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

Welcome to my new Topsy-Turvy catalogue. Firstly, if you email me, please check your records as I switched to a new email address (above) last year.

We’re pleased with bookings for our Eighth Bristol Conference – Twentieth Century Schoolgirls and their Books; 2^nd – 4^th August 2024. It will take place once more at Wills Hall in Bristol, and the overall theme is “Mothers, Mistresses and Other Role Models”. We do still have spaces, so we hope to see many of you there. Please just ask if you’d like another booking form, or have a look at the Conference website at https://thebristolconference.org/

As you’ll know if you have been viewing our catalogues before now, Betula has had more demands on her time recently, and she has taken a step back from her bookselling, at least for the foreseeable future, so you’ll see that mine is the only catalogue on the website now. My first solo catalogues have resulted in a reasonable number of orders, so at the moment I’m intending to carry on, although a larger number of orders will always be welcome! And please feel free to contact me with orders between catalogues, don’t feel it’s “too late”.  

My catalogue contains my usual mix of second-hand and new books, with books for adults at the end. New books are underlined. A small discount on postage is given for titles ordered in advance, otherwise postage is in addition as with orders for other books. [Please note: postage has gone up several times since we set our postage rate for an advance order at £1, over ten years ago, and I’m afraid I’m now having to raise it to £1.50 per book for advance UK orders, which still represents a discount of nearly half on the actual postage cost, so as to provide a little incentive for ordering in advance which is very helpful!]

GGBP, Books To Treasure, Greyladies, EJO Society, and other newly published titles

New Books – place orders now for these titles recently published.

S1)      Allan, Mabel Esther; 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

S2)      Allan, Mabel Esther [ 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

S3)      [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

S4)      [Brent-Dyer, Elinor]; Tales from the Chalet School by Helen Barber and Katherine Bruce; pb GGBP 2023. This is a selection of stories by two of the most admired writers of “fill-ins”. New. £13

S5)      [Brent-Dyer, Elinor]; Rosamund Leads the Chalet School by Lisa Townsend; pb GGBP 2023. We hear hardly anything of Rosamund Lilley in Redheads, the term in which she is Head Girl. This fill-in rectifies that omission, viewing the same term and events from Rosamund’s point of view.

S6)      Brent-Dyer, Elinor; Gay from China at the Chalet School pb rep GGBP 2023. New. £13

S7)      Brent-Dyer, Elinor; Redheads at the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2022 New £13

S8)      Brent-Dyer, Elinor; The Chalet School Wins the Trick; pb GGBP 2022 New £13 This is the final title in GGBP’s publication of all the Chalet School titles, so is something of a milestone!

S9)      Brent-Dyer, Elinor; Challenge for The Chalet School; pb GGBP rep 2023 New £13

S10)    Brent-Dyer, Elinor; Janie Steps In; pb GGBP rep 2023. The final La Rochelle title. New £13

S11)    Hill, Lorna; Masquerade at the Wells; pb GGBP 2023. New £13

S12)    Lewis, Lorna; 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

S13)    Lyon, Elinor; The Shores of Darkness; pb Greyladies 2023. The Merediths and their pursuits (exploring, poetry, music) among the evocative landscapes of Wales; written in the 1960s, but never published because of a change of policy at Elinor Lyon’s publishers, so this is the first edition. New. £12.

S14)    Matthewman, Phyllis; 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

S15)    Oxenham, Elsie J; A Go-Ahead Schoolgirl; pb EJO Soc, 2023. New £16

S16)    Oxenham, Elsie J; Patience and Her Problems; pb EJO Soc, 2023. New £16

S17)    Saville, Malcolm; The Luck of Sallowby pb GGBP 2023. Jillies story. New £13

S18)    Saville, Malcolm; Malcolm Saville Short Stories; pb GGBP, 2023.  A new collection. New £13

New Books – place advance orders now for these titles due in spring and early summer

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

S19)    Brent-Dyer, Elinor; A Future Chalet School Girl pb rep GGBP 2024. New. £13

S20)    [Brent-Dyer] Millies of the Chalet School by Sarah Wright; pb GGBP 2024. A new fill-in set in the finishing branch. New. £13

S21)    Forest, Antonia; Autumn Term; GGBP 2024. The first Marlow title, first GGBP publication. New. £13

S22)    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

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

Alcott, L.M.

S23)    Louisa May Alcott – A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever; 2010 Simon and Schuster. A moving and vivid portrait. Fine in fine dw. £8.50

S24)    Good Wives; nd Sampson Low. Col fp and same picture (of Amy and Laurie) in roundel onlay on the front board. Tender hinges reinforced, G+. £5

S25)    Little Men; nd, Sampson Low. Glazed picture boards, rear hinge of spine mended, G+. £4

Allan, Mabel Esther       

S26)    [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

S27)    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

S28)    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

S29)    The Adventurous Summer; pb GGBP 2021. Nick and Sorrel go to stay in the Cotswolds and meet Caroline. She longs for school but has a strict governess, employed by her grandfather. She is always in trouble but cheers herself up by forming an Adventure Club, and the summer’s wanderings take them all over. New. £16

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. This is MEA’s autobiography, until now only privately published in two booklets in the 1980s. £10

S33)    Ann’s Alpine Adventure; pb GGBP 2020. New £13

S34)    The Wyndhams Went to Wales; pb GGBP 2013.  NEW. £13

S35)    New Schoools for Old; pb GGBP 2018. New. £13

S36)    Judith Teaches; pb GGBP 2016. Very interesting career story. New. £13

S37)    Here We Go Round; pb GGBP 2015. Nursery teaching. £13

S38)    The MacIans of Glen Gillean; pb GGBP 2013. NEW. £13

S39)    The Wyndhams Went to Wales; pb GGBP 2013.  NEW. £13

S40)    The Ballet Family; pb GGBP 2012.  Joan comes to alien London family.  New  £13

S41)    The Ballet Family Again; pb GGBP 2012. Joan discovers her own gifts. NEW. £13

S42)    Trouble at Melville Manor; pb GGBP 2014. Ray wants to be a writer. NEW £13

S43)    Margaret Finds a Future; pb GGBP 2011. Life at a National Trust house. New £13

S44)    Amanda Goes to Italy; pb GGBP 2022. New £13

Almedingen, E.M. 

