Please e-mail sally.dore@cantab.net to place an order

Welcome to my new Topsy-Turvy catalogue.  I do have some lovely books, so I hope you’ll find something that appeals.  I must confess that each time I send out a catalogue, there are some titles in it which are huge favourites of mine, and sometimes when no-one orders them, I feel sad that people are missing out on such good reads. So I’m hoping that some of the books which I’ve persisted in listing because I’m so fond of them, will sell and give pleasure to someone else too. 

The overall theme of our Eighth Bristol Conference – Twentieth Century Schoolgirls and their Books last year was “Mothers, Mistresses and Other Role Models”, which lent itself to a huge variety of talks. The book of talks will be published later this year, and in the meantime the talks from previous conferences are available.  A date for your diary:  we have decided we will go for a ninth conference, so the next conference will take place from 24^th – 27^th July 2026 (booking will open later this year), and the overall theme will be “Fresh Air and Freedom” (Betula’s more alliterative take on my suggested “Outdoors and Adventure”!)

My catalogue contains my usual mix of second-hand and new books, with books for adults at the end.

Please note that GGBP are doing shorter print runs now, and some titles go out of print very quickly (for example Prefects of the Chalet School was still forthcoming at the time of my last catalogue at the end of March, and is now out of print). If you are interested in a title that’s not yet published, it is really helpful to order it in advance to be sure of getting a copy.

New books are underlined. A small discount on postage is given for titles ordered in advance of publication, otherwise postage is in addition as with orders for other books. (For the UK, postage for an advance order is £1.50 per book.)

GGBP, Greyladies, EJO Society, and other newly published titles

New Books – place orders now for these titles recently published

S1)      Allan, Mabel Esther; A School in Danger; pb GGBP, 2025. Dundonay House might be ousted by the landlord. New. £13

S2)      Brent-Dyer, Elinor; The Chalet Book for Girls; pb GGBP 2025. A reprint of the first annual-type book published when the Chalet School was at the height of its fame. Chalet short stories and more. New. £13

S3)      Brent-Dyer, Elinor; Monica Turns Up Trumps; pb GGBP 2025. Unsatisfactory Monica eventually comes good (and goes to the Chalet School…) Very attractive Christmassy cover. New. £13

S4)      Brent-Dyer, Elinor; Primula of the Chalet School by Helen Barber; pb GGBP 2025. New. £13

S5)      [Brent-Dyer, Elinor]; Lorna’s Last Year at Wynyards by Amy Fletcher pb GGBP 2023. The Lorna duo is a favourite with many, and now this experienced author of Chalet fill-ins has turned her attention to what might have happened to Lorna afterwards. New £13

S6)      [Brent-Dyer, Elinor]; Rosamund Leads the Chalet School by Lisa Townsend; pb GGBP 2023. The term of Redheads, but from Rosamund’s point of view. Now out of print. £16

S7)      Courtney, Gwendoline; A Coronet for Cathie; pb rep GGBP 2024. A satisfying read! New. Now OP. £16

S8)      Edwards, Monica; The White Riders; pb rep GGBP 2024. New. Now out of print. £13

S9)      Edwards, Monica; The Unsought Farm; pb GGBP 2025. How Monica Edwards came upon the farm that was to be the model for the much-loved Punchbowl Farm. New. £13

S10)    Goudge, Elizabeth; The Joy of the Snow; pb GGBP 2024. This new edition of her autobiography includes a selection of letters written by her in later life which have never been published before. New. £13

S11)    Hill, Lorna; Jane Leaves the Wells; pb GGBP 2024. Newly successful ballerina Jane is faced with an almost impossible choice. New. £13

S12)    Oxenham, Elsie J; New Girls at Woodend; pb EJO Soc. 2024. New. £16

S13)    Oxenham, Elsie J; A Go-Ahead Schoolgirl; pb EJO Soc, 2023. New £16

S14)    Oxenham, Elsie J; Patience and Her Problems; pb EJO Soc, 2023. New £16

S15)    Saville, Malcolm; Diamonds in the Sky; pb GGBP 2025. Rarest in the Buckingham series; Charles, Juliet, and her younger brother Simon, happen upon diamond smuggling on a visit to Amsterdam. New £13

S16)    Shaw, Jane; Northmead Nuisance; pb GGBP 2024. New. £13

New Books – place advance orders now for these titles due in late summer and autumn

Postage is cheaper for advance orders. Titles are going out of print fast, so do pre-order to be sure of a copy.

S17)    Allan, Mabel Esther; Signpost to Switzerland; pb GGBP, 2025. Spoilt Camilla has just left school, and her father arranges for her to go, reluctantly, to help at a friend’s hotel in Switzerland. Heartache and a dramatic turn of events change the whole course of her life. New. £13

S18)    Brent-Dyer, Elinor M; The School at the Chalet; pb GGBP 2025. A new centenary edition of this pioneering book, with loads of extras. NEW £13

S19)    [Brent-Dyer] Simone of the Chalet School by Amy Fletcher; pb GGBP 2025. Although Simone is one of the original pupils of the Chalet School, she is very much seen through the eyes of others. Here we get her point of view of these foundational events. NEW. £13

S20)    [Brent-Dyer] Seniors of the Chalet School by Lisa Towsnend; pb GGBP 2025. Jack, Flavia, Wanda and the rest of Inter V are looking forward to a care-free time before they have to leave the Middles, but as the Chalet School faces a term busy with significant events, they have to prove that they have what it takes to become proper seniors (overlaps with Althea and Prefects). NEW £13

S21)    Courtney, Gwendoline; At School with the Stanhopes; pb GGBP 2025. Such an enjoyable book and the detail of starting a school is so appealing. Rosalind has to leave her school and stay with her dour brother Richard, but when Kate Stanhope, a mistress at Rosalind’s old school, inherits a nearby house, she and her four younger sisters decide that the only thing to do is start a school in it…  NEW £13

S22)    Forest, Antonia; The Player’s Boy; pb GGBP 2025. Young Nicholas Marlow runs away and is taken on by a London player called Master William Shakespeare. Although she only wrote a couple, Antonia Forest proves her mastery of historical fiction and produces one of the most convincing portraits of Shakespeare ever. Whether you are already a fan of historical fiction or not, this is definitely one to try. NEW £13

S23)    Matthewman, Phyllis; The Intrusion of Nicola; pb GGBP 2025.  Daneswood is surprised when Nicola, at nearly 19 rather old for school, joins the VIth Form, and Daneswood remains surprised… NEW £13

S24)    Shaw, Jane; Penny Foolish; pb GGBP 2025. The first in the Penny series; unhappy Penny is staying on the isle of Arran recovering from an illness, longing for her sister Jill. But when Jill arrives, demanding concealment from desperate pursuers, her troubles are only just beginning… NEW. £13

S25)    Whalley, Kay; A Smart Suit and White Gloves – Career Books for Girls; pb GGBP 2025. This is a revised and expanded new edition of Kay’s book on Career Stories (under the name Kay Clifford), covering all the career books published for girls, profusely illustrated. NEW. £13

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Alcott, Louisa May

S26)    Jo’s Boys; pb Puffin. VG+. £3

S27)    Little Men; nd Sampson Low. Little Women sequel. Glazed picture bds, rear hinge of spine repaired, £5

S28)    An Old-Fashioned Girl; nd Sampson Low “new and cheaper edition”. Decorated bds. Pages going biscuity and front and rear hinges exposed, a handsome reading copy. £3

Allan, Mabel Esther       

S29)    [As Priscilla Hagon]; Mystery at the Villa Bianca; pb Greyladies 2024. Frances Grey takes up a post as secretary at an exclusive finishing school in Switzerland; but what starts as a young adult school story turns into a tense thriller! Introduction by Sue Sims. New. £12

S30)    Philomel Follows After;  pb Greyladies 2021. This is MEA’s second full-length book, unpublished until now, and astonishingly written when she was 15, a school story with a difference. Full of Scottish romanticism, not exactly realistic, but very readable, and with girls’ dialogue that rings true. £12

S31)    Ragged Robin Began It; pb (pocket size) Greyladies 2020. MEA gives her thoughts on school stories, including the Big Three and several others – one can criticise and still love, she says. NEW £8

S32)    To Be an Author; pb Greyladies 2020. MEA’s autobiography, until now only privately published. £10

S33)    Signpost to Switzerland; pb GGBP, 2025. Spoilt Camilla has just left school, and her father arranges for her to go, reluctantly, to help at a friend’s hotel in Switzerland. Heartache and a dramatic turn of events change the whole course of her life. New. £13

S34)    Over the Sea to School; pb GGBP 2024. Dillion Harvey is reluctant to go to school, but the progressive Dundonay House on Skye is a different matter… New. £13

S35)    A School in Danger; pb GGBP, 2025. Dundonay House might be ousted by the landlord. New. £13

S36)    Shadow Over the Alps; pb GGBP 2023. A group of Sixth formers taken to the Alps face an atmosphere of increasing menace. Can anyone really wish them harm? New. £13

S37)    Ann’s Alpine Adventure; pb GGBP 2020. New £13

S38)    New Schoools for Old; pb GGBP 2018. New. £13

S39)    Judith Teaches; pb GGBP 2016. Very interesting career story. New. £13

S40)    Here We Go Round; pb GGBP 2015. Nursery teaching. £13

S41)    The MacIans of Glen Gillean; pb GGBP 2013. NEW. £13

S42)    The Wyndhams Went to Wales; pb GGBP 2013.  NEW. £13

S43)    The Ballet Family; pb GGBP 2012.  Joan comes to alien London family.  New  £13

S44)    The Ballet Family Again; pb GGBP 2012. NEW. £13

S45)    Trouble at Melville Manor; pb GGBP 2014. Ray, aspiring writer. NEW £13

S46)    Margaret Finds a Future; pb GGBP 2011. Life at a National Trust house. New £13

S47)    Amanda Goes to Italy; pb GGBP 2022. New £13

Barber, Helen

S48)    Mollie’s Choice; pb BTT. Popular day school story debut. New. £10

S49)    Mollie’s Friends; pb BTT 2020. Sequel to, Mollie’s Choice. New. £10

Biggs, Margaret

S50)    The very attractive Melling series follows the Blake family at a small home-like school.  All New GGBP pbs, All £13 New Girl at Melling; 2005;; Susan in the Sixth; 2007; Changes at Melling;   2009.  

S51)    Bobby at Hill House; pb GGBP 2014. £13

S52)    Christmas Term at Vernley; pb GGBP 2012.  £13

S53)    The Two Families; pb GGBP 2010. NEW.  £13

S54)    Dilly Goes to Ambergate; pb GGBP 2011.  NEW.  £13

Biggs, Margaret, and Blairman, Jacqueline

S55)    Triplets at Royders; nd Sampson Low. Anne, Robin and Sheila have to earn the right to stay on at Royders by making the most of their first year. An unusually handsomely illustrated book, b&w decorations and numerous full-page b&w illustrations throughout. Spine and strip down front panel faded, o/w VG. £12

Blyton, Enid

S56)    The Naughtiest Girl is a Monitor; 1973 rev ed, Dean. Glazed picture bds as issued. VG+. £5

S57)    St Clare’s; paperbacks Dragon, G++, £3.50 each. The Twins at St Clare’s; The O’Sullivan Twins; Summer Term at St Clare’s; Second Form at St Clare’s; Fifth Formers at St Clare’s.

S58)    Mr Galliano’s Circus; pb Armada 1962. G++. £3.50

S60)    Chimney Corner Stories; 1963 Dean. G++. £5

Boston, Lucy M.

S61)    Really handsome paperback reprints from early 2000s by Oldknow Books. These Green Knowe books are all based on Lucy Boston’s real house, the visitable Hemingford Grey Manor near Cambridge, which is one of the contenders as the oldest still-inhabited house in England. All VG+ or better, £4 each. The Children of Green Knowe; An Enemy at Green Knowe; The Stones of Green Knowe.

Boylston, Helen Dore

S62)    Sue Barton – Visiting Nurse; 1952 rep; Bodley Head. VG. £6

S63)    Sue Barton – Rural Nurse; 1952 rep; Bodley Head. Some foxing, generally G++. £5

S64)    Sue Barton paperbacks; all Knight, G+ or better, £3.50 each: Sue Barton – Neighbourhood Nurse; Sue Barton - Senior Nurse; Sue Barton – Superintendent Nurse.

Brazil, Angela

S65)    A Fourth Form Friendship; pb 2006 GGBP, centenary edition, a good one! NEW. £6

S68)    The Nicest Girl in the School; nd (fat edition), Blackie. Col fp and 4/4 b&w plates. Pic bds. Very well read, G+. £6

S69)    The Manor House School; nd Blackie (later ed). 4/4 b&w plates, VG in VG+ dw. £8

S70)    For the Sake of the School; nd War Econ; Blackie. 4/4 b&w plates. VG, a lovely fresh copy. £7.50

Brent-Dyer, Elinor

GGBP and Bettany Press recent paperback editions, Chalet School, Chalet School “fill-ins” and others

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S72)    McClelland, Helen; Behind the Chalet School – A Biography of Elinor M. Brent-Dyer; 1996 1^st ed; Bettany Press. The pioneering work which established so much new information about EBD. Bizarrely two different sorts of paper stock were clearly used, and have aged very slightly differently, so the closed page edges now have a striped effect! VG++. £16

S73)    McCallum, Alison; The Chalet School Encyclopedia;. GGBP larger format pbs. Fascinating and exhaustive guide to all things Chalet. Non-fiction. NEW.  £20 each; Volume 4 (R-Z) 2016.

