Any Noel Streatfeild fans here?

[JFDIYOLO]

I love her books about children on stage, at Madame Fidolia's Academy - have done since I was very young and Mum first handed me Ballet Shoes and The Painted Garden.

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Yes!
Apple Bough, Caldicott Place and Growing Summer are my favourites, I still reread them!

YES! I read Ballet Shoes first, and then White Boots (Skating Shoes, maybe?), and then The Painted Garden. Jane is still one of my all-time favourite heroines - so much more fun than drippy Rachel or smarmy Tim. I read A Vicarage Child as an adult and love that, too!

Yes! I loved her books too, especially Ballet Shoes for Anna and Tennis Shoes. Aged 7, DD was interviewed at school by the person who'd come to moderate the Y2 reading assessments. DD surprised the moderator by saying her favourite author was Noel Streatfeild and they spent ages chatting about Ballet Shoes and White Boots.

I kept all my childhood books for dd

I thought she was a man aged eight too. Probably also because of Noel Edmunds 😂

@MargaretThursday that's right, I'd forgotten about the flowers. I was really confused by the colours when I was a child and had to have it explained to me.
I really wanted to be Petrova Fossil.

then White Boots (Skating Shoes, maybe?)

I was mildly annoyed at White Boots being retitled in some modern editions. The image of white skating boots was so integral to the story.

Yes it's usually Noelle for girls not Noel. I used to think Richmal Crompton was a man and Evelyn Waugh a woman!

I also remember her cousin (?) telling them:
"Never wear pink and never know the name of a card." or something similar.

Dancing Shoes my absolute fav although I have read and re-read all of them.
I have all of them-collected some on eBay etc

I admit to still picking it up as a comfort read-

Oh yes, Thursday's child was one I loved, who could resist a mysterious orphan and canal boats.

Another vote for Rumer Godden if you like Noel. Also Elizabeth Goudge (Linnets and Valerians).

I know it was very sad about her dad dying, but when I read it was due to running after a train, I did think 'one day - that will be me!'

I loved her books too. I think White Boots was my favourite.

I thought her name was Noël, I always pronounced it Noelle in my mind. I don’t know where I saw that though. There’s no evidence of it on any of the remaining books I have.

Aw that's lovely! I have been training as a tutor and was doing SATS papers, my student and I were both pleasantly surprised that 'A Traveller in Time' (Alison Uttley) had been a set text in recent years.

I loved White Boots. Felt so sorry for Lalla realising she wasn't going to be anywhere near as good as Harriet, when her parents had such high hopes of stardom for her.

But isn’t it more that Lalla”s plans just have to change from Olympic glory to show dancing? So she will be successful but in a slightly different way?
imay be misremembering.
what age & what book would you start a child with?

That was how I read it - that Lalla was going to be a skating personality, quite probably better known than Harriet the figure skater - bearing in mind that figure skating is quite dull to watch unless you understand it.

That painting is lovely!

loved white boots too. The books stayed with me.

and petrova (?) becoming a pilot!

recall the books had an odd mix of far fetched events with gritty realism and things like rivalry, the economics of work on the stage and the strict rules on figure skating.

I loved all her books - esp White Boots and the Gemma books. I read Saplings more recently which is for adults and very sad. The central female role is very far from a strong character in this one, and all the family come to grief as the war takes its toll.

But White Boots I could probably quote wholesale if needed.

Another one here. I would really love to read The Whicharts.

I especially loved Ballet Shoes, The Growing Summer, The Circus is Coming, White Boots, Thursday’s Child and Curtain Up when I was a child.

I remember being delighted to meet the Fossil sisters again in Curtain Up and The Painted Garden, though I did think it a bit far-fetched that Petrova would fund a scholarship at Madame Fidolia’s - considering how much she loathed dancing and acting.

I still feel sorry for Winifred, who was more talented than Pauline but just didn’t “look right”, and who ended up working at the Academy when Pauline was a Hollywood star.

I also collect as many of her adult novels as I can get hold of at a reasonable price. Some prices are very unreasonable indeed. Saplings and I Ordered a Table for Six are very good and although Noel Streatfeild apparently despised her Susan Scarlett novels as pot-boilers written to pay the bills they are very competent yarns and have lovely touches. She just couldn’t do a bad job even when she was following a formula.

I do wish the publishers hadn’t decided to rename as many titles as possible with “shoes” to link them with Ballet Shoes. Very irritating when you’re recommending them.

I often think of them when I’m around the V&A!

The growing summer is probably my favourite though. I didn’t know she’d written so many.

I loved them all but is v exciting to find other people who read the Gemma books. Mine fell apart from re-reading but had pictures of a self conscious real girl on the cover - I can remember it so vividly - wish I still had them. They felt like lesser literature compared with ballet shoes etc but I adored them. And Thursday's child was so good

Thank you for this thread.

Omg, I've read every book mentioned!!!

Plus wintle's wonders

Love her

Yes, I still re-read them when I’m unwell! I honestly think her books have some kind of healing powers, I end up feeling so much better when I’ve read a few chapters of White Boots.

I still feel sorry for Winifred, who was more talented than Pauline but just didn’t “look right”, and who ended up working at the Academy when Pauline was a Hollywood star.

A very clear 'life isn't fair' message that you probably wouldn't find in a modern children's book. I was gutted that Winifred missed the audition for Mustardseed, one of the few roles where her looks would have fitted. A very relatable character for a child like me not blessed in the looks department - no matter how hard you work, the pretty blondes get all the prizes in life.