So happy, DD just read her 1st CHALET SCHOOL book

[Lymond]

These were my favourite books as a child, and I could never get any of my friends or sisters into them (too old fashioned apparently) but I know there are other mumsnetters who liked them. I found a hb of The School in the Chalet in a charity shop recently and bought it for memorys sake, then last night discovered DD was half way through it.

She's not quite 8 though - I got in to them when I was more like 10, I'm sure, but they're so tame (no slang remember!) that I'm sure its fine.
I kept all my old ones books in the loft at my parents house. They're out of proint now I think, so I'm going to need to get them out next time I visit [lazy sigh]

At breakfast we had a lovely chat about Joey Bettany!

Fantastic!! I have loads of things I can't wait for DD1 to get to the right age for. I used to read CS from about her age, as my older sisters had them - we all loved them, including mum.

Now, DD1 is 6.5, and reading The Faraway Tree and Roald Dahl - is she ready for CS, d'you think??

Sorry, I mean I read them from about your DD's age, not my DD1's!

Oh, thanks for the reminder about that series. I had completely forgotten about The Chalet School. I used to devour them when I was about 9 or 10. Will definitely look out for some for dd now.

Oh and a series about "Sue Barton" either a district or country nurse in the US or Canada has just popped in to my head now...used to love those too ...

I've not persuaded my dds yet. DD1 likes Mallory Towers etc so may be persuadable when they are eventually unpacked. But do I let her read my hardbacks/reprints or do I have to buy her her own?

I have some Chalet School books, and a full set of Malory Towers awaiting dd's delectation (hopefully!). I also have lots of old annuals full of daring deeds of plucky boarding school girls.

The only trouble is with (ahem) 1970s books and previous ones is that the print is so small . The print is much bigger in today's books. I can barely see the words in some of my old Puffin books.

Poledra - MY DD was into faraway and Dahl at 6, too, then more recently read a lot of Famous Five and Malory Towers/St Clares; those have been a good introduction to the school-stories genre for her, so I'd get your DD those first. The School at the Chalet has much smaller type than most things she's read, plus quite a lot of unfamiliar historical/continental words.

Stillcounting - I liked Sue Barton too! I had my mothers old copies from the 60's. In fact, they must be in their loft with the CS's!

nymphadora - they're totally out of print apparently, and even the 80's paperbacks can be quite expensive on ebay... so you'll have to risk letting her loose on your copies!

I used to love the Chalet School books - I think I had the entire series. I really regret getting rid of them now that DD1 (8) is getting to the age when she might enjoy them. I'll definitely have to look in the charity shops for them when I'm next back in the UK.

I'd completely forgotten about the Faraway Tree - another of my favourites. I used to have a whole shelf full of Enid Blyton, but don't think I kept a single one...

NOt totally out of print. Girls Gone by are doing reprints (unabridged). I have ll the ones they have done so far.

The early CS paperbacks. School at, Jo of etc are still v cheap on ebay etc. Its only certain ones that are v expensive.

GGB really are the saviours of those of us not prepared (well, the Chalet School books are all at my mums, so she's not prepared) to spend the silly money to fill in the gaps.

I had quite a lot of Sue Bartons at one point, and then collected Cherry Ames - who was quite a forward thinking character as she did all sorts of exciting nursing roles - in the Army, Air Force etc as well as more normal ones

Just going to unpack mine to check which ggbp I need as there is some new ones!

Just bought 4 more

I never like Chalet school, but so wanted my dd to adore the Veronica at the Wells collection of books. I was addicted to those.

She just curled her lip at the thought of reading about ballet.

She never liked Mallory Towers, St Clares, Faraway Tree, Five Find Outers either (she did like Naughtesit girl in a school though, perhaps she saw it as inspiration).

i LOVED the chalet school. she will be wafting about expecting to faint and catch consumption at the first chill in the air.

I still love reading the Chalet school books - so much so that I have gradually collected the whole set, plus some of the fan fiction stories as well. [deeply sad woman emoticon] Sadly I have boys, who are unlikely ever to get interested in the doings of Joey and co!

Oh - and I have the Sue Barton books too - there are seven of them, Sue Barton Student Nurse, SB Senior Nurse (both about her training in Chicago and her meeting the love of her life), SB Visiting Nurse (about her training at the Henry Street Visiting Nurse programme in New York), SB Rural Nurse (about her setting up a visiting nurse programme in the rural town where her fiance lives, and solving a medical mystery with him), SB Superintendant Nurse (when she is married and running a nursing school in the town), SB Neighbourhood nurse (she's a SAHM but still Doing Good in the community) and SB Staff Nurse (she goes back to work). They are by Elinor Dore-Boylston.

I am deeply concerned that DD1 (9) was unimpressed by the Chalet School. It has led me to question her maternity. That and the fact that she actually laughed at the end of the film of The Railway Children.

lol jeee at laughing at end of RC - very healthy sign I think ....

OOOOhhh - thank you StayingDavidTennantsGirl - a woman after my own heart - you are displaying a worrying level of knowledge about the Sue Barton series

Seriously, love having all the details of each and every book - will be logging on Amazon tonight!! Thanks again.

Oh and I know it's probably been said before, but don't forget 'The Little House on the Prairie Series' everyone. Far superior to horribly saccharine tv series ...they really are a wonderful read.

Glad to be of service, Stillcounting.

I still have my Chalet books at my mums, I read them when i go home.

I also bought a sequel to the Chalet books once, it was a bit

Still counting, I am reading the Little house books to DD at the moment, we are part way through On the shores of Silver lake.

So many books being mentioned that I have happy memories of reading - I loved the Little House on the Prairie series too.

I'll be another one on Amazon tonight as I'm sure DD1 would love the Little House books (she was born in the USA so is very interested in all things American, even if the books are hardly representative of modern-day American life!).

GetOrf i really think you and i need to be friends

you like the mitfords

i like the mitfords

you love jilly

i'm getting into jilly

you heart veronica at the wells

i heart the wells etc

and i'm sure we agree on lots of other stuff as well as literature

i can overlook you not liking the chalet lot, i have loads of them and do like them, but used to get confused as to who was who's sister/aunt/cousin/stepsister etc etc

did you have all of the wells books? i have up to about no 11, i think...then they get v v hard to track down

i love love love little house and have all of them

Oh why, why, why didn't I keep all my old books?

Loved the Sadlers Wells books too; they made me want to be a ballerina... Now they would be perfect for DD2.

mankyscotslass (can't quite bring myself to shorten it to Manky!) Was it Chalet girls grow up? thats quite an intersting take on the stories! Theres another one thats more canon but I can't remember what its called.

I'm sure I read books about a girl called Drina who went to ballet school......

And Trebizon books too!