S74)    The Chalet Book for Girls; pb GGBP 2025. A reprint of the first annual-type book published when the Chalet School was at the height of its fame. Chalet short stories and more. New. £13

S75)    [Brent-Dyer, Elinor] Tales from the Chalet School by Helen Barber and Katherine Bruce; pb GGBP 2023. Short stories by two well-respected fill-in writers, including a couple of new ones. New. £16

S76)    Chalet School World: Short Stories by Helen Barber; pb GGBP 2013. New. £13

S77)    The Chalet School Christmas Story Book; pb GGBP 2007. A lovely seasonal collection. VG+. £13

S78)    The Chalet School Cook Book; pb GGBP 2009. This is the only out-of-series Chalet book that EBD herself wrote, featuring Chalet girls, but not a school story. An interesting book full of recipes of the time, structured around conversations between Joey and her three great friends, Simone, Frieda and Marie, who are in quarantine. People have tried making the recipes, with mixed results! NEW.  £20

S79)    Before the Chalet School - The Bettanys of Taverton High by Helen Barber; pb rep 2022. New £13

S80)    Before the Chalet School - Last Term at Taverton High  by Helen Barber. GGBP 2018. NEW. £16

S81)    The School at the Chalet; pb GGBP 2025. A new centenary edition of this pioneering book, with loads of extras. NEW £13

S82)    Simone of the Chalet School by Amy Fletcher; pb GGBP 2025. Although Simone is one of the original pupils of the Chalet School, she is very much seen through the eyes of others. Here we get her point of view of these foundational events. NEW. £13

S83)    Visitors for the Chalet School by Helen McClelland; 1995 1^st ed; Bettany Press. This account of the term after Princess was written by EBD’s biographer with reference to notes left by EBD herself. Fine. £15

S84)    Joey and Patricia – A Reunion in Guernsey by Helen McClelland; New Chalet Club supplement no. 7. A substantial short story with several chapters based on the characters in Visitors. A5 booklet, VG. £5

S85)    Deira Joins the Chalet School by Caroline German; pb GGBP 2010. NEW  £20

S86)    Head Girl of the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2013. New. £20

S87)    Eustacia Goes to the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S88)    The Chalet School Annexe by Adrianne Fitzpatrick; pb GGBP 2018. One copy only £22.50

S89)    The Chalet School and the Lintons; pb GGBP 2020. New. £20

S90)    Jo Returns to the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2021. New. £20

S91)    The Muller Twins at the Chalet School by Bruce, Katherine;  pb GGBP 2012.  NEW. £16

S92)    Gillian of the Chalet School by Carol Allan; pb GGBP 2006. £20

S93)    The Chalet School in Exile; pb GGBP.  NEW.  £20

S94)    A Refuge for the Chalet School by Amy Fletcher; pb GGBP 2020. Members of the Chalet School re-group in Guernsey following the flight from Austria. (Overlaps with CS in Exile). NEW. £16

S95)    The Chalet School in Guernsey by Katherine Bruce; pb GGBP 2020. New. £13

S96)    The Chalet School and Robin by Caroline German; pb GGBP 2003. VG++. £18

S97)    Flight of a Chalet School Girl by Katherine Bruce; pb GGBP 2022. New £20

S98)    Gay from China at the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2023. New. £13

S99)    Jo to the Rescue; pb GGBP 2022 New £16

S101)  A Chalet School Headmistress by Helen Barber. GGBP rep 2017. Very popular fill-in. £16

S102)  Tom Tackles the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2017. NEW. £16

S103)  Primula of the Chalet School by Helen Barber; pb GGBP 2025. Shy Primula has to emerge from her shell.  New. £13

S104)  The Bettany Twins and the Chalet School by Helen Barber; pb GGBP 2020. £13

S105)  A Guernsey Girl at the Chalet School by Amy Fletcher; pb GGBP 2021. £13

S106)  Peace Comes to the Chalet School by Katherine Bruce; pb GGBP rep 2020. New. £20

S107)  The Champion of the Chalet School by Adrianne Fitzpatrick; pb GGBP 2014. NEW. £16

S108)  Three Go to the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2022 New £16

S109)  A Difficult Term at the Chalet School by Lisa Townsend; pb GGBP 2021 rep. NEW.  £16

S110)  The Chalet School and the Island; pb GGBP 2022. New £16

S111)  Peggy of the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2021. New. £16

S112)  Carola Storms the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2008. One copy only. £22.50

S113)  Maeve of the Chalet School by Helen Barber; pb GGBP 2022. Set in the same term as the CS in the Oberland and Shocks. New £16

S114)  Changes for the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2014. NEW. £20

S115)  The Chalet School and Barbara; pb GGBP 2014. NEW. £20

S116)  The Chalet School Returns to the Alps by Lisa Townsend; pb GGBP 2021. Nancy Wilmot joins the school as a mistress and takes some time to feel at home, while new girl Sue Meadows is very self-contained. (Overlaps with CS and Barbara). New. £13

S117)  A Chalet Girl from Kenya; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S118)  A Problem for the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S119)  New Mistress at the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2020. New. £20

S120)  A Leader in the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2020. New. £20

S121)  The Chalet School Wins the Trick; pb GGBP 2022 New £13

S122)  A Future Chalet School Girl pb rep GGBP 2024. New. £16 

S123)  The Chalet School Reunion; pb GGBP £20

S124)  Jane and the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2013. NEW.  £20

S125)  Redheads at the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2023. NEW.  £13

S126)  Rosamund Leads the Chalet School by Lisa Townsend; pb GGBP 2023. New. £16

S127)  Challenge for The Chalet School; pb GGBP rep 2023 New £16

S128)  Seniors of the Chalet School by Lisa Towsnend; pb GGBP 2025. Jack, Flavia, Wanda and the rest of Inter V are looking forward to a care-free time before they have to leave the Middles, but as the Chalet School faces a term busy with significant events, they have to prove that they have what it takes to become proper seniors (overlaps with Althea and Prefects). NEW £13

S129)  Althea Joins the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S130)  Prefects at the Chalet School; pb GGBP rep 2025. New. Out of print £20

S131)  New Beginnings at the Chalet School by Heather Paisley; pb rep GGBP 2020 £16

Chalet School hardbacks (all Chambers), and other hbs, Armada pbs and items relating to EBD

S132)  The School at the Chalet; 1963 rep. Spine faded, several names written on eps, gen VG+. £7.50

S133)  The Head-Girl of the Chalet School; 1949 rep. Some notes, inscriptions on eps, seems well-read. £7.50

S134)  Exploits of the Chalet Girls; 1950 rep. One section of pages has been repeated, but there are no omissions! Neat repair reinforcing front hinge, generally G++ in p/c dw. £8.50

S135)  The New House at the Chalet School; 1950 rep. VG+; the book has been given a tidy, handsomely lettered (removable) brown paper cover, with the dw blurb taped inside it, and the front cover of the dw loosely tucked into the turn over. £10

S136)  The New House at the Chalet School; 1963 rep. A beautifully fresh copy, fine in VG++ dw. £18

S137)  The Chalet School in Exile; 1950 rep. VG. £14

S138)  The Chalet School Goes To It; 1950 rep. The Chalet School is settling in on Guernsey – but war has arrived. VG. £14

S139)  Lavender Laughs in the Chalet School; 1956 rep. Pages going biscuity, o/w VG++ in VG+ dw. £24

S140)  Tom Tackles the Chalet School; 1955 1^st ed. Pages going a bit biscuity, generally VG. £12

S141)  Jo to the Rescue; 1960 rep. VG++ in VG dw. £26

S142)  The Chalet School in the Oberland; 1952 1^st ed. VG. £30

S143)  The Chalet School and Barbara; 1954 1^st ed. Pages going a little biscuity, o/w VG+ in dw with a few substantial chips, now protected. £25

S145)  Ruey Richardson – Chaletian; 1^st ed. Spine faded, b&w fp. VG. £18

S146)  A Future Chalet School Girl; 1962 1^st ed. VG++ in VG dw. £30

S147)  The Chalet School Triplets; 1^st. Nr fine in VG- dw, base of sp torn but almost no loss, now protected. £32

S148)  The Chalet School Reunion; 1963 1^st ed. 4 colour plates. Near fine in VG- dw with the wraparound design, a few tears but little loss, now protected. £38

S149)  Challenge for the Chalet School; 1966 1^st ed. Very fresh, near fine in VG+ dw. £30

S150)  Judy the Guide; 1^st ed 1928; Nelson. Handsome pictorial boards, generally VG. £14

S151)  The New House-Mistress; nd Nelson. Pictorial bds, VG+. £6

S152)  EBD’s Collected Verse; ed Joy Wotton; NCC 2006 124pp booklet. New. £2.50

S153)  The Chalet School and Rosalie; pb Armada. VG+. £5

La Rochelle series and other Chalet connectors

S154)  The Lost Staircase; hb,1954 rep; Chambers. Young Jesanne Gellibrand (later of the Chalet School), is brought over to The Dragon House from New Zealand by the eccentric Sir Ambrose when she becomes his heir. A really charming book even if the plot is somewhat far-fetched. Has no prelims, although no sign of anything missing. Pages going biscuity, overall VG. £16

S155)  Monica Turns Up Trumps; pb GGBP 2025. Unsatisfactory Monica eventually comes good (and goes to the Chalet School…) Very attractive Christmassy cover. New. £13

S156)  Monica Turns Up Trumps; hb, nd (1^st ed?) RTS. A worn but nice thick copy of this CS connector. £10

S157)  Gerry Goes to School; pb GGBP 2022. EBD’s first book, and first in La Rochelle series, set on Guernsey. A new reprint to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of its first publication. New £13

S158)  A Head Girl’s Difficulties; pb rep GGBP, 2024. The second La Rochelle title, with an introduction by me on Sentiment and Stoicism: Reactions to Children’s Deaths. New. £13

S159)  The Maids of La Rochelle; hb, 1927, Chambers.  VG £22

S160)  Seven Scamps; pb GGBP 2013. NEW. £20

S161)  Janie of La Rochelle; pb rep GGBP 2020. £20

S162)  Janie of La Rochelle; hb, 1952 rep, Chambers. Spine faded, overall VG. £14.50

S163)  Janie Steps In; pb GGBP rep 2023. The final La Rochelle title. New £13

Lorna

S164)  Lorna At Wynyards; pb GGBP rep 2021. One of my favourite EBD titles. New. £13

S165)  Stepsisters for Lorna; pb GGBP rep 2023. New £13

S166)  [Brent-Dyer, Elinor]; Lorna’s Last Year at Wynyards by Amy Fletcher pb GGBP 2023. The Lorna duo is a favourite with many; what might have happened to Lorna afterwards? New £16

Condor Crags Series

S167)  The Condor Crags Adventure; pb GGBP 2018. New. £16

S168)  Chudleigh Hold; pb GGBP. New. £16

S169)  Top Secret; pb GGBP 2022. New £16

Other titles

S170)  The Little Marie José / The Little Missus; pb GGBP. New. £20 

S171)  The Evangelical Books – Nesta Steps Out, Beechy of the Harbour School and Leader in Spite of Herself; pb GGBP 2021. Some of EBD’s rarest titles, slim volumes here published in one book. New. £20

S172)  Geography Readers Vol 1: A Quintette in Queensland/ Verena Visits New Zealand; pb GGBP 2019. £16

S173)  Geography Readers Vol 2: Bess on her Own in Canada + Sharlie’s Kenya Diary; pb GGBP 2020. £13

S174)  Chalet Club Newsletters; pb rep GGBP 2016. 1960s Chalet Club newsletters, extra CS info.  New £13

S175)  The Feud in the Fifth Remove; pb GGBP 2014. New. £13

S176)  Trouble at Skelton Hall; pb GGBP 2009.  NEW.  £13.

S177)  Caroline the Second; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW  £13

S178)  Elizabeth the Gallant; pb GGBP 2006.  NEW.  £13

S179)  The Lost Staircase; pb GGBP rep, 2018. NEW. £16

S180)  Judy the Guide; pb GGBP 2010.  New. £13

S181)  Kennelmaid Nan; pb GGBP 2011. EBD’s almost-career-story. NEW. £13

S182)  They Both Liked Dogs; pb GGBP 2012. NEW. £13

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Bristol Conference – see what you’ve been missing!  These are all new.

S183)  Bristol Conference booklets: SPECIAL OFFER   All six booklets/books below £25

S184)  20^th Century Schoolgirls and Their Books – 7^th 2022 Bristol Conference, 2024. Overall theme is Eccentrics, Misfits and Oddballs. 148pp. Illustrated in colour throughout. £8.50

S185)  20^th C Schoolgirls and Their Books – 6th 2018 Bristol Conference; 2019. Overall theme is War. 144pp book. Illustrated in colour throughout. £7.50

S186)  20^th C Schoolgirls and Their Books – 5th 2016 Bristol Conference; 2017. Themes are Series fiction and Hobbies. 104pp book, illustrated in colour throughout. £6.50

S187)  20^th C Schoolgirls and Their Books – 4th 2014 Conference; 2015. Locations, real and fictional. 68pp £5

S188)  20^th C Schoolgirls and Their Books – 3rd 2012 Conference; 2012. Includes Career books. 64-pp £4.50

S189)  20^th C Schoolgirls and Their Books – 2nd 2010 Conference; 2011. Themes include Guides. 60pp. £3.50

Bruce, Dorita Fairlie  I have a great selection of DFB titles in a variety of series

Springdale series

S190)  Prefects at Springdale; nd Spring. Col fp. VG. £6

Sally books

S191)  Sally’s Summer Term; 1961 1^st ed; Blackie. What happens when the ceiling falls down at Cherrybrae, Sally’s boarding house at St Michael’s School. A less common DFB title.  VG- in VG- dw with a couple of small losses at the ends of the spine. £20

Dimsie series

S192)  Dimsie and the Jane Willard Foundation: pb GGBP. The collected Dimsie short stories. NEW. £13

S193)  Dimsie Moves Up; nd; Spring. VG. £5

S194)  Dimsie, Head Girl; nd; Spring. VG. £5

Toby trilogy

S195)  The School on the Moor; pb GGBP 2006.  First Toby title. NEW.  £13

S196)  The School on the Moor; 1937 rep; OUP “Swan” ed. Boards a little marked, G. £6.50

S197)  The School in the Woods; pb GGBP 2007. Toby title of legendary rarity.  £13

S198)  Toby at Tibbs Cross; 1942 1^st ed; OUP. Fascinating now particularly for its social history of Toby working on the land in wartime, but its plot is the thriller / romance one might expect. Surprisingly substantial edition for wartime, with a colour fp. VG £15

S199)  Toby at Tibbs Cross; pb GGBP. New. £13

Colmskirk series A series of 9 books about interlinking families set around the area DFB knew well, Largs on the west coast of Scotland, from the 17^th to 20^th centuries. DFB saw these as more ambitious novels for young adults. (The first two historical stories, The King’s Curate and Mistress Mariner, published in the 1930s, have never been reprinted, and are almost impossible to get hold of.)

S200)  A Laverock Lilting; 1947 rep; OUP. Jentie Crawford’s lovely voice gives her an entrée into Edinburgh society, where she’s welcomed by the Scotts, the Raeburns and others – but then her circumstances change, and she finds she has to sing to make her living. Illustrated by Margaret Horder. VG. £20

S201)  The Bees on Drumwhinnie; 1952 1^st ed; OUP. Felicity and her young sister Deb arrive in Scotlan in the 1870s to live with two poverty-stricken aunts. Can pretty and fashionable Felicity rise to the situation? Illustrated by Margaret Horder. VG in G+ dw missing small bit at top of spine. .

