven · 24/03/2017 13:32

I loved Jennings as a child.

sunbird17 · 24/03/2017 13:30

War books: Carrie's War, Guests of War Trilogy, Goodnight Mr Tom.

sunbird17 · 24/03/2017 13:27

At the time that I was reading the books you have listed, I was reading The Sleepover Club. Is she interested in moving on to the Famous Five or Blyton's Adventure Books (Island of Adventure, etc)? The kids all go to boarding school although the adventures take place in the holidays.

randomsabreuse · 24/03/2017 12:41

Chalet School would be suitable I think - there's about 60 of them - am assuming they're still in print.

Antonia Fraser had a series as well.

Not actually school based but similar in style - Arthur Ransome.

QueQueQue · 24/03/2017 12:41

Chalet School?