Favourite Vintage Boarding School Books

I'm sharing vintage school stories that I loved reading as a young girl. Did you have a weakness for boarding school books in your youth too?
_
If you enjoy this video, please consider subscribing to my youtube channel. I'd be thrilled :)
-
My blog is: mirandasnotebook.com/
My podcast is: anchor.fm/teaandtattle
You can find me on instagram at: @mirandasnotebook, @mirandasbookcase and @teaandtattlepodcast
-
AUTHORS MENTIONED IN VIDEO
Elinor M. Brent-Dyer: tinyurl.com/wu3goun
Dorita Fairlie Bruce: tinyurl.com/ttu858h
Elsie J. Oxenham: tinyurl.com/rp53jvg
Margaret Biggs: tinyurl.com/yx8awdhd
Clare Mallory: tinyurl.com/tymovg3
Antonia Forest: tinyurl.com/sfeuxsb
_
ABOUT ME: I'm Miranda Mills, a freelance writer, podcaster and photographer living in London. Find out more about me and what I do here: tinyurl.com/y3mm68uq

[@rosestanley9606]

I am 49 now and i still love all these old books i am still trying to complete my chalet school collection that i started when i was 14 as well as the abbey school and the Dimsie books they don't make book series like that anymore most of these books are not easy to get. If you haven't come across it yet the Donna Parker series is good to read

[@ingaurban404]

Dear Miranda, even though the video was published three years ago, I watched it today. Since I discovered your channel only last December I have a lot of catching up to do. I liked to listen to your views and descriptions of the books. Since we don't really have and actually never had a boarding school system in Germany comparable to the one you had/ have in the UK, it was not really a topic for German writers. But I loved some of Enid Blyton's stories, even though as a child I was only able to read them in translations. I especially remember loving the part where there celebrated secret midnight parties. My sister and I and even my brother I think, had some of them as well, because we liked the idea. I am always so grateful to the person who recommmended your channel to me since I can still learn so much and get introduced to so many writers, even though I have always read a lot and am actually an English teacher myself. You have broadened my horizon immensely. Thank you for ever!❤️

[@eileennielsen5165]

This was so interesting and lovely to watch. Wish I could find these old books. I am a grandmother and am called " Nana" . WhenI had my house , I had a bookcase specifically for my grandchildren from when they were born to almost teens. I would keep it full for them. They are still avid readers ( daughters made sure as well as myself) ; ages 8, 16, and 2 18 yr. olds girl/ boy cousins). I still send them books.🙂🤗 Thank you Miranda! Going to read some Anne now for the Comfort Book Club 🤗

[@janebaily3758]

Naughtiest girl series was such fun!!

[@imsathyasekar]

Thank you so much?! Being a huge fan of Enid Blyton's school stories, I truly welcome these recommendations! Thanks. Even within Ms Blyton's works, I actually best loved her Naughtiest Girl series in Whytleafe school. That was such a unique school where children governed themselves, shared their pocket money.. It's one of my favourite books even today!

[@sarahculley4646]

I wish I'd kept my Mallory Towers and St. Clares books by Enid Blyton. I had all of them aswell as Famous Five and Secret Seven. But I always wanted to go to boarding school aswell.I used to ask my parents if I could go every time I read one of these books. My parents always bought me an Enid Blyton book to read when we went on holiday. I remember reading the whole book once in the car and had finished it before we reached the holiday camp. My Mum was not amused....😊

[@thriftmyspirits6376]

Even as an adult, these books intrigue me as an escape from the every day stresses of today’s world! I’m going to see if I can find some of these titles!

[@padminismetacek1366]

Thank you for your delightful talk about vintage school stories - I only ever knew the Chalet School series, and didn't get to read all of those either. I am 59, and an Indian, who lives in the hills and went to boarding school in the hills. Wonderful that there is someone young who enjoys these old books and is in fact an expert! Thank you for telling me about the Abbey girls. I shall look up copies of the old Chalet series, hopefully illustrated.

[@pamelapoet9]

So charming! I wish someone had turned me on to these book when I was young. I would have adored them. I'm going to recommend them to friends with young daughters.