S202)  Wild Goose Quest; pb GGBP 2013. £13

S203)  Wild Goose Quest; 1945 1^st ed; Lutterworth. Spine faded, o/w VG. £13

S204)  The Serendipity Shop; pb GGBP 2009.  Colmskirk series, set in very recognisable Scottish locations. £13

S205)  Triffeny; pb GGBP 2010.  Second modern Colmskirk title.  NEW. £13

S206)  Triffeny; 1950 1^st ed; OUP. Triffeny aged 16, decides she must go to London to pursue her artistic bent. Her aunts agree it’s impossible – but how can they reconcile Triffeny to staying in Colmskirk? Enter Great-aunt Tryphena, owner of a pottery. VG in VG dw. £30

S207)  The Debatable Mound; pb GGBP 2011.  Colmskirk series.  NEW. £13

S208)  The Debatable Mound; 1953 1^st ed; OUP. A handsome fresh copy in p/c dw. £13

S209)  The Bartle Bequest; pb GGBP. New. £13

Nancy series

S210)  The Girls of St Bride’s; 1927 rep; OUP. Dec bds, gen G+. £7.50

S211)  Nancy at St Bride’s; 1973 rep White Lion. VG in VG slightly baggy dw with faded spine. £5

S212)  That Boarding School Girl; 1930 rep; OUP. Col fp “Tied tightly to a tree in the middle of the glade was a small girl”… Some foxing, crisp boards. £6.50

S213)  The New Girl and Nancy – A Story of School and the Open Air; 1937 rep; OUP. Spine spotty and band darkend on front board, inside is generally VG. £7.50

S214)  Nancy to the Rescue; 1930 rep; OUP. Col fp. Outline picture embossed on front board, rear board has a couple of vertical crease marks, generally G+. £5

S215)  Nancy in the Sixth; 1935 1^st ed; OUP Swan edition. Col fp. VG. £15

S216)  Nancy Returns to St Bride’s; 1938 OUP. Swan edition. This is dedicated to Elsie Oxenham who had pressed DFB for Nancy to be sent back to St Bride’s! Colour fp, VG. £10

Buckeridge, Anthony    I have a nice selection of hardbacks with the very attractive wraparound dustwrappers

S217)  Jennings and Darbishire; 1957 rep; Collins. VG+ in VG dw. £10

S218)  Jennings’ Little Hut; 1957 rep; Collins. VG+ in G++ dw with a little edgewear. £10

S219)  According to Jennings; 1957 rep; Collins. VG- in dw missing 1 cm at top of spine, which would o/w be VG. £10

S220)  Jennings Goes to School; pb Puffin. Cover by John Verney. VG. £3.50

Burgess, Trevor

S221)  A Spy at Monk’s Court; 1960 rep; Hutchinson. Jim Raymond and his friends spend the summer term trying to unravel the mystery of Koromoff, a new boy, supposedly the son of a foreign diplomat. Dw illustration by Terence Freeman. VG in VG dw. £8.50

Butler-Joyce, Joan

S222)  Hot Water; pb BTT 2020. A trilogy first published 1935 – 1940, about school friends Madge, Pam and charismatic new girl Leah. New £12

S223)  She Went to London; pb BTT 2020 Madge visits Leah for eventful holiday. New £12

S224)  No Responsibility; pb BTT 2020. The  friends are not keen on the implications of prefectship. New. £12

Caldwell, Patricia

S225)  The Vivians school series, all GGBP, £13 each (or £10 each if you buy more than one Vivians title). Prefects at Vivians 2010; Head Girl at Vivians 2010; Strangers at Vivians 2011; Left Until Called For at Vivians 2012; A Last Year at Vivians 2013; ¡Viva Vivians! 2014; Winter at Vivians 2016

S226)  Prefects at Vivians; pb GGBP. St Vivians is a Cumberland boarding school. Slight damage, gen VG. £4

Channon, E.M.

S227)  That Awful Term; pb BTT 2018. £12

S228)  The Handsome Hardcastles; pb BTT 2017. NEW. £12

S229)  The Cinderella Girl; pb BTT 2016. Lively story of young woman who, having taken a training in domestic science, is able to help her friends out. New. £12

S230)  Expelled from St Madern’s; pb BTT 2014. New. £12

S231)  Her Second Chance; pb Books to Treasure 2014. (Sequel to “Expelled”) Possibly the only school story where the new girl turns out to be the wife of a jewel thief… New. £12

S232)  A Fifth-Form Martyr; pb BTT 2015. A wonderful time-slip story (she used her daughter’s experiences contrasted with her own 35 years earlier). NEW. £12

Chaundler, Christine  One of the major school story writers of the 20^th C, she succeeds in creating splendidly sympathetic main characters whom the reader cheers on in their inevitable travails.

S233)  The Right St John’s; pb 2007 GGBP. A new girl begins to suspects she’s in the wrong place...  NEW  £13

Christian, Catherine

S234)  Cherries in Search of a Captain; nd War Econ; Blackie. 3/3 b&w plates. 5 cm white line / scrape on front board, otherwise nice bright copy. £5

Cole, Margaret A.

S235)  Holiday Camp Mystery; 1960 rep; Robert Hale. Dedicated “To the Nurses, “Aunties” and “Uncles” of the Butlin’s Camps and Hotels in recognition of their services.”. VG. £5

Courtney, Gwendoline       

S236)  At School with the Stanhopes; pb GGBP 2025. Such an enjoyable book and the detail of starting a school is so appealing. Rosalind has to leave her school and stay with her dour brother Richard, but when Kate Stanhope, a mistress at Rosalind’s old school, inherits a nearby house, she and her four younger sisters decide that the only thing to do is start a school in it…  NEW £13

S237)  A Coronet for Cathie; pb rep GGBP 2024. A really satisfying read! New. £13

S238)  Stepmother; pb GGBP. NEW.  2018. £16

S239)  The Grenville Garrison; pb GGBP 2014. NEW. £13

S240)  Denehurst Secret Service; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW.  £13

S241)  Well Done Denehurst; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW.  £13

S242)  The Chiltons; GGBP 2006.  NEW  £16

S243)  Mermaid House; pb GGBP 2011 1st publication in book form! £13

S244)  Wild Lorings – Detectives; pb GGBP 2010. £13

S245)  Elizabeth of the Garret Theatre; nd Children’s Press. A reprint of Stepmother (doesn’t appear to be cut). VG+ in VG+ dw. £7.50

S246)  The Girls of Friar’s Rise; 1952 1^st ed; Nelson. Col fp and several b&w illustrations. Boards rubbed at edges, o/w VG. £14

S247)  The Farm on the Downs (= Longbarrow); 1961 rep; Collins Seagull. Spine detaching, hence reading copy, but rest of the book is perfectly sound. £5

Cowper, E.E.

S248)  The Mystery Term; nd Blackie. 3/3 b&w plates. VG+. £8

Darch, Winifred

S249)  The New School and Hilary; pb 2008. Insight into staff point of view.  Darch’s books are “among the best school stories ever written” (Encyclopaedia of Girls’ School Stories).  NEW.  £13

Dennison, Dorothy

S250)  The Rebellion of the Upper Fifth; 1949 new ed; Lutterworth. Col fp. VG+. £6.50

Doescher, Ian

S251)  William Shakespeare’s Star Wars – Verily, A New Hope; 2013 Quirk Books. Star Wars – and indeed Shakespeare – as you never imagined them… A surprisingly successful tour de force.  Fine in fine dw. £5

S252)  William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back; 2014 Quirk Books.   “O, ‘tis for the Rebellion a dark time. / For though they have the Death Star all destroy’d, / Imperi’l troops did from the ashes climb / And push the rebels closer to the void… In time so long ago begins our play / In war-torn galaxy far, far away.// Exit Chorus”. Fine in fine dw. £5

Dunlop, Eileen

S253)  A Flute in Mayferry Street; pb Kelpie. Colin and Marion Ramsay live with their mother in the New Town in Edinburgh – where the past is alive in the rooms of their old house. A memorable book. Sadly a tear (now repaired) in the rear cover, the rest of it is VG. £4

Edwards, Monica        

S254)  The Unsought Farm; pb GGBP 2025. How Monica Edwards came upon the farm that was to be the model for the much-loved Punchbowl Farm. New. £13

S255)  Wish for a Pony 2020. pb GGBP NEW. £20

S256)  The Summer of the Great Secret 2019; pb GGBP. NEW. One copy only. £20

S257)  The White Riders; pb rep GGBP 2024. New. Now out of print. £13

S258)  Black Hunting Whip 2011; pb GGBP. NEW. One copy only. £20

S259)  Storm Ahead; pb rep GGBP 2021. £13

S260)  Storm Ahead; pb rep GGBP 2021. Covers slightly bent, £8

S261)  The Wanderer 2012; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S262)  No Entry 2005; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S263)  Punchbowl Harvest 2013; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S264)  Operation Seabird 2007; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S265)  Strangers to the Marsh pb GGBP. NEW. One copy only. £20

S266)  The Outsider 2015; pb GGBP NEW. One copy only. £20

S267)  Dolphin Summer 2009; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S268)  Fire at the Punchbowl 2009; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S269)  A Wind is Blowing; pb GGBP 2023. New £20

S270)  No Mistaking Corker; nd Collins. VG in G dw worn at ends of spine. £6

S271)  The Wanderer; 1955 rep, CBC. Some foxing on endpapers, otherwise G++, in dw missing bottom quarter of front and spine, now protected. £8.50

S272)  No Entry; 1956 rep CBC. The Romney Marsh children are able to help when an outbreak of Foot and Mouth means isolation for a local farm. VG+ in G+ dw. £10

S273)  Frenchman’s Secret; nd CBC. Name & number written on the front board, missing fep, overall sound. £6

S274)  The Outsider; 1962 CBC. The Romney Marsh children come to stay at Punchbowl Farm, and face the challenge of separating out a wild deer that has got in among the herd. VG+ in VG+ dw. £10

S275)  The Cownappers; 1964 1^st pb Armada. Pages biscuity, G+. £3

Elder, Josephine          

S276)  Erica Wins Through; pb GGBP 2010. 1^st of Scholarship Girl trilogy. NEW £13

S277)  The Scholarship Girl; pb GGBP 2011.  Second in trilogy.  NEW. £13

S278)  The Scholarship Girl at Cambridge; pb GGBP 2012. Third in trilogy. Life for a new student at one of the women’s colleges – where so many girls in school stories were destined, but rarely described.  NEW. £13

S279)  Cherry Tree Perch; pb GGBP 2021. A Farm School title, sequel to Exile for Annis. New. £13

S280)  Evelyn Finds Herself; pb GGBP 2006.  The new School Story Encyclopaedia calls it “outstanding”.  £13

Enright, Elizabeth

S281)  Gone-Away Lake; 1967 rep; Heinemann. Ex-sch lib, scrape on front pasted down endpaper, lacks the free front endpaper, o/w VG in lovely dw marred only by strip of old-tape discolouration on rear flap. £7.50

S282)  Thimble Summer; pb Puffin. Newbery Medal winner 1939. Garnet Lindon’s lovely summer. Illustrated by the author, cover design by Shirley Hughes. VG+. £4

S283)  The Four-Storey Mistake; pb Puffin. How the Melendys settle into their new old house in the country, and the interesting things they find to explore. Cover Shirley Hughes, illus by Enright. Spine faded o/w VG. £4

Estoril, Jean

S284)  Drina Dances in Exile; pb S&S. VG+. £4.50

S285)  Drina Dances Again; pb Macdonald. VG+. £4.50

S286)  Drina Dances in Paris; pb S&S; VG+. £4.50

Forest, Antonia    

S287)  Autumn Term; pb Puffin. VG+ £5

S288)  Autumn Term; GGBP 2024. The first Marlow title, first GGBP publication. New. Now out of print. £20

S289)  The Thuggery Affair; pb GGBP 2005. NEW.  £16

S290)  The Ready-Made Family; pb GGBP 2021. New. £16

S291)  The Cricket Term; pb GGBP 2020. NEW. £20

S292)  The Attic Term; pb GGBP 2022. New £20

S293)  Run Away Home; pb GGBP rep 2023. New. £20

S294)  The Player’s Boy; pb GGBP 2025. Young Nicholas Marlow runs away and is taken on by a London player called Master William Shakespeare. Although she only wrote a couple, Antonia Forest proves her mastery of historical fiction and produces one of the most convincing portraits of Shakespeare ever. Whether you are already a fan of historical fiction or not, this is definitely one to try. NEW £13

S295)  The Players and the Rebels; pb GGBP 2008.   NEW. £18

Forsey, Maude S.

S296)  Nora O’Flanigan, Prefect; nd Nelson. Indecision between “Nora” on the cover and spine, and “Norah” on the title page and in the rest of the book… An enjoyable account of Norah’s year as fourth form prefect, and her ultimate influence for good (and avoids the easy stereotype of wild Irish scamp). VG+ £7.50

Garner, Alan

S297)  The Owl Service; 1969 rep; Collins. A highly regarded novel, now a classic. The “owl service” of china that inspired Garner was recently part of a British Library exhibition. VG+. £7.50

S298)  Elidor; pb Puffin 1967. VG+. £5

Garnett, Eve

S299)  The Family From One End Street; 1953 rep; Muller. Winner of the 1937 Carnegie Medal. Map endpapers of Otwell-on-the-Ouse (LCC Education Lib Bookplate at the front, ticket pocket at the rear, but luckily you can see everything on one or the other!) Mr Ruggles is a dustman and Mrs Ruggles does washing, and the seven Ruggles children make their own entertainments. The details of life are now social history, but the family dynamics remain just as engaging. Illus by the author. Ex-education lib, a nice clean VG copy. £8

S300)  The Family From One End Street; pb Puffin. The salmon pink cover of my childhood. VG. £4

S301)  Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn; pb Puffin. Kate, oldest Ruggles, goes to stay in the country. I was grown up before I realised the pun involved in the name of the pub! Vertical crease in front wrap, otherwise VG. £4

Geras, Adele

S302)  The Tower Room; 1990 1^st ed, HH. School story loosely based on Rapunzel fairy tale. Fine in VG dw. £6

Godden, Rumer

S303)  Little Plum; pb Puffin 1975. Inquisitive Belinda wants to know more about Gem, their unfriendly next door neighbour, especially as she has a Japanese doll too, Little Plum. VG++. £6.50

Goodall, John S. – These are delightful small wordless landscape format books, with stories conveyed entirely through Goodall’s illustrations.

S304)  An Edwardian Holiday; 1978 1^st ed; Macmillan. Our nameless boy and girl  and their family visit the seaside and go on a paddle steamer to the Continent. Fine in fine dw. £4

S305)  Edwardian Entertainments; 1981 1^st ed; Macmillan. Same format, another appealing subject. £4

S306)  Before the War: 1908-1939 – An Autobiography in Pictures; 1981 1^st ed; Macmillan. Another lovely book in small landscape format. £4

Goudge, Elizabeth

S307)  The Joy of the Snow; pb GGBP 2024. This new edition of her autobiography includes a selection of letters written by her in later life which have never been published before. New. £13

S308)  The World of Elizabeth Goudge by Sylvia Gower; pb GGBP 2020. Illuminating. New. £13

S309)  Smoky-House; pb GGBP 2020. The Treguddick children of the Smoky-House Inn in 19^th C Devon caught up in smuggling and other adventures. New. £13

S310)  Henrietta’s House; pb GGBP 2020. New. £13

S311)  The Valley of Song; pb GGBP 2020. New. £13

S312)  Sister of the Angels; pb GGBP. £13

S313)  Paperbacks, Hodder / Corgi. All at least G, £3 each: The Castle on the Hill; The Scent of Water; The Rosemary Tree; The Dean’s Watch; The Damerosehay Trilogy = The Bird in the Tree; The Herb of Grace; The Heart of the Family.