I discovered E.M. Almedingen’s books as a child in my local library, and loved them. She grew up in St Petersburg before coming to England during the Russian Revolution, and her varied and fascinating ancestors gave her material enough for a large number of children’s novels.

S45)    Anna; 1972 1^st ed; OUP. Anna [her great-great-grandmother] and her brother Yasha grow up in the suburbs of Moscow, children of a wealthy merchant, and Anna’s happy life is enlivened by her meeting with Catherine the Great. Fine in VG++ dw. £12

S46)    Young Mark; 1967 1^st ed; OUP. Mark [her great-great-grandfather] runs away from his Ukrainian home determined to reach St Petersburg and become a singer. Fine in VG++ dw. £12

S47)    Ellen; 1971 1^st ed; OUP. Ellen [her grandmother] had a happy childhood in a large family at Cobham Court in Kent, before her mother’s death and her father’s gambling debts took them to a peripatetic life on the Continent, where she met the immensely rich Russian nobleman who was to become her husband… VG in VG dw, flaps stuck down. £12

S48)    Ellen; pb 1973 OUP. Pages going slightly biscuity towards the edges, otherwise VG+. £6.50

S49)    A Candle at Dusk; 1969 1^st ed; OUP. Ever since visiting the nearby Abbey and seeing its library, Idrun [not one of her ancestors this time!] has an ambition to unlock the mysteries of reading, but the laity hardly ever manage it in eighth-century France, and Idrun must face all sorts of challenges, not least because all around him the Franks are at war with the Saracens. Nr fine in VG++ dw. £12

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

Annuals and Illustrated Books          Special Offer - Buy two and get a third free

A great selection of annuals and books of a similar size, this time including many with really beautiful illustrations. The first story title is given to help identify the particular annual, as well as a selection of other stories or authors. 

S50)    Father Tuck’s Annual; nd but Victorian; Raphael Tuck and Sons, Publishers to the Queen. Eight O’Clock (verse) by Clifton Bingham, then Mildred and Her Mills (verse). Stories and verse including Elsie and the Seven Sheep, Mab’s Laundry, The Heedless Piggies. Lovely b&w illustrations throughout, including many looking very Art Nouveau and others similar in style to Nesbit’s children, artists including [Sophia May] M. Bowley, Maude Goodman. Endpapers replaced with copies, front boards rubbed at the edges, G. £5

S51)    Girl’s Own Story Book; nd Collins. Turn of the Tide by Viola Bayley. Also Stage Door (Streatfeild), Adventure in the Abbey (EJO), Mollie Chappell, Kathleen Fidler. VG in G+ dw. £6.50

S52)    [Dean’s] New Leisure Book for Girls; 1968 Dean. The Summer-House by Kathleen Winfield; also includes Here Come the Piece-Bag Poppets by Gretchen Breary; Pineapple Squash by Winifred Norling; Fortune in a Teacup by Kay Ewen; The Single Ticket by Edgar Garrett; Scruffy Trouble by Philip M. Pethick. Spine missing, rest of the book is sound, fair condition. £3

S53)    Playtime Pets; nd Dean and Son. Large annual sized book of short stories by J.H. MacNair and Isabel Harrow, really beautifully illustrated (b&w throughout plus several colour plates) by A.E. Kennedy and K. Harrow, beautiful nature illustration, mainly animals or scenes with animals and young children – delightful. Well-restored, now VG. £12

S54)    The Treasure Box for Boys and Girls; nd Children’s Press. The Dog Who Couldn’t Learn Tricks by Jane Shaw. Also, The Homesick Bus; Chuck McIntyre’s Ugly Dog; The Adventures of Captain Merry. Nice colourful endpapers showing a party; board edges scuffed, gen Fair. £3.50

S55)    True Stories about Animals; nd, inscr 1913; Blackie. Written and illustrated by Edith Carrington,  a prominent Victorian animal rights activist and promoter of vegetarianism. Originally an artist, she later started writing books on these themes. New spine and endpapers, now G+. £5

S56)    Uncle Mac’s Children’s Hour; nd (possibly missing fp) insc 1951; Sampson Low. The Creaky Caravan. Also Selina the Swiss Cow; A Treat for Mrs Tollington; The Chameleon, Camouflage and All That; Bill Aylesbury Goes on the Stage. VG. £4.50 (see Children’s Hour above)

S57)    The Winter Book for Boys; 1956 Burke. A hobbies book covering a wide range including Ice skating, Running a harmonica band, Model Cars, Fencing, Making Linocuts, Making your own Films, Building a pockec crystal set and many more. One section has come loose and been glued in, otherwise G. £4.50

S58)    The Wonder Book of Do You Know?; nd Ward, Lock and Co. Not an annual, but similar size. Illustrated throughout with photos plus 8 colour plates . First article is “Do You Know?”, general introduction, then What is a Mirage or Fata Morgana?. Articles grouped in sections, answering questions such as How Do We Know the Earth is Round? Why Your Hair Stands on End When You Are Frightened? Why a Fly can Walk on the Ceiling? Why We Use Round Plates, Dishes and Cups? VG. £5

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

Barber, Helen

S59)    Mollie’s Choice; pb BTT. Popular day school story debut. New. £12

S60)    Mollie’s Friends; pb BTT 2020. Sequel to, Mollie’s Choice. New. £12

Barne, Kitty

S61)    While the Music Lasted; pb Greyladies. A fascinating standalone novel of music college and musical talent, but also a sequel, for adults, of Kitty Barne’s children’s book She Shall Have Music. New. £12

Biggs, Margaret

S62)    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.  

