School stories have always been popular and continue so to be. When I was a child, my contemporaries and I were suckers for Elinor M Brent-Dyer‘s Chalet School series. Some of us went for Enid Blyton; although I read the likes of Malory Towers, I was not enamoured. It was Summer Term at the Chalet School or Mary-Lou of the Chalet School that consumed me.
‘You’re a brick, Angela!’ became a well-known expression symbolising such stories, which were published by Angela (pronounced ‘brazzle’) Brazil and many others. Brazil was one of the first to breach the overwhelming prominence in the marketplace of ‘improving’ books for children. While now we consider her tales quaint, out-dated and clichéd, their influence on other writers was profound. They were devoured at the time although there were some who felt the books were immoral and a bad influence!
The Court-Harmon Girls by L T Meade, a pseudonym for Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Smith (1844–1914), was published in 1910. The above greeting card is taken from my original copy of the book in which I have incorporated the front cover and the spine, as well as a little decorative flourish!
Take care and keep laughing!
First Night Design 
Love old books although I’ve never read that series. It looks great!
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I wouldn’t particularly recommend Angela Brazil or L T Meade!
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‘immoral and a bad influence’ – indeed, how things have moved on, not always for the better.
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Quite so!
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Reblogged this on First Night Design.
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Reblogged this on rennydiokno.com.
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I like the way you incorporated the book’s spine. Nice work, Sarah!
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Thanks, Pete. It was inspired thinking. I must do some more like this as I do own a fair number of old books. I think I bought this in my teens! x
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I did read some of Mallory Towers (as at that age I only had access to translations and Spanish stories) and Puck… (I was checking and for some reason that Danish series was translated to Spanish but not to English).
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Puck sounds worth investigating – perhaps you should translate it into English, Olga!
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I loved the Chalet School books but I also enjoyed the Mallory Towers ones. I desperately wanted to be sent to a boarding school!
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I didn’t want to go that far but we were led to believe we’d said we wanted to because that is what our parents organised as our manic mother couldn’t cope. I didn’t question that for years but when I did, my father told me the truth! All I’d say is be careful what you wish for! After I was seriously bullied, I begged them to remove me. Luckily they did. But that had its own traumas as I was at home to witness my mother’s madness. Oy, life!
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Yes, I’m sure the reality of boarding schools is nothing like the fictional version. My parents could not have afforded school fees so there’s no way they could have sent me. I guess I should be grateful as I would not have fitted in. Life is life!
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Yes, be grateful!
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