Grimm Brothers

S314)  Grimm’s Fairy Tales; nd (inter-war) Ward, Lock. A lovely book with a gorgeous cover and 16 colour plates by Harry G. Theaker. Occasional light spotting, gen VG. £12

Hallack, Cecily A once well-known Catholic writer whose books are now scarce

S315)  Beardless Counsellors; 1949 rep; Samuel Walker Ltd. Begun in 1918 and first published in 1923, this story tracing the lives of several scouts takes place during and after the Great War. VG. £14

S316)  The Sword Blade of Michael; 1950 rep; Sands and Co. £24

S317)  The Sunny Wall; 1929 1^st ed; Burns Oates and Washbourne. VG++. £42

S318)  The Happiness of Father Happé; 1944 1^st ed; Browne and Nolan. Missing lower third of spine, inside VG. £5

Harnett, Cynthia

S319)  The Writing on the Hearth; hb rep. Young Stephen, visiting his friend Meg, rumoured a witch, encounters Roger Bolingbroke, who is such an enemy of the young king, Henry VI, and can’t forget the mysterious magic signs that he and Meg scratch on the hearth. Ranging over the Thames and the Chilterns, a splendid story of the troubling times before the Wars of the Roses erupt. VG+ in VG+ dw. Now scarce. £16

S320)  The Load of Unicorn; pb Puffin. Bendy, apprenticed to William Caxton, realises that his scrivener brothers are plotting to make sure that the load of unicorn paper destined for the printing presses never arrives. Ex-sch lib, G+. £3

Haskell, Arnold L.

S321)  Felicity Dances – A Children’s Tale about the Ballet; 1955 rep; Nelson. Arnold Haskell was, as the blurb says, “the world’s most famous writer on ballet”. Here he’s written a story about two young girls whose great desire is to learn ballet, and follows them to Sadler’s Wells and beyond. Along the way the girls (and the reader) are introduced to how ballet developed, and to some of the stories of the great ballets, as well as the experiences of aspiring ballerinas. It’s illustrated throughout by photographs of real ballet companies and locations, all listed at the end. A really handsome book in VG+ condition, in dw which is attractive but sadly lacking a 1 cm strip along the left-hand half of the top edge at the front, and onto the spine. £6

            Hill, Lorna      

S322)  No Castanets at the Wells; pb GGBP 2022. New £13

S323)  Masquerade at the Wells; pb GGBP 2022. New £13

S324)  Jane Leaves the Wells; pb GGBP 2024. Newly successful ballerina Jane faces a choice. New. £13

S325)  Rosanna Joins the Wells; 1956 1^st ed; Evans. Gorgeous watercolour dw design. VG++ in VG dw. £15

S326)  The Secret; pb rep 2020 GGBP. New. £13

S327)  Vicki in Venice; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S328)  Dancing Peel; 1954 1^st; Nelson. Annette Dancy in Northumberland. VG in G++ dw. £9.50

S329)  Dancer in Danger; pb GGBP 2011.  NEW.  £16

S330)  Northern Lights;  pb GGBP 2009. Only edition of this Marjorie story previously unpublished. NEW  £13

S331)  Castle in Northumbria; pb GGBP 2021. New. £13

S332)  The Vicarage Children; pb GGBP. New. £13

S333)  More About Mandy; pb GGBP 2009.  “Vicarage Children” story drawing on Lorna Hill’s own background as a clergyman’s wife.  NEW.  £13

S334)  The Vicarage Children in Skye; pb GGBP 2010.  New. £13

Hoyland, Rosemary

S335)  Ethelbert and the Witch Doctor; 1959 1^st ed; Collins. Bold attractive illustrations by the author in this classic picture book about Ethelbert the Tiger. Glazed picture boards as issued, slightly worn on the corners, generally VG. £8

Hunter, Mollie – A versatile and engaging Scottish writer, winner of the Carnegie Medal

S336)  The Spanish Letters; pb Kelpie. Young Jamie, a caddy in 1589 Edinburgh, is faced with a dilemma – does he believe the Englishman Macey when he asks for help to thwart a Spanish plot? One of my childhood favourites, an engrossing thriller. VG+. £4

S337)  The Thirteenth Member; pb Kelpie. On a dark night in the 1590s, Adam sees the Devil riding on a flaming horse. Drawn into a world of witches and plots to kill the king, can Adam save kitchen maid Gilly from burning at the stake? VG+ £4

S338)  A Stranger Came Ashore; pb Piccolo. Finn Learson is shipwrecked on the Shetland Islands – but there’s something strange about him. Could he be one of the mysterious Selkie folk?  VG++ £4

James, Grace

S339)  John and Mary Abroad; 1947 rep; Muller. Tilt to spine, generally VG. £6

Jansson, Tove

S340)  Moominpappa at Sea; 2018 rep; Sort of Books. A new reprint of the classic (with Jansson’s classic drawings too). Mint in mint dw. £6.50

Johns, Capt. W.E.

Flight Officer Joan Worralson, or rather “Worrals of the WAAF”, is the WWII equivalent of Biggles, emerging at a time when women were playing their part in the armed services as well as on the home front. In real life women were not actually allowed in flying roles in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, but Worrals was very popular and arguably a great role model.  

S341)  Worrals of the W.A.A.F; 1942 rep; Lutterworth. A beautifully fresh and clean copy, £8.50

S342)  Worrals Carries On; 1942 1^st ed; Lutterworth. A beautiful copy, £8.50

S343)  Worrals Flies Again; 1948 rep, H&S. Wartime exploits of “a woman of wit, courage and resource”. Col fp. Some foxing, G+ in G+ dw. £8

S344)  Worrals on the War-Path; 1948 rep; Lutterworth. VG. £6

*********************************

S345)  Biggles Flies East; 1937 rep OUP fat ed. Col fp. G++. £10

S346)  [Biggles] The Rescue Flight; 1953 rep; OUP. Nice clean copy, £7.50

S347)  The Boy Biggles; nd Dean. VG++ in VG dw.

S348)  Biggles, Pioneer Air Fighter; nd Dean. VG++ in VG dw. £7.50

S349)  Biggles, Air Detective; nd Latimer House. VG+ in G+ edgeworn dw. £7.50

S350)  Biggles pbs; Nice old Knight or Armada, 1960s & 1970s; all G+ or better, £3 each; In the Orient; The Rescue Flight; Flies North; Goes to War.  

Kerr, Judith

S351)  When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit; pb Harper. The classic tale of escape from the Nazis, based on Kerr’s own experiences as a child. Fine. £3.50

Konigsburg, E.L.  Hugely imaginative, unobtrusively thought-provoking, and sophisticated in her character drawing, she’s a pleasure to read. Two-time Newbery Medal winner.

S352)  The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place; pb S&S. Margaret Rose Kane answers “I prefer not to” at every suggestion of summer camp activities, so is delighted when she’s rescued by her beloved uncles. But she finds that neighbours around Schuyler Place, feeling that the three tall towers her uncles have lovingly built in their garden over the past 45 years are not in keeping with the aspirations of the neighbourhood, are wanting them torn down, and Margaret Rose discovers that there is something she really does want to get involved in. VG+ £4.50

S353)  The Second Mrs Gioconda; pb S&S. What is the mystery behind Leonardo’s most famous painting? Does the answer lie with his lazy, lying, thieving apprentice, Salai? VG. £4.50

S354)  A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver; pb S&S. Eleanor of Aquitaine, waiting 8 centuries in heaven for Henry II to be judged worthy to join her from Purgatory, passes the time by reminiscing about her life. Imaginative and entertaining. Nr fine. £4.50

Lewis, Lorna

S355)  Tea and Hot Bombs; pb Greyladies 2023. Jackie Lawrence joins the emergency Mobile Canteen Corps to fill in time until she is old enough to join the W.A.A.F. and is immediately in the thick of the London Blitz. Based on the author’s own experiences, this is a fascinating novel of the home front originally published in 1943. New. £12

Lingard, Joan

S356)  The Twelfth Day of July; pb Puffin. Sadie is Protestant, Kevin is Catholic. What does the future hold for them in the tense streets of Belfast? First published in 1970. Near fine. £3

S357)  Natasha’s Will; pb Puffin. Natasha, who in her youth had fled the Russian Revolution, dies and her old friends speculate about what will happen to her house. But the search for her missing will reveals mysterious secrets… VG+. £3.50

S358)  The File on Fraulein Berg; 1982 rep; Heinemann. Harriet, Kate and Sally are suspicious of the new German teacher who arrives at their Belfast school in 1944 – and as they build up their file, it seems they may be right…  Ex-school lib, glazed picture bds as issued, VG. £4

Lloyd, Marjorie

S359)  Fell Farm Campers; pb Puffin. Illustrated by Shirley Hughes. These much loved Puffin Original stories of the Browne family in the Lake District are becoming very hard to find. VG. £6

Mackenzie, James

S360)  Another Country –Children’s Books of the Lake District & Cumbria. Pb GGBP  NEW. £10

Mallory, Clare

S362)  The New House at Winwood; pb GGBP. One of my great favourites! NEW. £13

S363)  Leith and Friends; pb GGBP 2011.  NEW.  £13 

S364)  Merry Begins; pb GGBP 2004. One copy only. Mint. £14

S365)  Merry Again; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW.  £13

S366)  Merry Marches On; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW.  £13

S367)  The League of the Smallest; pb GGBP 2009.  NEW.  £13

S368)  Juliet Overseas; pb GGBP 2006. New Zealander Juliet comes to English  school – this is one of my great favourites, a really effective take on a rotten house making good. New £16

S369)  The Pen and Pencil Girls; pb GGBP 2010.  Lovely story of group of friends producing a hand-written magazine for a competition.  £13

Matthewman, Phyllis

S370)  Chloe Takes Control; 1942 rep; Lutterworth. Spine faded, o/w VG. £7.50

S371)  The Queerness of Rusty; 1941 1^st ed; Lutterworth. Spine faded o/w VG. £8.50

S372)  Chloe Takes Control; pb GGBP 2013.  1st Daneswood school story. £13

S373)  A New Role for Natasha; pb GGBP 2020. Daneswood series. £13

S374)  Justice for Jacqueline; pb GGBP 2021. New. £13

S375)  Pat at the Helm; pb GGBP, 2023.  Pat, Josie and Rusty are now in the Sixth Form at Daneswood, and shouldering more responsibilities, in the face of some opposition from lower down the school. New £13

S376)  The Intrusion of Nicola; pb GGBP 2025.  Daneswood is surprised when Nicola, at 18-going-on-19 rather old for school, joins the Sixth Form, and Daneswood goes on being surprised… NEW. £13

S377)  Thanks to Mr Jones; pb GGBP 2013. Family theatricals. NEW. £13

Mayne, William

S378)  A Swarm in May; 1962 rep: OCL. Classic, beautifully written, set in a choir school. VG+ in VG dw £10

S379)  The Incline; 1973 rep; CBC. VG+ in VG+ dw. £6

Middleton, Ivy

S380)  The Fourth Musketeer; 1942 second impression; Lutterworth. Kay, a keen Guide, moves to London – but will she make it as a Ranger? Col fp, VG. £6

Montgomery, L.M.

S381)  Emily of New Moon; pb Puffin. VG+. £3

S382)  The Story Girl; 1950 rep; Harrap. VG+ in VG uniform orange dw.  £7.50

S383)  Anne of The Island; 1934 rep; Harrap. VG+ in poor dw. £5.50

S384)  Anne of Windy Poplars; 1936; McClelland & Stewart (Canada). “Cavendish” edition of L.M. Montgomery’s work named after her childhood home. VG+ in VG+ dw. £7.50

S385)  Anne’s House of Dreams; 1935 rep; Harrap. A little foxing, G++ in G+ dw. £6

S386)  Anne of Ingleside; 1939; McClelland & Stewart (Canada). “Cavendish” edition of L.M. Montgomery’s work named after her childhood home. VG+ in VG+ dw. £7.50

S387)  Rainbow Valley; McClelland & Stewart. “Cavendish” ed. Anne’s children to the fore. VG+/ VG+ dw £12

S388)  Rainbow Valley; 1937 rep; Harrap. VG+ in VG uniform orange dw. £10

S389)  Chronicles of Avonlea; 1936 rep; Harrap. VG+ in G+ uniform orange dw. £6.50

S390)  Further Chronicles of Avonlea; 1972 “Canada ed” Ryerson. Fine in fine dw. £7.50

S391)  Paperbacks; VG+ £3 each; Anne of Green Gables; Anne of the Island; Anne’s House of Dreams; Anne of Ingleside; Rainbow Valley; Rilla of Ingleside; Further Chronicles of Avonlea.

Moore, Dorothea

S392)  The Only Day Girl; pb GGBP; An interesting school story about A.J., keen to follow in her mother’s footsteps, but condemned to be a day-girl. Also features one of the few disabled girls in school stories – Sadie is blind. NEW. £12

S393)  The Wrenford Tradition; pb Books to Treasure 2015. School story classic. £12

Murray, Frances

S394)  Ponies on the Heather; 1966 Collins rep. Jo has to move to Scotland with her parents, but finds there are compensations. VG. £5

Needham, Violet Adventures, some Ruritanian, others with a touch of magic, with compelling characters and complex challenges involving questions of loyalty, bravery and integrity.

S395)  The Horn of Merlyns; pb GGBP 2010.  £13

S396)  The Bell of the Four Evangelists; pb GGBP.  NEW.  £13

S397)  Pandora of Parrham Royal  pb GGBP.  NEW.  £13

S398)  The Emerald Crown; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW  £16

S399)  The Betrayer; pb GGBP. NEW. £13

S400)  The House of the Paladin; pb GGBP 2006.  NEW.  £13

S401)  How Many Miles to Babylon?; pb GGBP 2012.  NEW. £13

S402)  Richard and the Golden Horseshoe; pb GGBP 2008.  NEW. £16

S403)  The Great House of Estraville; pb GGBP 2014.  NEW. £13

S404)  The Secret of the White Peacock;  GGBP 2008.  £13

S405)  The Red Rose of Ruvina;  GGBP 2008. NEW.  £13

S406)  The Avenue; pb GGBP 2013. NEW. £13

S407)  The Boy in Red; pb GGBP 2015.  NEW. £13

S408)  The Black Riders; 1967 rep, Collins Evergreen. VG+ in G+ dw. £16

S409)  The Emerald Crown; 1970 rep; Collins Evergreen. VG++ in VG++ dw, very clean and fresh. £12

S410)  The House of the Paladin; 1945 1^st ed; Collins. The young Duchess Anastasia of Ornowitza has to contend with manifold dangers. A little foxing, generally VG in VG dw with slightly sunned spine. £10

Norton Mary

S411)  The Borrowers Avenged; 1982 1^st ed; Kestrel. Further adventures of the Clock family as they have to seek a new home. Minimally ex-university library, VG+ in VG+ dw. £6.50

O’Faolain, Eileen

S412)  The Children of Crooked Castle – An Irish Fairy Story; nd, inscribed 1946: Browne and Nolan, Dublin. Larger size hb, charmingly illustrated in b&w + several full page colour illus by Edythe West. VG+. £7.50

Owsley, Sibyl B.