S63)    Bobby at Hill House; pb GGBP 2014. £13

S64)    Christmas Term at Vernley; pb GGBP 2012.  £13

S65)    The Two Families; pb GGBP 2010. NEW.  £13

S66)    Dilly Goes to Ambergate; pb GGBP 2011.  NEW.  £13

Blyton, Enid

S67)    Tiny Tales; Littlebury c1949. A book full of one-page tales of a little five year old called Tiny, each accompanied by beautiful full-page illustrations by Eileen Soper. Quite scarce. Title page missing, otherwise VG. £6.50

S68)    Chimney Corner Stories; 1963 Dean. G++. £3

S69)    Summer Term at St Clare’s; 1943 1^st ed, Methuen. Pictorial boards showing the twins. Endpapers professionally replaced, very small ink blot on the front board, generally VG. £12

S70)    The Valley of Adventure; pb Armada. G+. £3

S71)    Mr Galliano’s Circus; pb Armada 1962. G++. £3.50

Brazil, Angela

S72)    A Fourth Form Friendship; pb 2006 GGBP, centenary edition, a good one! NEW. £6

S73)    A Fourth Form Friendship; nd insc 1924 Blackie. Col fp, 4/4 b&w plates. Lovely pic bds, VG+, nice copy. £8

S74)    The Nicest Girl in the School; nd Blackie, thick ed with pic bds. Lacks fep, has 3/3 other plates. Nice period copy, but considerable foxing, so only G-. £4

S75)    The School at the Turrets; nd Blackie. 4/4 b&w plates, one with ragged edge and marks of old tape where previously taped into the book, before proper reattachment. The pictorial spine has some additional gold lettering, “NSL” at the top (perhaps some school?) and a shelf mark “Dc 7893” at the bottom. G+. £5

S76)    For the Sake of the School; nd Blackie rep. Fp and 3/3 b&w plates, G+ in an attractive but edgeworn dw missing bits at the corners, now protected. £7.50

S77)    The Madcap of the School; nd Blackie thick ed. Lacks frontis, new fep. Lovely bright pic bds, 3/4 b&w plates. Very attractive copy despite missing frontispiece. VG+. £6.50

S78)    The Manor House School; nd Blackie thick. Col fp,3/4 b&w pl.  Pic bds, G+. £6

S79)    The Manor House School; nd Blackie (later ed). 4/4 b&w plates, VG in VG+ dw. £7.50

S80)    The Leader of the Lower School; nd Blackie thick ed. 4/5 b&w pl. Pic bds. Somewhat grubby hence a good reading copy, but very sound. £4.50.

S81)    Jean’s Golden Term; nd Blackie small ed. B&W fp. VG in G+ dw. £6.50

S82)    Armada pbs, G or better; £3 each; Head Girl at the Gables; The Manor House School.

Brent-Dyer, Elinor

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

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

S83)    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.

S84)    [Brent-Dyer, Elinor]; Tales from the Chalet School by Helen Barber and Katherine Bruce; pb GGBP 2023. This is a selection of stories by two of the most admired writers of “fill-ins”. New. £13

S85)    Chalet School World: Short Stories by Helen Barber; pb GGBP 2013. New. £13

S86)    The Evangelical Books – Nesta Steps Out, Beechy of the Harbour School and Leader in Spite of Herself; pb GGBP 2021. These are some of EBD’s rarest titles, slim volumes here published in one collection. New. £20

S87)    Geography Readers Vol 1: A Quintette in Queensland/ Verena Visits New Zealand; pb GGBP 2019. £16

S88)    Geography Readers Vol 2: Bess on her Own in Canada + Sharlie’s Kenya Diary; pb GGBP 2020. £13

S89)    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

S90)    Before the Chalet School - The Bettanys of Taverton High by Helen Barber; pb rep 2022. New £13

S91)    Before the Chalet School - Last Term at Taverton High  by Helen Barber. GGBP 2018. NEW. £16

S92)    Jo of the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2011. New. £22.50

S93)    The Guides of the Chalet School by Jane Berry; pb GGBP 2009. NEW.  £20

S94)    Deira Joins the Chalet School by Caroline German; pb GGBP 2010. NEW  £20

S95)    Head Girl of the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2013. New. £20

S96)    Eustacia Goes to the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S97)    The Chalet School and the Lintons; pb GGBP 2020. New. £20

S98)    Jo Returns to the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2021. New. £20

S99)    The Muller Twins at the Chalet School by Bruce, Katherine;  pb GGBP 2012.  NEW. £16

S100)  Gillian of the Chalet School by Carol Allan; pb GGBP 2006. £20

S101)  The Chalet School in Exile; pb GGBP.  NEW.  £20

S102)  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

S103)  The Chalet School in Guernsey by Katherine Bruce; pb GGBP 2020. New. £16

S104)  The Chalet School and Robin by Caroline German; pb GGBP 2003. VG++. £20

S105)  Highland Twins at the Chalet School; pb GGBP New. One copy only. £22.50

S106)  Flight of a Chalet School Girl by Katherine Bruce; pb GGBP 2022. New £20

S107)  Gay from China at the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2023. New. £13

S108)  Jo to the Rescue; pb GGBP 2022 New £13

S109)  A Chalet School Headmistress by Helen Barber. GGBP rep 2017. Very popular fill-in. £16

S110)  Tom Tackles the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2017. NEW. £16

S111)  The Bettany Twins and the Chalet School by Helen Barber; pb GGBP 2020. £13

S112)  A Guernsey Girl at the Chalet School by Amy Fletcher; pb GGBP 2021. £16

S113)  Peace Comes to the Chalet School by Katherine Bruce; pb GGBP rep 2020. New. £20

S114)  The Champion of the Chalet School by Adrianne Fitzpatrick; pb GGBP 2014. NEW. £18

S115)  Three Go to the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2022 New £16

S116)  A Difficult Term at the Chalet School by Lisa Townsend; pb GGBP 2021 rep. NEW.  £16

S117)  The Chalet School and the Island; pb GGBP 2022. New £13

S118)  Peggy of the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2021. New. £16

S119)  Carola Storms the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2008. One copy only. £22.50

S120)  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 £13

S121)  Changes for the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2014. NEW. £20