[@MirandaMills]

They are such charming stories! I'm now in the mood for a massive reread of them!

[@shonnarobertson6462]

I was, and still am, a massive vintage boarding school story fan. I read the Chalet School books (I still have the collection of paperbacks), the Enid Blyton Malory Towers and St Clares books, the Abbey Girls books (my cousin has most of those in hardcover still) and I have a vague recollection of reading one or two if Antonia Forrest’s books. I am watching the GGB re-publication of vintage Chalet school stories, to fill in the few gaps in my collection. Thank you for sharing your views on this classic fictional genre.

[@MirandaMills]

Lovely to connect with another Chalet School fan, Shonna!

[@ChelleG-qd4hb]

Thank you! Your vlogs make time on the walker speed by. Appreciating all the suggestions.

[@MirandaMills]

You are so welcome! Thank you so much for your support! It is very appreciated ❤️📚💐

[@despina284]

Slightly gutted that most of these books are hard to find nowadays and being in Greece I only found out about these authors from your video. I will be keeping an eye if anything pops up on ebay etc. as I love this kind of books (Ι adored St. Clare´s as a child and even these are hard to find in greek editions). Thank you for this video!

[@lakelili]

I was a huge Chalet School fan. I discovered them one March break when visiting an aunt in Bermuda and she had them all piled on the floor of her wardrobe. I also loved the ballet school books like Lorna Hill's "Saddler Wells" series and Jean Estoril's Drina series. Penelope Farmers' Charlotte Sometime which was the 3rd in the Aviary Hall series (haven't read the others) and Veronica Tennant's "On Stage Please" a one-off about the National Ballet School in Toronto. Of course the ultimate boarding school book is Goodbye Mr. Chips (James Hilton).

[@MirandaMills]

I love all those too apart from 'On Stage Please,' which I haven't heard of before. It sounds fun!

[@lakelili]

@@MirandaMills On Stage Please was written about a British girl who emigrates to Canada and ends up at the National Ballet School in Toronto. It was written by Veronica Tennant who was one of the National Ballet of Canada's Principal Dancers.

[@MirandaMills]

@@lakelili sounds super! I'll have to see if I can get a copy!

[@gracetaylor7351]

I used read a lot of Enid Blyton more famous 5 secret seven and adventure series .love the video more to check out 🙂

[@carolsimon9203]

Dimsie and Springdale are still my favourite school stories. I also enjoyed the books where Dorita Fairlie Bruce wrote about young women finding their professional places in both farming and the arts and crafts movement. Many thanks for your clear introduction to the Abbey books which I haven't explored as yet after a couple of negative experiences as a scholgirl.

[@carolsimon9203]

The Mellings Series are very special indeed and one tattered copy has now led to the complete series.

[@kimhall6738]

I adored the Chalet School books as a child. I had a lot of paperback editions dating from the 1960s through to the early 90s and most of the earlier titles had been read so many times they were falling apart (I agree that the first 15 or so books were much better than subsequent ones). I remember feeling unusual for liking them so much and it really struck home when you said that most girls your age were reading the Babysitter's Club, I know exactly how that feels! My Chalet School books are the only childhood books I've kept and I don't think I could ever part with them. I bought a few Girls Gone By reprints in the early 2000s and wish they were able to keep titles in print for longer as they're very hard to come by now. My favourite was 'The Chalet School in Exile'. I have 3 editions! A well-read 90s paperback, GGB reprint and a HB 1st found in Barter Books in Alnwick just a year or two ago. Not that I get obsessed with these things!

[@MirandaMills]

How lovely to find another fan! The Chalet School in Exile is a great one. I wish the GGBP books stayed in print longer too!

[@karenwhite2601]

@@MirandaMills I saw a couple of GGBP titles on ABE recently, the prices were so high that initially I thought they were original Chambers hardbacks!