S413)  Dulcie Captains the School; nd Sampson Low. Studious and ungamesy, Dulcie is very different from the cohort of Sixth Formers who are just leaving the high school. B&w fp. A little foxing, G++. £7.50

Oxenham, E.J.

S414)  New Girls at Woodend; pb EJO Soc. 2024. An Abbey connector. New. £16

S415)  Patience and Her Problems; pb EJO Soc, 2023. New £16

S416)  Patience Joan, Outsider; pb EJO Soc, 2024. New £16

S417)  The Go-Ahead Schoolgirl; pb EJO Soc 2023. New. £16

S418)  The School of Ups and Downs; pb EJO Soc 2021. New £16

S419)  Pernel Wins; pb EJO Soc 2022. New. £16

S420)  Daring Doranne; pb EJO Soc 2022. New. £16

S421)  Elsa Puts Things Right; pb EJO Soc 2020. £16

S422)  The Secrets of Vairy; pb EJO Soc 2019. NEW. £16

S423)  The Troubles of Tazy; pb EJO Soc 2019. NEW. £16

S424)  Girls of the Hamlet Club; pb EJO Soc; NEW. £16

S425)  Biddy’s Secret; pb EJO Soc; NEW. £16

S426)  Joy’s New Adventure; pb EJO Soc; NEW. £16

S427)  The Two Form Captains; pb EJO Society 2014. NEW. £16

S428)  Captain of the Fifth; pb EJO Soc. 2015 NEW. £16

S429)  The Junior Captain; pb EJO Soc; 2015. NEW. £16

S430)  Rosaly’s New School;  pb EJO Society 2013.  NEW. £16

S431)  The School without a Name; pb EJO Soc. 2016. NEW. £16

S432)  A School Camp-Fire; pb EJO Soc. 2018. NEW. £16.

S433)  Ven At Gregory’s; pb EJO Soc Spring 2017 NEW. £16

S434)  Rosamund’s Victory; pb EJO Soc. 2017. NEW. £16

S435)  Rachel in the Abbey; pb EJO Soc. Autumn 2018. NEW. £16

S436)  Abbey Champion; pb  EJO Society 2014. NEW. £16

S437)  Maidlin to the Rescue; pb  EJO Society 2014. NEW.  £16

S438)  A Fiddler for the Abbey; pb EJO Soc; 2015. NEW. £16

S439)  Guardians of the Abbey; pb EJO Soc. 2016 NEW. £16

S440)  Goblin Island; pb GGBP 2007. Beautiful ed with all the colour illustrations from previous eds.  NEW. £13

S441)  The Camp Mystery; pb GGBP 2006.  NEW. £13

S442)  Maidlin Bears the Torch;  pb GGBP 2009.  NEW.  £13

S443)  The Abbey Girls Go Back to School; pb 2005 GGBP £13

S444)  Jen of the Abbey Schoool; pb 2007 GGBP. Details of complex publishing history. NEW. £13

S445)  Girls of the Hamlet Club; 1914 1^st ed; Chambers. All 4 colour plates present. VG+, lovely bright copy £80

S446)  Rosamund’s Victory; 1934 1^st ed; Harrap. New spine with original in pieces stuck on top, inside VG. £30

S447)  Rosamund’s Tuck-Shop; 1937 1^st ed; GOP. Nice crisp green embossed boards, a little foxing especially near the bottom and fore page edges, in VG+ dw. £48

S448)  Pernel Wins; 1942 1^st ed; Muller. Illustrated by Margaret Horder. Loosely connected to the Abbey series through Daring Doranne. VG+ in VG+ dw. £35

S449)  Margery Meets the Roses; 1^st ed 1947; Lutterworth. B&w fp. Margery Paine comes to Doranne Dering’s village of Rainbows to open a sweet shop, and meets the four “Rose” sisters – but with a name like that I think we can all guess who they’re related to… But can they be brought to admit it? VG++, nice and fresh, in dw missing chunks at the ends of the spine, now protected. £30

S450)  Stowaways in the Abbey; 1940 1^st ed, thicker size; Collins. VG. £8

S451)  Secrets of the Abbey; 1942 rep; Collins. B&w fp. VG. £7.50

S452)  The Abbey Girls Go Back to School; Collins nd “fat orange”. Folk dancing comes to the fore, a splendid period piece. Col fp. G++ £7.50

S453)  The Abbey Girls Go Back to School; 1949 Collins Seagull. Spine faded, bds sl marked, inside VG+. £6

S454)  The New Abbey Girls; nd, nice prize plate to Queenie Angell dated 1932; fat ed, decorated boards, G+.£10

S455)  The Abbey Girls at Home; 1947 rep. Collins “fat orange” (blue). VG- £8.50

S456)  The Abbey Girls in Town; 1947; Collins “fat orange” (maroon). VG+ in most of dw. £8

S457)  The Abbey Girls in Town; 1949 rep; Collins Seagull. VG+ in G+ dw chipped at ends of spine. £6

S458)  The Abbey Girls Win Through; 1947 “fat orange” rep; Collins. Col fp. VG. £8.50

SPECIAL OFFER: All Abbey School hardbacks below 2 for £9

S459)  Strangers at the Abbey; 1958 rep; Collins “small red”. VG. £5

S460)  Selma at the Abbey; 1958 rep; Collins “small red”. VG in dw missing 4 mm at top of spine, o/w VG. £7

S461)  Schoolgirl Jen at the Abbey; 1955 Collins Seagull. Col fp. VG+. £5

S462)  Stowaways in the Abbey; 1951 rep; Collins Seagull. VG++, lovely clean copy, in G+ dw. £6.50

S463)  The Girls of Rocklands School; nd Collins. First part of Jen of the Abbey School. Monochrome fp. G. £4

S464)  Jandy Mac Comes Back; 1952 rep Seagull. VG+ in poor dw reassembled from pieces under protection! £5

S465)  Maid of the Abbey; 1961 rep; Collins “small red”. VG++ in VG dw. £7.50

S466)  A Dancer from the Abbey; 1953 1^st ed; Collins. Col fp. Lacks the fep, o/w G+. £6.50

S467)  The Song of the Abbey; 1954 1^st ed; Collins. Col fp. Pale grey bds looking a little grubby, very slight foxing on page edges, G++. £6.50

S468)  The Song of the Abbey; 1958 rep; Collins “small red”; VG+ in VG- dw. £6.50

S469)  Robins in the Abbey; 1950 rep; Collins.  VG in chipped dw. £6.50

S470)  Two Queens at the Abbey; 1959 1^st ed Collins. Col fp. VG. £6

Pardoe, M.

S471)  Bunkle Began It; 1957 rep; Routledge. The inimitable Bunkle launches out. VG. £8

S472)  Bunkle Butts In; 1953 rep; Routledge. Lacks fep, G++. £10

S473)  Bunkle Breaks Away; 1950 rep; Routledge. Spine and small margins of front and rear faded, o/w VG. £8

S474)  Bunkle’s Brainwave; 1952 1^st ed; Routledge. Spine worn, inside VG. £8.50

S475)  Bunkle’s Brainwave; pb 2006; Fidra. Attractive ed with the hardback dw as the cover art. Nr fine. £10

Parker, Mary Louise

S476)  Diana and Pam – Chums; nd Sampson Low (insc 1945). B&w fp. Spine detaching at the rear, so a very good reading copy. £5

S477)  Dormitory Wistaria; nd Economy Standards; Sampson Low. B&w fp. VG in G+ dw. £7.50

S478)  The Twins at School; nd Sampson Low. B&w fp. VG in dw showing the twins confronting each other, missing a few chunks but still attractive. £8.50

S479)  Pat of the Fifth; nd Sampson Low. B&w fp. Slight foxing on prelims, generally VG. £8

S480)  Top Dogs v. The Duds; nd, inscribed 1940, so may be 1937 1^st ed; Sampson Low. As with all MLP’s school stories, this one is packed full of incident. Pictorial paper boards show tennis in progress. Spine repaired, inside G+. £10

Pearce, Philippa

S481)  Tom’s Midnight Garden; 1^st pb Puffin. Perhaps “the” classic time-slip story, a beautiful and memorable book. VG++. £4.50

Peyton, K.M.

S482)  The Edge of the Cloud; pb Puffin. Second Flambards title. VG. £3.50

S483)  Flambards Divided; pb Puffin. Fourth Flambards title. VG. £4

S484)  Fly-By-Night; 1979 OUP rep. Line drawing iillustrations by the author. Glazed bds as issued, VG. £7.50

S485)  Pennington’s Seventeenth Summer; pb OUP. Patrick Pennington is always in trouble, but for many reasons his seventeenth summer proves a turning point. VG. £4

Pocock, Doris

S486)  Self or School?; 1928 2^nd imp; Cassell. A classic school story (not religious, as the title might lead one to believe). All 4 b&w plates, and a nice prize plate on the front pastedown. VG. £7.50

Rae, Gwynedd

S487)  Mary Plain on Holiday; pb Knight. Mary is “an unusual bear from the bear-pits of Berne” who now lives with The Owl Man in England.  VG. £4

Ransome, Arthur

S488)  Paperbacks; Puffin 1970s, with classic covers as well as internal illustrations by the author; all VG+, £3 each; The Picts and the Martyrs; Winter Holiday; The Big Six; Great Northern?

Saville, Malcolm     

Malcolm Saville has a devoted following; generally one of his readers’ favourite aspects is his ability to use and invoke a sense of place, with locations from around the country (and sometimes overseas).

S489)  Malcolm Saville Short Stories; pb GGBP, 2023.  A new collection. New £13

S490)  All Summer Through [Nettleford]; pb Armada. VG+. £3.50

The Lone Pine Series

S491)  Lone Pine pbs; Armada / Merlin; G+ £3 each; Lone Pine 5; Treasure at Amorys; The Neglected Mountain; Mystery Mine; Sea Witch Comes Home; Wings Over Witchend; Saucers over the Moor; The Secret of Grey Walls.

S492)  Mystery at Witchend; Collins. 1971 rev ed. Glazed Boards as issued. VG. £5

S493)  Seven White Gates; Newnes 3^rd 1946. Spine detaching, bds a bit discoloured, inside is nice and clean £8

S494)  The Secret of Grey Walls; Newnes 1948 first rep. Ends of the spine are very slightly frayed, o/w VG. £10

S495)  Lone Pine Five; Newnes 1^st ed 1949. Fair, tears at the ends of the spine. £8

S496)  The Elusive Grasshopper; Collins 1970 rev ed.  Clean reading copy in VG++ dw. £5

S497)  Saucers Over the Moor; CBC 1955. Pages going biscuity, otherwise VG+ in G+ edgeworn dw. £14

S498)  Lone Pine London; Collins 1^st rev ed 1970. Ex-lib, missing free front endpaper, closed page edges are blotchy, but doesn’t seem to have affected the pages internally, overall G++ in VG dw, faded spine. £10

S499)  Mystery Mine; Newnes 1959 1^st ed. Name and address written twice on eps, VG in VG dw. £20

S500)  Mystery Mine; CBC; 1959. Spine blotchy (perhaps a water spill at some stage), inside nice and clean. Bit missing from lower margin of map on free back endpaper. £10

S501)  Sea Witch Comes Home; 1960 1^st ed Newnes. VG in VG dw (an early example of “photoshopping”, with two characters from the book superimposed on a photograph). £20

S502)  Sea Witch Comes Home; CBC 1960; VG+ in G+ dw (ownership written on dw flap)  £12.50

S503)  Not Scarlet but Gold; Newnes 1962 1^st ed. Ex-school lib, reading copy. £5

S504)  Not Scarlet but Gold; CBC 1962; VG+ in G++ dw with very small chips at the ends of the spine (the book has a school stamp in, but is so clean that I can’t imagine anyone read it!). £18

S505)  Man with Three Fingers; Collins 1969 (1^st rev ed). Page edges only foxed, otherwise VG in VG dw. £14

S506)  Where’s My Girl?; Collins 1^st ed 1972. Near fine in near fine dw. £30

S507)  Mystery at Witchend; pb rep GGBP 2015. New £20

S508)  Seven White Gates; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S509)  The Elusive Grasshopper; pb GGBP 2008.  NEW.  £20

S510)  The Neglected Mountain ; pb GGBP 2009. NEW.  £20

S511)  Saucers Over the Moor; pb 2009.  NEW.  £20

S512)  Sea Witch Comes Home; pb GGBP 2012. NEW. One copy only. £25

S513)  Not Scarlet But Gold; pb GGBP 2012.  NEW. £20

S514)  Treasure at Amorys; pb GGBP 2013.  £20.