S122)  The Chalet School and Barbara; pb GGBP 2014. NEW. £20

S123)  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

S124)  A Chalet Girl from Kenya; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S125)  A Chalet Girl from Kenya; pb rep GGBP 2021. VG++. £13

S126)  A Problem for the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S127)  New Mistress at the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2020. New. £20

S128)  Millies of the Chalet School by Sarah Wright; pb GGBP 2024. Set in the finishing branch. New. £13

S129)  A Leader in the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2020. New. £20

S130)  A Future Chalet School Girl pb rep GGBP 2024. New. £13

S131)  The Chalet School Wins the Trick; pb GGBP 2022 New £13

S132)  The Chalet School Reunion; pb GGBP £20

S133)  Jane and the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2013. NEW.  £20

S134)  Redheads at the Chalet School; pb GGBP 2023. NEW.  £13

S135)  Rosamund Leads the Chalet School by Lisa Townsend; pb GGBP 2023. Rosamund Lilley is one of the series’ most interesting characters and yet we hear hardly anything of her in Redheads, the term in which she is Head Girl. This fill-in rectifies that omission, viewing the same term and events from Rosamund’s point of view. New. £13

S136)  Challenge for The Chalet School; pb GGBP rep 2023 New £13

S137)  Althea Joins the Chalet School; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S138)  New Beginnings at the Chalet School by Heather Paisley; pb rep GGBP 2020 £16

Lorna

S139)  Lorna At Wynyards; pb GGBP rep 2021. One of my favourite EBD titles. New. £13

S140)  Stepsisters for Lorna; pb GGBP rep 2023. New £13

S141)  [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 £13

La Rochelle series

S142)  Gerry Goes to School; pb GGBP 2022. A new reprint to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of its first publication. New £13

S143)  A Head Girl’s Difficulties; pb GGBP. Fine. One copy only. £22.50

S144)  The Maids of La Rochelle; 1927, Chambers hb.  VG £22

S145)  Seven Scamps; pb GGBP 2013. NEW. £20

S146)  Janie of La Rochelle; pb rep GGBP 2020. £20

S147)  Janie Steps In; pb GGBP rep 2023. The final La Rochelle title. New £13

S148)  Carnation of the Upper Fourth; pb GGBP. New. One copy only. £20

S149)  Chalet Club Newsletters; pb rep GGBP 2016. 1960s Chalet Club newsletters, extra CS info.  New £13

S150)  The Feud in the Fifth Remove; pb GGBP 2014. New. £13

S151)  Trouble at Skelton Hall; pb GGBP 2009.  NEW.  £13.

S152)  A Thrilling Term at Janeways; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW.  £13

S153)  Caroline the Second; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW  £13

S154)  Elizabeth the Gallant; pb GGBP 2006.  NEW.  £13

S155)  The Lost Staircase; pb GGBP rep, 2018. NEW. £16

S156)  Judy the Guide; pb GGBP 2010.  New. £13

S157)  Kennelmaid Nan; pb GGBP 2011. EBD’s almost-career-story. NEW. £13

S158)  They Both Liked Dogs; pb GGBP 2012. NEW. £13

S159)  The Condor Crags Adventure; pb GGBP 2018. New. £16

S160)  Chudleigh Hold; pb GGBP. New. £16

S161)  Top Secret; pb GGBP 2022. New £16

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

S162)  Wonder Tales of Old Tyrol by Bernard Henderson and C. Calvert; Allan and Co, 1925. A splendid compendium of folk tales from the Tyrol, including The Lovers of Kufstein, The Biburg See, The Gooseherd’s Reward and Alber’s Pillar. Fp and 7/7 gorgeous colour plats and other b&w illustrations by Constance E. Rowlands. Embossed boards, VG. £6.50

S163)  So You’re Going to Germany and Austria! By Clara E. Laughlin; 1930; Methuen. Fascinating guide book dating from the Chalet School’s years in the Tyrol. VG. £5

S164)  The School at the Chalet; 1963 rep. Spine faded, several names written on eps, gen VG+. £8.50

S165)  Jo of the Chalet School; 1988 rep. This is one of the quartet of handsome “facsimile” reprints that Chambers did, which contained the full text in the original font (or very similar); it does not have the original Brisley plates, but does have a photo of EBD as a frontispiece, and additional woodcut illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Dw is facsimile of the 1926 edition. Nr fine in nr fine dw. £14

S166)  The Princess of the Chalet School; This is one of the quartet of handsome “facsimile” reprints that Chambers did, which contained the full text in the original font (or very similar); it does not have the original Brisley plates, but does have a photo of EBD as a frontispiece, and additional woodcut illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Dw is facsimile of the 1926 edition. Nr fine in nr fine dw. £14

S167)  The Head Girl of the Chalet School; This is one of the quartet of handsome “facsimile” reprints that Chambers did, which contained the full text in the original font (or very similar); it does not have the original Brisley plates, but does have a photo of EBD as a frontispiece, and additional woodcut illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Dw is facsimile of the 1926 edition. Ex-lib, gen VG in VG dw. £7.50

S168)  Eustacia Goes to the Chalet School; 1956 rep. Pages going just slightly biscuity, gen VG in now-protected dw of which the front & rear panels are good, but spine has a long triangular piece missing at the top, taking out the title and just coming down into the hair in pic of Eustacia in the middle of the spine. £14

S169)  The Chalet School and Jo; 1951 rep. VG+ in VG+ dw. £20

S170)  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. £16

S171)  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. £14

S172)  The Chalet School Goes To It; 1950 rep. VG+, nice and fresh, in VG dw. £25

S173)  Monica Turns Up Trumps; nd (1^st ed?) RTS. A worn but nice thick copy of this CS connector. £15

S174)  The New House-Mistress; nd Nelson. Pictorial bds, VG+. £10

S175)  EBD’s Collected Verse; ed Joy Wotton; NCC 2006 124pp booklet. New. £2.50

S176)  The Chalet School Companion; Helen McClelland; pb Armada 1994. A book of background, with articles about EBD’s life, CS locations, original pupils etc, plus two EBD short stories from annuals. Fine. £4.50