[@little.animals]

Yess I love them

[@debwassenberg8859]

I am new to your channel and have so enjoyed catching up. I especially loved watching this vlog. I have 2 Abbey Girl books that belonged to my mum. The Twins at St Clare's by Enid Blyton was my favourite series. Thank you for your wonderful chats and sharing so much with us from cooking to crockery and even your mother. So generous of you both and much appreciated. Thank you.

[@ruthfernandez8801]

I love Boarder Stories.. they are so fun 😊

[@MameysMedley]

These are adorable Miranda!! The hunt for rare books is always fun but yes, like you said, they can be pricey. I remember loving the Anne of Green Gables series and the Little House in the Big Woods series when I was little. I have so many stand alone favorites as well. I try to reread The Secret Garden every year. Oh now I want to go down memory lane.....LOL. Fun video Miranda, thank you!

[@MirandaMills]

I loved both those series too! And I would like to reread The Secret Garden this year, especially with the film coming out! xxx

[@maslina4567]

Love that you wrote to your beloved author and that she wrote back...what a beautiful story! She must have been utterly tickled. I was in awe of several authors when I was a little girl, especially L. M. Montgomery and Laura Ingalls. Have you read Heidi by Johanna Spyri? I so badly wanted to visit the Swiss Alps because of Heidi (finally did as an adult). Boarding school - two words that suck me in, fully and completely. Such a shame but haven't read any of these; however, I just know they would become fast favourites.

[@MirandaMills]

I did read Heidi, as I lived in Switzerland for a while so felt it an appropriate read!! I'd like to read it again though.

[@wordscaninspire114]

Best wishes for your new Instagram site for chalet school books 🏫 really enjoyed this video. You talk so eloquently

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you so much 😊

[@ludovica8221]

How about another Brent -Dyer book "A Thrilling Term at Janeways" which I absolutely loved and spent a lot of time looking for more and only years later discovering it was a one-off. shame , Malory Towers of course, but a lot of annuals and anthologies eg "The Big Book of School Stories for Girls Compiled by Mrs Herbert Strang" and such like that seriously helped shape my character and sense of right/wrong/fairness/decency, as well as my love for language and words. I managed to persuade my parents to send me to a (day) school that was absolutely straight out of the 1920s with boaters and lacrosse, but in the 1970s so it was a little like being in a school story myself As you said the reality was a little different but I am still in touch with a couple of the pony mad ones. I agree these books are of their time but I am not too keen on updating the language. I was aware even as a child in the 1970s that the language was archaic and actually this was part of the appeal. It interested me that girls used to play cricket (which maybe they do again now, but was unheard of when I was a child) Those inter-war years are so much easier to understand if you understand the mindset of the time and understanding school stories of the 1930s makes Harry Potter so much more enjoyable too

[@georgiagoodley]

Love this🎀✨

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you!

[@jancorbett53]

Just catching up with your videos, fabulous content and presentation as usual

[@crystalthechurchmousestitc1888]

Hi Miranda! Thank you for this video. I know I would have loved these books. I read a series of school girl books when I was a senior in high school in 1978. I loved them. I have tried so hard over the years to remember the titles or the author but it just has been too long. It was about high school girls preparing to go to college and then also in college. I think they were written in the 1940s. Hope to see you again soon. Take care........Crystal.

[@MirandaMills]

Those sound charming! What a shame you can't remember the titles! xxx

[@itssammierose]

Could you please tell me if Antonia Forests books could be read as stand alones? I cant find the full series. Thank you. And thank you for this video.

[@thriftmyspirits6376]

Thanks!

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you so much!

[@lindahill5194]

Another delightful video! I love how they shaped your childhood. Sadly for me, it is difficult to get these titles in the US. I keep looking, though!

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you! I grew up in the US and France, so it wasn’t easy for me to get these books either 😉 But eBay was my friend!

[@carolsimon9203]

Abe books has provided me with many of my missing or longed for titles from girlhood. Catching up in with these titles in my sixties has been great fun and they are very relaxing reads still. A personal bonus was finding many boxes of school stories that had been in storage with my parents things since the mid seventies. My sister and I feasted unashamedly on Armada Chalet titles and a goodly number of original hardbook titles from the 1930s and 1940s with inevitable mildew etc etc