S515)  The Man with Three Fingers; pb GGBP 2013.  £20

S516)  Strangers at Witchend; pb GGBP 2014.  NEW One copy only. £25

S517)  Home to Witchend; pb 1^st ed – Armada original, no previous hardback. VG+. £15

Buckingham series

S518)  Diamonds in the Sky; pb GGBP 2025. Last and rarest in the popular Buckingham series; Charles, Juliet, and her younger brother Simon, happen upon diamond smuggling on a visit to Amsterdam. New £13

Marston Baines series

S519)  The Purple Valley; pb GGBP 2017. Marston Baines title. NEW. £15

S520)  Dark Danger; pb GGBP. New. £15

S521)  Dark Danger; 1966 CBC. Nr fine in VG++ dw with evocative illustration of night-time Venice. £15

S522)  White Fire; pb GGBP 2019. New. £16

S523)  Power of Three; pb GGBP 2020. New. £16

S524)  The Dagger and the Flame; pb GGBP 2021. New £16

S525)  Marston - Master Spy; pb GGBP 2022. Order now. New £16

Jillies series

S526)  Redshank’s Warning; Lutterworth 2^nd ed 1954. VG++, very fresh, in G++ dw missing small chunks at ends of spine. £15

S527)  The Sign of the Alpine Rose; Lutterworth 1^st ed 1950. VG (p/c dw). £10

S528)  The Ambermere Treasure; L’worth 1953 1^st. V scarce in hardback. Front ep mended hinge, ex-lib, G £16

S529)  Two Fair Plaits; pb GGBP 2020. New £13

S530)  Strangers at Snowfell; pb GGBP 2021. A Jillies title set in a wintry Lake District.  New £13

S531)  The Sign of the Alpine Rose; pb GGBP 2022. Jillies story, set in Austria. New £13

S532)  The Luck of Sallowby pb GGBP 2023. Jillies story. New £13

S533)  The Ambermere Treasure; pb GGBP 2024. Final Jillies book, always my favourite as a child. New. £13

Selincourt, Aubrey de

S534)  Family Afloat; 1942 2^nd imp; Routledge. Anne and Elizabeth sail to France with their parents. VG. £6

Shaw, Jane

S535)  New House at Northmead; pb GGBP 2022. New £13

S536)  Northmead Nuisance; pb GGBP 2024. New. £13

S537)  Penny Foolish; pb GGBP 2025. The first in the Penny series; unhappy Penny is staying on the isle of Arran recovering from an illness, longing for her sister Jill. But when Jill arrives, demanding concealment from desperate pursuers, her troubles are only just beginning… NEW. £13

S538)  Crooked Sixpence; pb GGBP 2021. Last of the Penny series.  Those who only know the Susan books will be delighted to meet and equally entertaining cast of characters and a new setting near Bath. The others in the series will follow, but this is the rarest, hence it being published first; it can be read with great enjoyment on its own. New. £13

S539)  Susan Interferes; 1960 rep; Children’s Press. Even in Switzerland, the inimitable Susan can’t help getting involved in things. VG in VG dw. £5

Sims, Sue and Clare, Hilary

The Encyclopaedia of Girls’ School Stories 3 Vols; pb GGBP 2020. A new edition of the standard work, much revised, updated, fulsomely illustrated and eagerly awaited! The definitive guide to school stories. Authors are listed in alphabetical order, with bibliographies, and each volume has extra material such as articles on ballet school stories, historical school stories, school stories for adults etc. New. £13 each

S540)  Volume One; large pb GGBP 2020. Contents include   The Critical Response, Researching the encyclopaedia, Authors A-F, adult School fiction & an 8-page colour section

S541)  Volume Two; large pb GGBP 2020. Contents include   Authors G-M, Annuals, stories from Ballet & Stage School, College and Convent Schools, early School stories & an 8-page colour section 

S542)  Volume Three; large pb GGBP 2020. Contents include   Authors N-Z, Girls’ Own Paper and Story Papers, Guide School stories, Historical, Fantasy, Modern and Pony School stories, Scottish School & an 8-page colour section.

Smith, Evelyn: one of the most sophisticated writers of classic school stories, full of character insights

S543)  The Twins at School; pb BTT 2018. New. £12

S544)  Val Forrest in the Fifth by Evelyn Smith; pb 2009 GGBP. One of the best writers of classic school stories, full of character insight. NEW.  £13

S545)  Binkie of IIIB; pb BTT. NEW. £12

S546)  Marie Macleod, Schoolgirl; pb BTT 2016. New. £12

S547)  The Little Betty Wilkinson; pb BTT 2016. New. £12

S548)  The First Fifth Form; pb Books to Treasure 2013. NEW. £12.

S549)  The Small Sixth Form; pb Books to Treasure 2013. NEW. £12.

S550)  Seven Sisters at Queen Anne’s; pb Books to Treasure 2013. NEW. £12.

S551)  Septima at School; pb Books to Treasure 2014. Sequel to above NEW. £12.

S552)  Phyllida in Form III; pb Books to Treasure 2014. Third Queen Anne’s book. NEW. £12.

S553)  Biddy and Quilla; pb BTT 2014. Older girl defending unpopular newcomer. NEW. £12

S554)  Milly in the Fifth; pb BTT 2015. NEW. £12

S555)  Nicky of the Lower Fourth; pb BTT 2015. £12

S556)  Terry’s Best Term; pb BTT. 2019. £12

S557)  Nicky of the Lower Fourth; nd Blackie. 3/3 b&w pls. VG+. £6.50

Snelling, Joan K.

S558)  The Cruise of the Carrier Dove; 1946 1^st ed; Lutterworth. Col fp. VG. £6.50

Spyri, Joanna 

S559)  [Tritton, Charles] Heidi Grows Up; 1975 rep; Collins. Illustrated by Pelagie Doane including dw. VG+ in dw which has very good front and back panels but a spine that’s oddly scraped. £5

S560)  [Tritton, Charles] Heidi’s Children; 1953 rep; Collins. Illustrated by Pelagie Doane. VG+. £5

Stevens, Robin

S561)  Murder Most Unladylike; very enjoyable series featuring 1930s schoolgirls Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. Paperbacks, all VG+, each £3.50; Mistletoe and Murder; Death Sets Sail; Top Marks for Murder; Once Upon a Crime.

Streatfeild, Noel

S562)  Party Frock; 1946 1^st ed; Collins. Gen VG+ in dw, a few small chips mainly at ends of sunned spine. £10

S563)  Party Frock; 1966; Collins. First few pages have a few small splashes (pale coffee?) o/w VG in G+ dw. £6

S564)  The Circus is Coming; 1938 1^st ed; Dent. Illustrated with sketches by Steven Spurrier made while tenting with the circus over the previous summer (which Noel Streatfeild also did). A substantial edition, and a really nice copy. £15

S565)  The Children of Primrose Lane; 1956 new ed; Collins. The six children enjoy using the empty house at the end of the lane as a secret den – a room each – but when they find a man there, their suspicions are aroused and they decide to track him to see if  he really is the soldier he says he is and not the spy they think he might be.  Lacks fp, G+. £7.50

S566)  Paperbacks; Margaret Thursday pair; these tell the story of the inimitable orphan Margaret, who was “found on a Thursday on the church step with three of everything, all of the very best quality”, and how she organises an escape from the orphanage and subsequently arrives in the world of the Victorian London theatre.  Puffin / Collins / Lion / Dragon; G+ or VG; £3.50 each; Thursday’s Child; Far to Go.

S567)  Paperbacks: Jane Nissen; 1990s larger format; VG+ / fine; £4 each; Theatre Shoes (= Curtain Up); Party Shoes.

S568)  Paperbacks; Puffin / Collins / Lion / Dragon; G+ or VG; £3.50 each; The Circus is Coming; Apple Bough; Party Frock.

Styles, Showell

S569)  Midshipman Quinn; 1956 1^st ed; Faber. This has been described as a “junior Hornblower”, and it’s a book I’ve loved since reading it as a child. The ingenious exploits of the eponymous teenaged officer in Nelson’s navy are unlikely but hugely enjoyable. Possibly ex-lib, missing the front endpaper, and has discoloured lines of former tape on the pastedowns; boards and rest of it is VG. £8.50

Sutcliff, Rosemary

S570)  Brother Dusty-Feet; OCL. Hugh, running away to Oxford, falls in with a company of strolling players. Ex-lib, tape marks on eps, gen VG in G+ dw. £8

S571)  The Armourer’s House; OCL. Tamsyn, from Devon, has to get used to living with her cousins in bustling and dirty Tudor London. With compensations in the form of ships on the river to watch and gradually feeling at home, she really knows she belongs when a wonderful thing happens at Christmas. This was a real favourite when I was a child, and it still casts its spell. VG+ in VG+ dw. £12

Talbot, Ethel

S572)  The New Girl at the Priory; pb BTT 2015. £12

Trease, Geoffrey: Outstanding writer, particularly of historical fiction, but wrote excellent contemporary stories too.  

Acclaimed Bannermere books, written as contemporary stories (ie in the early 1950s), set in the Lake District and taking Bill, Penny and friends from young grammar school pupils to university students. 

S573)  GGBP pbs; NEW; £20 each;  Under Black Banner ; Black Banner Players  2005. 

S574)  GGBP pbs; NEW; £13 each;  Black Banner Abroad; pb GGBP 2006; The Gates of Bannerdale; 2007.

S575)  Under Black Banner; 1967 rep; Heinemann Windmill. VG+. £12

S576)  The Crown of Violet; pb Puffin. Much-loved story of Alexis, determined to write a play to defend his friend Socrates and, with his friend Corinna, to find out if they really have encountered traitors plotting to overthrow Athenian democracy as they fear. VG. £6.50

S577)  Cue for Treason; pb Puffin. Plots and plays – Kit and Peter, on the run, encounter Shakespeare. VG. £3

S578)  Follow My Black Plume; 1969 rep Macmillan. Mark, desperate to escape his stifling grandmother’s house, gets himself sent on a grand tour – but this is 1849, and Rome, fighting for independence under the  charismatic Garibaldi, becomes a dangerous place to be… Ex-college lib, VG in VG dw. £14

S579)  The Arpino Assignment; pb Walker. Young Private Rick Weston parachutes behind the lines in Italy to make contact with the partisans. VG. £3.50

S580)  Shadow under the Sea; pb Walker. Crime and archaeological discovery in the days of glasnost. Ex-lib, G+. £3

S581)  A Whiff of Burnt Boats; pb GGBP 2009 larger size. Very entertaining autobiography Photos, extras. £12

Trevor, Elleston

The author of many books for children including the much-loved Woodlanders series, now all scarce

S582)  The Secret Travellers; 1948 1^st ed; Swan. Illus in b&w throughout. Spine and strip of front cover faded, a few very tiny spots on spine and front, otherwise VG. Scarce.  £14

S583)  The Island of the Pines; 1948 1^st ed; Swan. Illus in b&w throughout. Very scarce. Biscuity tinge to endpapers, VG+ in G++ edgeworn dw missing a bit at the ends of the spine. £20

S584)  Mole’s Castle;  19501^st ed Falcon Press. Drawings by Leslie Atkinson, plus four colour drawings including an unusual double spread (all present but not where listed at the front!). Scarce. VG+. £18

S585)  Green Glade; 1959 1^st ed; Swan. Illus in b&w throughout. VG+ in VG dw missing small chunk (less than a square inch) at the base of the spine. Very scarce. £24

S586)  The Crystal City; 1959 1^st ed; Swan. Strips on eps slightly biscuity, o/w VG++. Very scarce. £18.50

Turner, Ethel S.

S587)  Seven Little Australians; 1895 Ward Lock and Co. This Australian classic remains memorable (and was brought to life for new generations by a TV series in the 1970s). Illustrated in line throughout. Gilt titles and vignette on the front board. Lacks eps, slightly loose, but nice edition. £7.50

Vicary, Dorothy

S588)  Lucy Brown’s Schooldays; nd Blackie. A much-loved story about stodgy Lucy’s transformation at the hands of new girl Nan Page. VG. £6

Vipont, Elfrida

S589)  The Lark in the Morn; 1956 rep; OUP. Much loved book introducing Kit Haverard, her schooldays, emerging love of music and Quaker background and relations. Ex-school lib, eps have lots of labels, stamps, rest of book VG £12

S590)  The Spring of the Year; pb GGBP 2012.  Very engaging heroine, Laura, struggles with finding her niche, inside her academic family and beyond.  NEW.  £13

S591)  The Spring of the Year; 1957 1^st ed; OUP. Ex-sch lib, old tape marks on eps, front hinge repaired, G+. £8

S592)  Flowering Spring; pb GGBP 2013. Lovely story – Laura growing up. NEW.  £13

S593)  The Pavilion; pb GGBP 2014. Last in Haverard family series. New. £13

S594)  [As Charles Vipont] The Heir of Craigs; 1958 OCL. Gripping late 17thC adventure. VG+ in VG+ dw. £6

Whalley, Kay

S595)  A Smart Suit and White Gloves – Career Books for Girls; pb GGBP 2025. This is a revised and expanded new edition of Kay’s book on Career Stories (under the name Kay Clifford), covering all the career books published for girls, profusely illustrated. NEW. £13

Wiggin, Kate Douglas

S596)  More About Rebecca; 1958 rep; A&C Black. VG+ in VG+ dw. £6.50

Willard, Barbara

S597)  The Grove of Green Holly; 1967 1^st ed; Constable. Young Rafe has been trained by his grandfather Gregory to be a play actor, although the Puritan government has closed all the theatres. When he and his family have to leave their tiny Sussex port, Gregory takes them into the Weald, the seat of iron founding, and Rafe finds his loyalties split. Possibly ex-lib (old tape marks on eps, spot where a stamp may have been erased), lacks prelims. Generally G++ in G++ dw. £10

The Mantlemass sequence chronicles the intertwined lives of two families, the Medleys and the Mallorys, living in the Weald of Sussex over the 15^th – 17^th C.

S598)  The Eldest Son; 1988 Macdonald. Glazed picture boards as issued, near fine. £6

S599)  The Iron Lily; 1980 rep; Kestrel. Fine in fine dw. £7.50

S600)  A Flight of Swans; 1980 1^st ed; Kestrel. Fine in fine dw. £10

S601)  Harrow and Harvest; 1974 1^st ed; Kestrel. Ex-lib, slight tilt to spine, o/w G++ in VG dw. £7.50

Sally’s Specials

Fantastic Fiction  Lots of favourites and more recent novels to try.   

S602)  Ackroyd, Peter; The Clerkenwell Tales; pb Vintage. A London teeming with spies, clerics, secret societies, heresy and visions, this adventure of 1399 is one of the most memorable evocations of a whole world that I’ve ever read. VG++. £4

S603)  Atkinson, Kate; A God in Ruins; pb Black Swan. Teddy Todd, would-be poet, WWII pilot, husband, father and grandfather, negotiates a future he didn’t expect. Immensely readable. VG++ £4

S604)  Bennett, Francis; Making Enemies; pb Indigo. In the icy atmosphere of 1947, the tensions produced by fears of spies, of nuclear war, of traitors in high places, creep insidiously into relations between friends and colleagues… VG++. £3.50

S605)  Buchan, John; John Macnab; pb Polygon. Classic lively tale of gentlemen poaching for a bet. VG+. £3

S606)  Buchan, John; Sick Heart River; pb Penguin. Sir Edward Leithen is dying, and decides to use his strength to try to find a missing man in the Canadian Arctic. This book published posthumously draws heavily on Buchan’s own experiences of travel as Governor General of Canada. VG++. £3

S607)  Donoghue, Emma; Haven; pb Picador. In 7thC Ireland, a priest has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world. With two monks, he drifts out into the ocean… VG+. £3

S608)  Douglas, O; The Proper Place; 1929 1^st small pocket edition, Nelson. Nicole Rutherfurd and her mother, widowed and bereft of her sons, have to sell Rutherfurd Hall and move to a seaside town in Fife. But links with the old home continue. A nice sound, clean copy, with the boards rubbed at the edges and the rear hinge of the spine professionally reinforced. £5.50

S609)  Dunnett, Dorothy; Niccolò Rising; pb Vintage. Bruges 1460 – Nicholas vander Poele, bold and cunning dyer’s apprentice, begins to shape his mercantile empire in this swashbuckling adventure. VG++ £4

S610)  Enright, Anne; The Green Road; pb Vintage. A final family Christmas in the West of Ireland home their mother is about to sell forces her four children to confront the weight of family ties. Fine. £3

S611)  Enright, Anne; Actress; pb Cape. Irish acting legend Katherine O’Dell’s life seemed to her daughter Norah to be a great performance, but when it all goes wrong, can she find the truth she seeks? VG+. £4