S177)  The Chalet School and Rosalie; pb Armada. VG+. £6.50

S178)  Armada pbs; All at £4; Three Go; Changes; Peggy; Tom; Winds the Trick; Triplets; Coming of Age; New Mistress

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

Bristol Conference – see what you’ve been missing!  These are all new. The 2022 conference talks will be out very soon

S179)  20^th Century Schoolgirls and Their Books – 7^th 2022 Bristol Conference, 2024. Overall theme is Eccentrics, Misfits and Oddballs. Illustrated in colour throughout. £8.50

S180)  Bristol Conference booklets: SPECIAL OFFER   All five booklets/books below £20

S181)  20^th C Schoolgirls and Their Books – 6th 2018 Bristol Conference; 2019. Overall theme is War. 144pp book. Illustrated in colour throughout. £7.50

S182)  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

S183)  20^th C Schoolgirls and Their Books – 4th 2014 Conference; 2015. Locations, real and fictional. 68pp £5

S184)  20^th C Schoolgirls and Their Books – 3rd 2012 Conference; 2012. Includes Career books. 64-pp £4.50

S185)  20^th C Schoolgirls and Their Books – 2nd 2010 Conference; 2011. Themes include Guides. 60pp. £3.50

Bruce, Dorita Fairlie  

Springdale series

S186)  [DFB interest] The Queen’s Maries by G. Whyte Melville; nd Collins Library of Classics. Anyone who has read the Springdale books will remember how proud Primula Mary is of being descended from one of Mary, Queen of Scots’ loyal waiting women, all called Mary.  Here is their story, written by the son of a Victorian Scottish laird. VG+ in G+ dw with a small triangle missing at joint of front and spine. £5

S187)  The New House Captain; 1933 rep OUP. B&w fp. The first Springdale book in an early fat edition. Lovely glazed picture board, although sadly the pictorial spine is missing (the book is otherwise in good shape, and internally very good). £7.50

Toby trilogy

S188)  The School on the Moor; pb GGBP 2006.  First Toby title. NEW.  £13

S189)  The School in the Woods; pb GGBP 2007. Toby title of legendary rarity.  £13

S190)  Toby at Tibbs Cross; pb GGBP 2008.  NEW.  £13

Dimsie series

S191)  Dimsie and the Jane Willard Foundation: pb GGBP. The collected Dimsie short stories. NEW. £13

S192)  Dimsie Moves Up; 1932 rep; OUP, “Swan” ed. G+. £6.50

S193)  Dimsie Grows Up; 1938 rep OUP, “Swan” edition. Col fp. Very light foxing, overall VG. £10

Colmskirk series

S194)  Wild Goose Quest; pb GGBP 2013. £13

S195)  The Serendipity Shop; pb GGBP 2009.  Colmskirk series, set in very recognisable Scottish locations. £13

S196)  Triffeny; pb GGBP 2010.  Second Colmskirk title.  NEW. £13

S197)  The Debatable Mound; pb GGBP 2011.  Colmskirk series.  NEW. £13

Nancy series

S198)  The Girls of St Bride’s; 1927 rep; OUP. Dec bds, gen G+. £7.50

S199)  Nancy at St Bride’s; pb GGBP. New. £13

S200)  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

S201)  The Best Bat in the School; 1936 rep; OUP. Colour fp. Handsome glazed picture boards, VG. £10

S202)  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

S203)  Nancy Calls the Tune; 1944 first reprint; OUP. Nancy in war time, working as an organist, but also involved in the lives of her friends the Blackett girls – Desdemona working in a nearby factory, and Rosalind determined to rescue her twin Celia from France, to say nothing of the young Czech pilot flying secret missions over Europe night after night. The illustrations by Margaret Horder include a jacket design with a bomber plane swooping down. VG in a dw in rather poor shape that’s sadly had plastic protection affixed – it actually gives a better impression than that sounds! £25

Buckeridge, Anthony

S204)  Our Friend Jennings; pb Puffin. Illustrated by John Verney. Pages edges a little darkened, o/w VG. £3

S205)  The Trouble with Jennings; 1960 1^st ed; Collins. Illustrated by Mays. Colour fp. VG nice clean copy. £10

S206)  Rex Milligan Raises the Roof; 1958 rep; Lutterworth. Can Rex Milligan and his fourth form chums actually raise their pledged contribution for the restoration of the Grammar School’s ropey hall roof without landing themselves in a pickle? Or several pickles…  VG in VG dw. £8.50

Butler-Joyce, Joan

S207)  Hot Water; pb BTT 2020. A trilogy first published 1935 – 1940, about school friends Madge, Pam and charismatic new girl Leah. New £12

S208)  She Went to London; pb BTT 2020 Madge visits Leah for eventful holiday. New £12

S209)  No Responsibility; pb BTT 2020. The  friends are not keen on the implications of prefectship. New. £12

Caldwell, Patricia

S210)  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

S211)  Prefects at Vivians; pb GGBP. St Vivians is a boarding school on the Cumberland coast. Slight damage, gen VG. £4

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

Career Books and Career Adventure Stories

S212)  Allan, Mabel Esther; Judith Teaches; pb GGBP 2016. Very interesting career story. New. £13

S213)  Allan, Mabel Esther; Here We Go Round; pb GGBP 2015. Nursery teacher. £13

S214)  Allan, Mabel Esther; The Ballet Family; pb GGBP 2012.  Joan comes to alien London family; lots of detail of all the milieu of ballet and performance.  New  £13

S215)  Allan, Mabel Esther; The Ballet Family Again; pb GGBP 2012. Joan discovers her own gifts. NEW. £13

S216)  Barne, Kitty; While the Music Lasted; pb Greyladies. This is a fascinating novel of music college and musical talent. New. £12

S217)  Brent-Dyer, E.M; Kennelmaid Nan; pb GGBP 2011. EBD’s almost-career-story. NEW. £13

S218)  Brent-Dyer, E.; They Both Liked Dogs; pb GGBP 2012. NEW. £13

S219)  Clifford, Kay; Career Novels for Girls; pb 2018 Mirfield Press. Kay is the foremost expert on this fascinating genre, with perhaps the most extensive existing collection of these titles which offer such fabulous insights into the social history of their times. In this splendid volume she surveys the whole genre in groups of similar careers, and appendices include very full lists of career titles by author and publisher, as well as summary information about the authors too.  A really enjoyable survey revealing much about the position of women and girls in the mid-twentieth century. NEW. £15 **********************************************************************************

Channon, E.M.