S612)  Green, Graham; Travels with My Aunt; pb Vintage. Comic classic - Henry Pulling, retired bank manager, meets his septuagenarian Aunt Augusta for the first time in years, and she persuades him to come travelling. After decades of suburban dullness, Henry finds himself coming alive… Fine. £3.50

S613)  Guareschi, Giovanni; Don Camillo’s Dilemma; 1962 pb Penguin, orange  livery. Bookplate, y VG. £3.50

S614)  Guareschi, Giovanni; Don Camillo and the Devil; 1962 pb Penguin, orange livery. Bookplate, G++. £3

S616)  James, P.D.; The Children of Men; pb Faber. Originally published in 1993, this novel is set in what was then the future, 2021, and finds a very different Britain, one in which all sorts of developments have arisen after humanity faces mass infertility. Nr fine. £3

S617)  Shaffer and Barrows; The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society; pb Bloomsbury. VG £3

S618)  Smith, Alexander McCall; 44 Scotland Street; pb. Endearing lives in an Edinburgh house. G++. £3

S619)  Stevenson, D.E.; Miss Buncle’s Book; 1968 pb Fontana. Miss Buncle writes a book to make money, but the trouble is she has no imagination, so she writes about life in her village… Curly corners, G+. £3.50

S621)  Strout, Elizabeth; My Name is Lucy Barton; pb Penguin. Lucy wakes up in a New York hospital after an operation to find her estranged mother beside her, and as they talk, she begins to doubt the life she has made. VG. £3

S622)  Tennyson, Alfred, Lord; Selected Poems; pb Penguin Classics. TS Eliot commented “He has three qualities which are seldom found together except in the greatest poets: abundance, variety and complete competence.” VG++. £3

S623)  Thirkell, Angela; Growing Up; 1945 rep; BC. VG. £6

S624)  Thirkell, Angela; The Headmistress; 1947 rep; HH. Sound, would be very good but for bad foxing. £4

S625)  [Trollope] The Pallisers; Radio Times 1974. This is the Radio Times “extra” magazine-guide to the landmark 26-part TV series starring Susan Hampshire. It has synopses of the action based on the 6 Palliser novels, as well as historical background and a gazetteer of the cast of characters, and illustrated throughout with photos from the series plus historical illustrations. Pages have a small curl at the bottom corner, generally in very good condition for its age. £3.50

S626)  Watson, Winifred; Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day; pb Persephone Classic (original 1938). A much-loved fantasy; Miss Pettigrew, a mild-mannered governess, finds her life transformed over 24 hours when she is mistakenly sent by the agency to a nightclub singer rather than a household of children. Near fine, Persephone’s beautifully designed book with pictorial covers. £6

**************************

Other media -  some corkers here!

S627)  Austen, Jane; Pride and Prejudice; 3 cd set read by Juliet Stevenson. £3

S628)  Bennett, Alan; The Clothes They Stood Up In; 2 cds read by Bennett himself. £3

S629)  Defoe, Daniel; Robinson Crusoe; cd; BBC full cast dramatisation starring Roy Marsden as older Crusoe. Case has crack, cd fine. £3

S630)  Du Maurier, Daphne; Rebecca; 3 cd set read by Emilia Fox; Hodder Audio. Case cracked, cds fine. £3

S631)  Leon, Donna; Suffer the Little Children; 3 cd set read by Andrew Sachs. Brunetti in Venice. £3

S632)  Smith, Alexander McCall; Tears of the Giraffe; 5 cds read by Adjoa Andoh. Case cracked. £3

S633)  Vickers, Salley; Miss Garnett’s Angel; 4 cd set read by Anna Massey; Harper Collins Audio. £3

S634)  Pride and Prejudice (Knightly, MacFadyen) / Sense and Sensibility (Winslet, Thompson) / Shakespeare in Love (Paltrow); 3 dvd set. Card case a little squashed but dvds are fine. £3

Greyladies Newly reprinted books mainly by authors better known for their children’s titles; All New. Pocket editions £8, slim editions £10, standard pbs £12

S635)  Allan, Mabel Esther; Philomel Follows After;  pb Greyladies 2021. This is MEA’s second full-length book, astonishingly written when she was fifteen, a school story with a difference. Full of Scottish romanticism, not exactly realistic, but very readable and with girls’ dialogue that really rings true. £12

S636)  Allan, Mabel Esther; Ragged Robin Began It; pb (pocket size) Greyladies 2020. MEA gives her thoughts on school stories, including the Big Three and several others – one can criticise and still love, she says. £8

S637)  Allan, Mabel Esther; To Be an Author; pb Greyladies 2020. This is MEA’s autobiography. £10

S638)  [As Priscilla Hagon]; Mystery at the Villa Bianca; pb Greyladies 2024. Frances Grey takes up a post as secretary at an exclusive finishing school in Switzerland; she enjoys it and gets on well with the girls. But some strange things start to happen, and what started as a young adult school story turns into a tense thriller! Introduction by Sue Sims. New. £12

S639)  Channon, E.M.; The Chimney Murder; pb Greyladies 2012. NEW.  £12

S640)  Crompton, Richmal; Matty and the Dearingroydes; pb Greyladies 2012. Warm and delightful. New. £12

S641)  Crompton, Richmal: Mrs Frensham Describes a Circle; pb Greyladies 2015. NEW. £12

S642)  Douglas, O; The Wintry Years; pb Greyladies (pocket) 2019. O. Douglas’s final unfinished novel, with 3 recently unearthed chapters; also a discussion by O.Douglas’s great-niece on its possible ending. NEW. £8

S643)  Elder, Josephine; The Encircled Heart; pb Greyladies. A doctor and her errant husband. NEW. £12

S644)  Lewis, Lorna; Tea and Hot Bombs; pb Greyladies 2023. Jackie Lawrence joins the emergency Mobile Canteen Corps to fill in time until she can join the W.A.A.F. and is immediately in the thick of the London Blitz. Based on the author’s own experiences, a fascinating novel of the home front from 1943. New. £12

S645)  Nesbit, E; Ghost Stories; pb  (pocket) Greyladies. £8

S646)  Lee, Austin; Sheep’s Clothing; pb Greyladies. Miss Hogg, school mistress turned private investigator. £12

S647)  Pleydell, Susan; The Glenvarroch Gathering; pb Greyladies 2014.  NEW. £12

S648)  Pleydell, Susan; Brighouse Hotel; pb Greyladies 2014. New. £12

S649)  Pleydell, Susan; The Road to the Harbour; pb Greyladies. New. £12

S650)  Pullein-Thompson, Josephine; Murder Strikes Pink; pb Greyladies. Rich, bitter Theodora Thistleton, passionate to win at showjumping, seems to have people queueing up to murder her… NEW. £12

S651)  Scarlett, Susan (= Noel Streatfeild); Under the Rainbow.  New. £12

S652)  Scarlett, Susan (= Noel Streatfeild); The Man in the Dark. VG £9

S653)  Stafford, Ann; Silver Street; pb Greyladies 2018. New. £12

S654)  Stevenson, D.E; Peter West; pb 2013 Greyladies. A turbulent love story set in the beautiful Highland village of Kintoul, where the protagonists come to realise that the only way to achieve a lasting happiness it to act with integrity, however hard it may seem. £12

S655)  Stevenson, D.E.; Greyladies pbs, all NEW, £12 each; a) The Fair Miss Fortune; 2011.  Previously unpublished! b) Emily Dennistoun; 2011.  Previously unpublished! c) Jean Erskine’s Secret; 2013. 1^st publication of novel written & set in WWI

S656)  Vaizey, Mrs Geo. de Horne; The Ignorance of Sybilla & Other Stories; pb Greyladies 2010 Mrs George established herself as an entertaining writer under her maiden name, Jessie Mansergh. NEW £12

Books about Books and Authors

S657)  Allan, Mabel Esther; To Be an Author; pb Greyladies 2020. This is MEA’s writer’s autobiography, until now only privately published in two small books in the 1980s. £10

S658)  Barrett, Frank; Treasured Island – A Book Lover’s Tour of Britain; pb AA. Delightful guide. VG £3

S659)  A Book of Days; NCC A5 booklet Events for different days of the year, taken from girls’ books.  New.  £3

S660)  Edwards and Saltman; Picturing Canada – A History of Canadian Children’s Illustrated Books and Publishing; pb large format; U of Toronto Press. VG+. £3

S661)  Mackenzie, James; Another Country – A Guide to the Children’s Books of the Lake District and Cumbria.  GGBP Larger format 2008.  Fascinating. Copiously illustrated, practical info too.  NEW.  £10

S662)  Sims, Sue and Clare, Hilary; The Encyclopaedia of Girls’ School Stories 3 Vols; pb GGBP 2020. A new edition of the standard work, much revised, updated, fulsomely illustrated and eagerly awaited! The definitive guide to school stories. Authors are listed in alphabetical order, with bibliographies, and each volume has extra material such as articles on ballet school stories, historical school stories, school stories for adults etc.  NB See under Sims in children’s section above for details of each volume contents. New. £13 each

S663)  [Shakespeare] Soul of the Age – A Biography of the Mind of William Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate.

S664)  Shakespeare’s Book by Chris Laoutaris; pb Collins. A lavishly detailed account, first published in 2023, of how Shakespeare’s legacy, in the form of the First Folio of plays of 1623, came to be printed at a dangerous time of international tensions, ruthless factionalism and intense business competition. Much praised and very readable. This is new – a gift to me that I already had! Fine. £8

S665)  Great Stories from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb; nd Daily Sketch. This edition is illustrated with line drawings by Arthur Rackham. Decorated bds. Spine has a slight tear at the top and is faded, the inside is lovely and fresh. £5

S666)  Spufford, Francis; The Child that Books Built; 2002 Faber. The poignant memoir of Spufford’s childhood, when his parents, though loving, were preoccupied with his very ill sister, and the world of books that helped him cope. VG++ in fine dw. £4.50

S667)  Whalley, Kay; A Smart Suit and White Gloves – Career Books for Girls; pb GGBP 2025. This is a revised and expanded new edition of Kay’s book on Career Stories (under the name Kay Clifford), covering all the career books published for girls, profusely illustrated. NEW. £13

Remarkable Women

S668)  Balding, Clare; My Animals and Other Family; pb Penguin. Poignant and funny memoir. VG. £3

S669)  [Beeton] The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton by Kathryn Hughes; pb Harper. Fine. £4.50

S670)  Bielenberg, Christabel; The Road Ahead; pb Corgi. So many readers contacted the author after her first memoir that she wrote this continuation, charting the life of herself and her husband as they decided to leave both Britain and Germany and start farming in Ireland. Her life continued to be fascinating, including supporting the Peace Women in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. VG. £3

S671)  Dearborn, Mary; Peggy Guggenheim – Mistress of Modernism; pb Virago. The wealthy American heiress who supported artists and founded the Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art in Venice –  and led a troubled private life. Nr fine. £4

S672)  Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan; pb 2004 Dover. Eleventh C. Japan, when the court was based in Kyoto, was a place where women received education and produced much of the literature; this is a collection of three important pieces, including the diary of Lady Murasaki. VG++. £5

S673)  Garnett, Angelica; Deceived with Kindness; pb OUP. Angelica Garnett was the niece of Virginia Woolf, the child of Vanessa Bell & Duncan Grant and thought her father was Vanessa’s husband, Clive Bell. Her childhood was spent in the extraordinary and intense atmosphere of the Bloomsbury Group, and her memoir recalls it all, and also charts her struggle to emerge as an independent woman. VG++ £4

S674)  Harrison, Ada (ed); Grey and Scarlet – Letters from the War Areas by Army Sisters on Active Service; March 1944 (after 1^st ed in January); H&S. Fascinating glimpse of nursing on the fronts during WWII. Introduction by Queen Mary. VG++ in G dw with sunned spine, small loss at the top of the spine and left top corner of the front panel. £8.50

S675)  Hickman, Katie; Daughters of Britannia; pb Flamingo. The wives, daughters and sisters who accompanied their diplomatic menfolk all over the globe – an absorbing and delightful account. Nr fine £4

S676)  [Russell] Shakespeare and the Countess – The Battle that Gave Birth to the Globe by Chris Laoutaris; 2014 Fig Tree / Penguin. In the 1590s, when Shakespeare hoped to create a theatre at Blackfriars, within the City of London, a formidable woman stood in his way – Elizabeth Russell, one of the remarkable and well-educated Cooke sisters who included Mildred, wife of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, and Anne, mother of Sir Francis Bacon. Fine in fine dw. £8

S677)  Thomas, Caitlin; Leftover Life to Kill; June 1957 rep after first edition in May; Putnam. Caitlin’s notoriously stormy marriage to Dylan Thomas. Some foxing, generally VG in VG dw. £8.50

An Interesting Miscellany (including fascinating biographies)

S680)  Beaton, Cecil; Chinese Album; 1^st ed 1946 Batsford. A book of photographs; Cecil Beaton visited China at the behest of the Ministry of Information, so copyright remained with the Crown. Fascinating glimpse of the people of China and their way of living at the time. VG. £7.50

S681)  Bradbury, Jim; The Mediaeval Siege; 1992 Boydell. Mediaeval histories could make one think that warfare was dominated by battles – but for every pitched battle, there were a hundred sieges. Bradbury’s sweep necessarily includes all the people caught up in them; hunger, famine, personal danger, heroism and endurance loom large. Fine in near fine dw. £6

S682)  Bryson, Bill; A Short History of Nearly Everything; pb Black Swan. One review described it as “a travelogue of science, with a witty, engaging and well-informed guide.” VG+. £4

S683)  Casagrande, O. (ed); The Book of Venice – A City in Short Fiction; pb Commapress. Fine.

S684)  Corrigan, Gordon; Mud, Blood and Poppycock; pb Orion. Corrigan challenges the WWI myths of incompetence and unnecessary slaughter by a detailed examination of how armies work and examining the facts – lower casualty rates than the French and Germans, and no “lost generation”. Fine. £4

S685)  Courcy, Anne de; The Fishing Fleet – Husband-Hunting in the Raj; pb Phoenix. VG++ £4

S686)  Crace, John; Brideshead Abbreviated – The Digested Read of the Twentieth Century; Arrow. John Crace’s Guardian columns, witty and sharp pastiches of celebrated books, are funny in themselves and very useful if you want to appear frighteningly well-read!  VG++ in VG++ dw. £5

S687)  Danziger, D. & Gillingham, J; 1215 – The Year of Magna Carta; pb Coronet. VG+. £3

S688)  Fermor, Patrick Leigh; Dashing for the Post – Selected Letters; pb Murray. The great writer, soldier and traveller. VG++. £4

S690)  Fox, Kate; Watching the English – The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour; 2004 H&S. A self-confessed lazy anthropologist, Kate Fox turned her attention to the English (rather than the British), so she wouldn’t have to go travelling. Among her many experiences was making herself barge into ticket queues to observe reactions, something she had to nerve herself to do with a stiff drink! This is a fascinating book that, if one is English, one reads with constant nods of “Oh yes, I do that”, and if one isn’t, one reads with constant nods of “Ah, now I understand!” Fine in VG++ dw. £6

S691)  Hartcup, Adeline; Children of the Great Country Houses; pb National Trust. VG+. £7.50

S692)  Hibbert, Christopher & Weinreb, Ben; The London Encyclopaedia; pb Macmillan 1987. An exhaustive companion, “this massive and magnificent panorama of London” is essential to have on hand for anyone who lives in or loves or hopes to visit London – for reading and for reference. VG++ £7.50

S693)  Ladybird: recent spoof editions for adults using the traditional Ladybird illustrations; The Ladybird Book of the Hangover; fine. £3

S694)  Lancaster, Osbert; Classical Landscape with Figures; 1947 1^st ed; John Murray. The author / artist’s attempt “to present a picture of Greece as it appears today.” Illustrated in line throughout and with several full page colour illustrations. VG+ in G++ dw. £6.50

S695)  Lincoln, M; London & the 17^th Century – The Making of the World’s Greatest City; pb Yale. Fine. £4

S696)  Muir, P.H; Book Collecting as a Hobby, in a series of Letters to Everyman; pb Gramol [nd, c1945]. A comprehensive introduction. The covers loudly proclaim that its price was “3/6 net”. G++. £4

S697)  Oberammergau; The Oberammergau Passion Play; parish of Oberammergau. English –language text, produced for the 1950 cycle, with a lovely woodcut fp, cast of players etc. Wraps worn, inside VG. £3.50

S698)  Old Time Dancing; 1957 EP Publishers. One of the “Know the Game” booklets introducing different sports. This is in association with The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Some key dances described and photographed, including waltzes, two-steps, gay gordons, tangos etc. VG+ £3

S699)  Owens, Susan; The Ghost – A Cultural History; larger pb, Tate. VG+. £6.50

S700)  Slater, Nigel; Real Fast Food – 350 recipes ready in 30 minutes; pb Penguin.

S701)  Sobel, Dava; Galileo’s Daughter – A Drama of Science, Faith and Love; pb 4^th Estate. VG+. £3

S702)  Stibbe, Nina; Went to London, Took the Dog; pb Picador. As her marriage disintegrated, Nina Stibbe decided to take a year out and live in London for the first time since living there as an au pair in her twenties (her memoir about which, Love, Nina, was adapted for TV). She lodged with the writer Deborah Moggach, and her account of her year is both poignant and funny. VG++. £5

S703)  Swift, Katherine; The Morville Hours; pb Bloomsbury. In 1988, Katherine Swift arrived in Shropshire and set about creating a garden by the Dower House where people had lived for centuries. This account, taking its cue from mediaeval books of hours, is a journey through the seasons, but also a meditation on the personal and the universal. A beautiful book, not only with its absorbing prose, but also one of the most gorgeous book covers I’ve seen. VG. £4.50.

S704)  Telfer, Kevin; Peter Pan’s First XI – The Extraordinary Story of J.M.Barrie’s Cricket Team; 2010 Sceptre. JM Barrie, an enthusiastic cricketer of very little talent, put together a team to play in those golden summers of the Edwardian era. Remarkably some of the  most celebrated writer turned out for him, including Arthur Conan Doyle, A.A. Milne, P.G. Wodehouse and Jerome K. Jerome. Cricket, literature, humour, biography and social history are interwoven in this account. Fine in fine dw. £10

S705)  Time Out Book of London Walks; pb Time Out. 30 walks created by London writers, including Margaret Forster, Philip Ziegler, Margaret Drabble, Graham Norton, Bill Oddie and Lucinda Lambton. Maps and full instructions, plus descriptions from the very personal points of view of the different authors. VG+. £3

S706)  Tucci, Stanley; Taste - My Life Through Food; pb Penguin. The intersection of food and life, from growing up in an Italian-American family to filming foodie films and falling in love over dinner. VG+ £3

S707)  Urban, Mark; Generals; pb Faber. The lives and battles of ten British generals remarkable for their abilities, or sometimes for a fatal flaw. VG. £4

S708)  Weston, David; Covering McKellen; pb Rickshaw. When Ian McKellan undertook the role of King Lear for the RSC, both at Stratford and for an extensive global tour, David Weston was his understudy. A frank and funny account takes us behind the scenes. Nr fine. £4

S709)  White, T.H.; The Godstone and the Blackymor; 1959 1^st ed. Illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. “God knows what this book is about. I suppose it’s a bit of autobiography really. But it’s about living on the West Coast of Ireland, in ‘the parish nearest to America’ – and it is about the people and things there, more than about me… It seems to me a complicated sort of book about a complicated place, which I loved, and anyway it has pictures by Ardizzone, who loved it too.”. VG in somewhat worn dw. £15

S710)  Wichmann, Siegfried; Japonisme – The Japanese Influence on Western Art since 1858; 1985 rep Thames and Hudson. This is a very large and fascinating book, with over a thousand illustrations, a quarter in colour. VG++ in VG+ dw. £10

S711)  Ziegler, Richard; Judith, the Widow of Bethulia; 1946 limited edition (number 219 of 700); Dennis Dobson. Very large size, 32x26 cm (12 ½” by 10”), 44 pp. A retelling, with drawings on almost every page, and the text in hand-written script, of the Biblical story of Judith and Holofernes. Deckle-edged paper, tiny bit of foxing, slight tear on bottom hinge of spine, generally VG. £12

The Cream of Crime  (see also Greyladies Books above for new titles)

S712)  Alexander, Bruce; Watery Grave; pb Warner. With the aid of his “eyes”, his protégé young Jeremy, Sir John Fielding, the Blind Magistrate of Bow St, investigates the rumours of a naval mutiny that threatens to mar the joy of homecoming of his new stepson. VG++ £3.50

S713)  Allingham, Margery  Her crime novels featuring Albert Campion show a vast range of characters and styles as she experimented and developed her craft.

Paperbacks, all 1990s reprints in classic green Penguin crime livery, all VG+ or better, £3 each; Cargo of Eagles; The Case of the Late Pig; The Tiger in the Smoke; Look to the Lady; Mr Campion and Others; Death of a Ghost; Black Plumes; The Beckoning Lady; The Crime at Black Dudley; Mr Campion’s Lucky Day and Other Stories.

S714)  Bax, Roger; Blueprint for Murder; pb Arcturus. Handsome reprint, originally 1948. Arthur Cross and his cousin return from WWII, but it seems his intentions towards his uncle are far from amiable… Fine. £4

S715)  Bowers, Dorothy; The Bells at Old Bailey; pb Moonstone. Dorothy Bowers died very young, and only wrote five crime novels, but all are really rewarding. She was a champion of the Golden Age idea of Fair Play by the reader, introducing all the clues necessary but misdirecting attention. Here Miss Tidy, proprietor of the Minerva hat shop, decides she really must go to the police about the letters she’s been receiving…  Mint. £6

S716)  Burley, W.J; Wycliffe and the House of Fear; pb Orion. Roger Kemp’s first wife was presumed drowned, but now his second wife has gone missing too… VG. £3

S717)  Burley, W.J.; Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy; pb Orion. VG. £3

S718)  Butler, Joan; Paper Money; 1954 1^st ed; Stanley Paul. If you can imagine Raymond Chandler crossed with PG Wodehouse, that’s the style of this very scarce crime novel, about author David Pomeroy Windham, living like a hermit in the English countryside, whose knowledge of women is entirely theoretical until the advent of Miss Gloria Gaye, potential star of the Hollywood version of his novel. Inside is VG, the spine has had a tough time, and has been well-repaired to stop it from detaching. £10

S719)  Coles, Rev Richard; Murder Before Evensong; pb W&N. The debut crime novel of the radio personality, with a protagonist who is also a vicar, Canon Clement. Set in the 1990s. VG. £3

S720)  Coles, Rev Richard; Murder Before Evensong; 2022 W&N. VG+ in VG+ dw. £5

S721)  Dunn, Carola; The Bloody Tower; pb Robinson. 1920s mystery with journalist Diasy Dalrymple and her husband, policeman Alec Fletcher. VG. £4

S722)  Dunn, Carola; The Black Ship; pb Robinson. Daisy Dalrymple. VG. £4

S723)  Dunn, Carola; Anthem for Doomed Youth; pb Robinson. Daisy Dalrymple. VG. £4

S724)  Edwards, Martin; The Hanging Wood; pb A&B. Orla Payne asks Lake District police to re-investigate her brother’s disappearance… and then she is found dead.  VG. £4.50

S725)  Griffiths, Elly; The Dark Angel; pb Quercus. VG. Ruth Galloway is asked to go to Italy, where archaeologist Dr Angelo Morelli, has unearthed a 2000-year-old skeleton – with a mobile phone… VG. £4

S726)  Heyer, Georgette; witty crime novels, often featuring Supt Hannasyde and / or Inspector Hemingway. Anyone who has read her Regency romances will also detect a familiar penchant for featuring a romantically involved couple for whom things don’t always go smoothly! Paperbacks, Grafton or Panther: all £3.50 each: Duplicate Death, VG; They Found Him Dead, Fair; No Wind of Blame, VG; Detection Unlimited, VG; Why Shoot a Butler? VG; Footsteps in the Dark, VG+; Penhallow, VG+: A Blunt Instrument, G+; Death in the Stocks, VG;

S727)  James, P.D.; Death in Holy Orders; pb Penguin. Death at an East Anglian theological college. G+. £3

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S728)  Lathen, Emma; John Putnam Thatcher mysteries, all Penguin unless stated, VG or better, £3.50 each. First published from the 1960s onwards, these are perfect holiday reading, great favourites of mine. Thatcher is a Wall St banker, and his business interests take him into all sorts of different industries, ranging from oriental carpets to ice hockey to the cutthroat world of breeding new tomato varieties.  His native intelligence and analytical mind are always reluctantly brought to bear whenever something untoward happens… A fascinating glimpse of American life too. Murder without Icing; When in Greece; Murder Makes the Wheels Go Round; Accounting for Murder; Sweet and Low; Death Shall Overcome; By Hook or by Crook; Double, Double, Oil and Trouble; East is East (Gollancz); Something in the Air (Mandarin).

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S729)  Leon, Donna; Death at La Fenice; pb Arrow. Introducing Commissario Brunetti, and his beloved and sometimes frustrating Venice. Near fine. £3.50

S730)  Leon, Donna; The Girl of His Dreams; pb Arrow. Commissario Brunetti has to battle human frailties and instincts to protect the family in order to bring justice for the death of a young girl found floating in one of Venice’s canals, and the mystery of the gold jewellery she carries. VG. £3

S731)  Marsh, Ngaio; Pbs; Fontana/ Harper Collins. G+ or better. Inspector Alleyn golden-age mysteries. £3 each; Opening Night; The Nursing Home Murder.

S732)  McDermid, Val; Still Life; pb Sphere. This features Karen Pirie, in charge of a cold case squad, an engaging series where there isn’t a lot of blood and gore (unlike some of McDermid’s other series). The author is also a Chalet School fan – crediting Joey Bettany with inspiring her to write professionally! Here Karen finds two cases competing for her attention, a dead body from the sea proving to be a suspect in an old murder, and a skeleton found in an old camper van.  Mint. £4.50

S733)  Michaelides, Alex; The Maidens; pb W&N. Cambridge University’s most secret society, The Maidens are chosen by the charismatic professor of Greek Tragedy. But then one of them is killed… VG+. £3

S734)  McLean, Rachel; The Corfe Castle Murders; pb Ackroyd. When DCI Lesley Clarke is posted to Dorset after being injured in a bomb attack, she wonders how she’ll cope with the quiet life. But then, even before she starts work, a corpse turns up in the grounds of the iconic Corfe Castle, and Lesley has to negotiate her way round the local force as well as the local inhabitants. VG++. £4

S735)  Mukherjee, Abir; Smoke and Ashes; pb Vintage. Captain Sam Wyndham, whose wife died in the flu epidemic after the Great War, has joined the Indian Police, and now, in 1921, has to tread a fine line when a corpse turns up in an opium den he has been frequenting as a customer… A wonderful evocation of a vibrant Calcutta, one of the new authors I’ve really enjoyed recently. VG++. £3.50

S736)  Neel, Janet; Death Among the Dons; pb Penguin. Gladstone College is facing a whole slew of problems, not least the question of whether the death of its warden was accident or suicide. Civil service grandee Dame Sarah Murchieson is parachuted in, and is glad to have the help of her temporary bursar, Francesa Wilson, and Francesca’s husband Supt John McLeish, when a series of frightening attacks begins. An intriguing detective story illuminates some of the challenges confronting women in academic life. G++. £5

S737)  Sayers, Dorothy; Paperbacks in a stylish recent livery; Hodder. Both VG+, £3 each; The Nine Tailors; Strong Poison.

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Walsh, Jill Paton; Imogen Quy, college nurse at St Agatha’s, is a very attractive amateur sleuth in these Cambridge-set mysteries.

S738)  The Wyndham Case; pb Hodder. The first dead student, crushed under a falling bookcase, seemed to have been the victim of a tragic accident. But then another is found dead in a fountain… VG+. £4

S739)  A Piece of Justice; pb Hodder. When Imogen’s lodger Fran becomes the third in a line of biographers of mathematical genius Gideon Summerfield, it turns out she’s been given the most dangerous job in Cambridge… VG-. £3.50

S740)  Debts of Dishonour; pb Hodder. When wealthy Sir Julian Farran dies after a college fundraising dinner, the whole life of the college seems threatened, and Imogen is drawn into events. VG+. £4

S741)  Debts of Dishonour; H&S 2006. Near fine in VG+ dw. £6.50

S742)  The Bad Quarto; pb Hodder. A daredevil lecturer with a brilliant future falls to his death, and a student with a tragic past disappears – and how are both connected with an amateur production of one of least reputable editions of Hamlet? G+. £3.50

S743)  The Bad Quarto; H&S 2007. VG++ in VG dw. £6.50

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S744)  Wentworth, Patricia; Paperbacks featuring the attractive forensic thinker and former governess Miss Silver; mysteries and crimes, often with a touch of the thriller; Corgi. All G+ or better; £3.50 each; The Clock Strikes Twelve; The Fingerprint; Out of the Past; The Alington Inheritance; The Chinese Shawl; The Case is Closed; Latter End; The Girl in the Cellar.

S745)  Winspear, Jacqueline; The Mapping of Love and Death; pb A&B. Maisie Dobbs VG++. £4

S746)  Winspear, Jacqueline; A Lesson in Secrets; pb A&B. Maisie Dobbs goes to Cambridge as a junior lecturer – actually at the behest of Special Branch to monitor suspicious activities there. VG++. £4

Lovely lighter days, more sun (although too much heat this year…), I’ve been enjoying the garden with a good book – and occasional bouts of gardening too!        Sally