S220)  That Awful Term; pb BTT 2018. £12

S221)  The Handsome Hardcastles; pb BTT 2017. NEW. £12

S222)  A Countess at School; pb BTT 2016.  £12

S223)  A Countess at School; pb BTT. VG+. £6

S224)  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

S225)  Expelled from St Madern’s; pb BTT 2014. New. £12

S226)  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

S227)  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.

S228)  The Right St John’s; pb 2007 GGBP. Really charming school story, where a new girl begins to suspects she’s in the wrong place...  NEW.  £13

S229)  The Right St John’s; pb 2007 GGBP. Very slight second, VG. £10

S230)  The Chivalrous Fifth; nd Nelson. Jane Smith’s mother apparently keeps a shop; her new friends decide they must be Terribly Kind to show they don’t mind… B&w drawings throughout. VG+/ VG dw £7.50

S231)  A Disgrace to the Fourth; nd Nelson. VG in VG dw. £7.50

S232)  Winning Her Colours; nd Ward Lock. Pip the scapegrace wins through. B&w fp. VG+/ VG dw £7.50

Courtney, Christine

S233)  Susan Leads the Way; 1970; Victory Press. Susan encounters Betty, whose teacher has had to cancel a party for her and her friends, and has a bright idea… VG in G+ dw. £3

Courtney, Gwendoline       

S234)  Stepmother; pb GGBP. NEW.  2018. £16

S235)  The Grenville Garrison; pb GGBP 2014. NEW. £13

S236)  The Girls of Friars’ Rise; pb GGBP 2004.  NEW.  £13

S237)  Denehurst Secret Service; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW.  £13

S238)  Well Done Denehurst; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW.  £13

S239)  The Chiltons; GGBP 2006.  NEW  £13

S240)  Mermaid House; pb GGBP 2011 1st publication in book form! £13

S241)  Wild Lorings – Detectives; pb GGBP 2010. £13

S242)  The Chiltons; 1959 rep; Nelson. Illus W. Spence and F. Stocks May. VG. £8

Darch, Winifred

S243)  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

S244)  Rumours in the Fourth Form; nd RTS. Natalia overhears part of a staff conversation and concludes that there is something shady about Rosemary, their new classmate. Colour fp.  A fair copy with a small corner torn off the top of a couple of pages. £4

Edwards, Monica       

S245)  The Cats of Punchbowl Farm; 1964 1^st ed; Michael Joseph. VG+ in G+ dw, a few tears, to top of spine, now repaired (no loss), 2 small darker patches as though something oily was once spilt on rear. Scarce. £4

S246)  Wish for a Pony 2020. pb GGBP NEW. £20

S247)  The Summer of the Great Secret 2019; pb GGBP. NEW. One copy only. £20

S248)  Black Hunting Whip 2011; pb GGBP. NEW. One copy only. £20

S249)  Storm Ahead; pb rep GGBP 2021. £13

S250)  Storm Ahead; pb rep GGBP 2021. Covers slightly bent, £8

S251)  The Wanderer 2012; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S252)  No Entry 2005; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S253)  Punchbowl Harvest 2013; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S254)  Operation Seabird 2007; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S255)  Strangers to the Marsh pb GGBP. NEW. One copy only. £20

S256)  The Outsider 2015; pb GGBP NEW. One copy only. £20

S257)  Dolphin Summer 2009; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S258)  Fire at the Punchbowl 2009; pb GGBP. NEW. £20

S259)  A Wind is Blowing; pb GGBP 2023. New £20

S260)  The Summer of the Great Secret; pb GGBP. Slight damage along top edge of front cover, o/w VG. £12

S261)  No Mistaking Corker; nd Collins. VG in G dw worn at ends of spine. £6

S262)  Punchbowl Midnight; rev ed Goodchild. VG++ in VG++ dw. £12

S263)  The Wanderer; 1955 rep, CBC. Some foxing on endpapers, otherwise G++, in dw missing bottom quarter of front and spine, now protected. £8.50

S264)  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

S265)  Frenchman’s Secret; nd CBC. Name & number written on the front board, missing fep, overall sound. £6

S266)  Strangers to the Marsh; rev ed Goodchild. Nr fine in nr fine dw. £10

S267)  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

Elder, Josephine          

S268)  Erica Wins Through; pb GGBP 2010. 1^st of Scholarship Girl trilogy. NEW £13

S269)  The Scholarship Girl; pb GGBP 2011.  Second in trilogy.  NEW. £13

S270)  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

S271)  Cherry Tree Perch; pb GGBP 2021. A Farm School title, sequel to Exile for Annis. New. £13

S272)  Evelyn Finds Herself; pb GGBP 2006.  The new School Story Encyclopaedia calls it “outstanding”.  £16

Estoril, Jean

S273)  Drina Dances in Exile; pb S&S. VG+. £4.50

S274)  Drina Dances Again; pb Macdonald. VG+. £4.50

S275)  Drina Dances in New York; pb S&S. G++. £4

S276)  Drina Dances in Paris; pb S&S; VG+. £4.50

Farella, Dana

S277)  The Magnificent Barb; 1948 1^st ed; Macdonald. An unusual “pony” story, set among the horse traders of Irish ancestry in the southern USA. Beautiful line illustrations by Paul Laune. G++. £4.50

Fidler, Kathleen

S278)  Mr Punch’s Cap; 1956 1^st ed; Lutterworth. Twins Mark and Myra are on a seaside holiday, and the Punch and Judy show leads to magical adventures. A story for younger readers with gorgeous illustrations and dw by the late much-lamented Shirley Hughes. VG+ in VG dw. £5 

Forest, Antonia    

S279)  [Forest] The Marlows and Their Maker, by Anne Heazlewood; GGBP 2007.  Background study. £16

S280)  Autumn Term; pb Puffin. VG+ £5

S281)  Falconer’s Lure; pb GGBP 2003. NEW. £20

S282)  The Thuggery Affair; pb GGBP 2005. NEW.  £16

S283)  The Ready-Made Family; pb GGBP 2021. New. £16

S284)  The Cricket Term; pb GGBP 2020. NEW. £20

S285)  The Attic Term; pb GGBP 2022. New £16

S286)  Run Away Home; pb GGBP rep 2023. New. £13

S287)  The Player’s Boy; pb GGBP 2006. Wonderful historial novel.  NEW.  £22.50

S288)  The Players and the Rebels; pb GGBP 2008.   NEW. £22.50

Gallico, Paul

S289)  Snowflake; 1952 1^st ed; Michael Joseph. Snowflake’s life, from birth on a cold winter’s day to dissolution after many adventures, but not before realising the “final mystery of Who it was had created her, watched over her and loved her steadfastly…”  VG. £4.50

Godden, Rumer

S290)  Little Plum; pb Puffin 1975. This is the sequel to Miss Happiness and Miss Flower, but can be read on its own. 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.

S291)  An Edwardian Holiday; 1978 1^st ed; Macmillan. One of Goodall’s absolutely delightful wordless stories, in a small landscape format that suits them to perfection, with the nameless boy and girl  and their family visiting the seaside and going on a paddle steamer to the Continent. Fine in fine dw. £4

Goudge, Elizabeth

S292)  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

S293)  The World of Elizabeth Goudge by Sylvia Gower; pb GGBP 2020. Illuminating. New. £13

S294)  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

S295)  Henrietta’s House; pb GGBP 2020. New. £13

S296)  The Valley of Song; pb GGBP 2020. New. £13

S297)  Sister of the Angels; pb GGBP. £13

Harnett, Cynthia

S298)  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

S299)  The Great House; pb Puffin. Barbara and Geoffrey in 1690 try to persuade their architect father that they have found a better site for his new grand house commission. VG+. £4

S300)  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

            Hill, Lorna      

S301)  No Castanets at the Wells; pb GGBP 2022. New £13

S302)  Masquerade at the Wells; pb GGBP 2022. New £13

S303)  Ella at the Wells; 1954 1^st ed; Evans. Bonus leather bookmark in the final page which has left a biscuity “shadow” on the paper. G++. £12

S304)  The Secret; pb rep 2020 GGBP. New. £13

S305)  Vicki in Venice; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S306)  Dancing Peel; 1954 1^st; Nelson. Annette Dancy in Northumberland. VG in G++ dw. £9.50

S307)  Dancer in Danger; pb GGBP 2011.  NEW.  £16

S308)  Northern Lights;  pb GGBP 2009. Only edition of this Marjorie story previously unpublished. NEW  £13

S309)  Castle in Northumbria; pb GGBP 2021. New. £13

S310)  The Vicarage Children; pb GGBP. New. £13

S311)  More About Mandy; pb GGBP 2009.  “Vicarage Children” story drawing on Lorna Hill’s own background as a clergyman’s wife.  NEW.  £13

S312)  The Vicarage Children in Skye; pb GGBP 2010.  New. £13

Jansson, Tove

S313)  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

Jeans, Angela Ainley

S314)  Listen to the Wind; 1955 1^st ed Max Parrish. A charming fantasy where Harriet and Jeremy meet the Wind People. VG+ £5

Johns, Capt. W.E.

S315)  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

S316)  Biggles and the Leopards of Zinn; 1960 CBC. A scarce title. 6/6 full page colour plates by Leslie Stead. VG++ in a dw which is generally in very good shape except a slight raggedness at the top of the spine, and an odd dark tidemark on the bottom corner of the front panel (not very noticeable because of the dw design) and on the left corner of the front flap (not affecting book at all). £14

S317)  Biggles Defies the Swastika; pb Red Fox. VG. £3

S318)  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.

S319)  Biggles pbs; Red Fox. Lovely editions, from the last 20 years, but using very handsome period-looking illustrations. All nr fine, £3 each. Biggles Goes to War; Biggles and the Rescue Flight; Biggles of the Fighter Squadron; Biggles and the Cruise of the Condor; Biggles and Co; Biggles Defies the Swastika; Biggles Flies East; Biggles Fails to Return; Biggles Defends the Desert; Biggles Flies West.

Kingsley, Charles

S320)  The Water-Babies – A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby (Abridged for use in Schools); 1905 Macmillan. With 100 illustrations by the late Victorian artist Linley Sambourne. G+. £5

Konigsburg, E.L. 

After I spoke about some of her misfit and eccentric child characters at our 2022 conference, I included a selection of E.L. Konigsburg’s books which disappeared very quickly. I now have another selection to offer. A perceptive, engaging and often funny writer with a beautiful style who deserves to be much better known. Hugely imaginative, unobtrusively thought-provoking, and sophisticated in her character drawing, she’s a pleasure to read. Two-time Newbery Medal winner.

S321)  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler; pb Scholastic. Claudia, feeling unappreciated, decides to run away from home. She chooses her young brother Jamie to accompany her, as he’s very good with money. She also knows that she won’t be any good at slumming it, so decides that they’re going to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But once there, her imagination is caught by the mysterious provenance of a newly exhibited sculpture, the answer to which, it turns out, lies with a rich recluse. This is probably Konigsburg’s most well-known book. Nr fine. £4

S322)  Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth; pb S&S. In the year in which “From the Mixed-Up Files” won the Newbery Medal, this was the runner-up, the only time an author has achieved this double. Elizabeth, at a new school, encounters Jennifer, who is definitely different; she’s read Macbeth, wears very unusual clothes and says she’s a witch. It isn’t easy being friends, but Elizabeth finds it’s never boring, and progresses from apprentice to journeyman witch, until a toad enters the equation. A book which makes one think about friendship, confidence, eccentricity and difference. Nr fine. £4.50

S323)  Benjamin Dickinson Carr and his (George); pb Puffin. George is the person who lives with, and in, Ben. The precocious but conventional Ben has realised that he really does want to be accepted by his peers and the world around him, while his alter ego wants him to think for himself and work out how the world works; George is the touch of wildness that Ben will not allow himself.  How George helps Ben cope with finding out that William, the admired fellow chemistry club member, has feet of clay, is part of Ben working out what is important in life. VG. £4.50

S324)  Up from Jericho Tel; pb Jeanmarie enlists the help of a fellow sixth-grader, Malcolm, to bury a dead bird, in a clearing in the woods near where they live. But the clearing is a passage to somewhere else, where they encounter Tallulah, who died some time before. She charges them with a mission to find out who took the Regina Stone from her. Part mystery, part ghost story, in the end it is neither – rather it’s about how Jeanmarie and Malcolm find out who they are and how they can achieve their dreams. VG. £4.50

S325)  The View from Saturday; pb S&S. This pre-dates Slumdog Millionaire but I wonder if it could have inspired it? It’s about how Mrs Olinski, newly returned to teaching after being paralysed in an accident, comes to choose the four team members from her class for the State-wide Quiz, and chronicles how they come to know each other, (it’s the outsider Julian who starts everything off with his extremely unusual invitation to tea) and how they each come by the knowledge to enable them to answer the crucial questions as they progress through the rounds. Original and so satisfying. Nr fine. £4.50

S326)  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

S327)  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

S328)  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. £5

S329)  The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World; pb Walker. Amedeo, newly moved to a Florida town, longs to make some significant discovery, and to make a friend. Both seem coming closer when he and schoolmate William start helping his eccentric neighbour Mrs Zender with her house sale, for there is a story to go with every piece in her crammed house. One in particular catches them up, a story that links a sketch, a young boy’s life, an old man’s reminiscence and a painful secret dating back to Nazi Germany… VG. £5

S330)  About the B’nai Bagels; pb S&S. Mark’s mother starts coaching his baseball team, and suddenly they are winning games. But Mark has some information, and doesn’t know what to do with it. Can he be a friend, a teammate and the manager’s son and still be himself?  Nr fine. £4.50

S331)  Silent to the Bone; pb Walker. Branwell becomes completely silent when his baby sister is taken to hospital in a coma; he’s taken to a detention centre and his best friend, Connor, who is sure Branwell would never hurt his sister, tries to find out what happened. Framed as a detective story, what it really explores is silence, communication and relationships, the power of our voices and what’s revealed by what we say or don’t say. VG+. £4.50

S332)  Altogether, One at a Time; pb S&S. Four short stories that reveal how, when you cope with difficult situations, you may learn something that will change your life. Very minimally ex-lib, VG++. £4

S333)  E.L. Konigsburg by Dorrel Thomas Hanks; 1992 Twayne. This is an interesting study of E.L. Konigsburg’s books and the themes that unite them. Very minimally ex-college library, VG++. £4

Langley, Noel

S334)  The True and Pathetic History of Desbarollda the Waltzing Mouse; 1947 1^st ed; Lindsay Drummond. Illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. The combination of Noel Langley and Edward Ardizzone means that this charming mouse-tale is very scarce and much sought-after. Birthday inscription 1951, corners just very slightly bumped, the book is VG+ in a lovely bright dw with very small loss at the ends of the spine and flap folds, and just a little scuffed along the spine and edges, with the folds professionally reinforced with Japanese tissue. £18

Lee, M. &. C.

S335)  Rosamond Fane; 1963 OUP (Oxford Children’s Library).  Royalist Rosamond is grateful that her nice Parliamentarian uncle and family care for her, but when he is installed to oversee the household in which the young James, Duke of York and his siblings are kept, Rosamond realises she has a chance to be of real use to the Royal Family. VG in VG dw. £5

L’Engle, Madeleine

S336)  A Wind in the Door; pb Dell. Meg can’t help worrying when her sick younger brother Charles says there are dragons in the garden, but it turns out he was right…  Nr fine. £3.50

S337)  A Swiftly Tilting Planet; pb Dell. Charles and the unicorn Gaudior undertake a perilous journey through time to try to stop the destruction of the world by dictator Madog Branzillo, helped in spirit by Charles’ grown-up sister Meg. Nr fine. £3.50

Lewis, Lorna

S338)  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

Lyon, Elinor

S339)  The Shores of Darkness; pb Greyladies 2023. This book about the Merediths and their pursuits (exploring, poetry, music) among the evocative landscapes of Wales was written in the 1960s, but never published because of a change of policy at Elinor Lyon’s publishers, so this is the first edition. New. £12

Mackenzie, James

S340)  Another Country –Children’s Books of the Lake District & Cumbria. Pb GGBP  NEW. £10

Mallory, Clare

S341)  The New House at Winwood; pb GGBP. One of my great favourites! NEW. £13

S342)  Leith and Friends; pb GGBP 2011.  NEW.  £13 

S343)  Merry Begins; pb GGBP 2004. One copy only. Mint. £18

S344)  Merry Again; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW.  £13

S345)  Merry Marches On; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW.  £13

S346)  The League of the Smallest; pb GGBP 2009.  NEW.  £13

S347)  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

S348)  The Pen and Pencil Girls; pb GGBP 2010.  Lovely story of group of friends producing a hand-written magazine for a competition.  £13

S349)  Candy Nevill; pb 2012 Margin Notes.  Previously unpublished book - lots of baking and sweet-making! Candy is the “slow” one in a bright family, and doesn’t shine at anything…  NEW £13.

Martin, Nancy

S350)  Three Dogs; 1966 Macmillan. Three working dogs, Tinker the Guide Dog, Vicky the Sheep Dog and Amico the Police Dog (whose tale culminates with meeting Prince Charles and Princess Anne!).  Ex-school lib, picture boards a little rubbed, slight foxing on closed page edges, but inside nice and clean. £4

Matthewman, Phyllis

S351)  Chloe Takes Control; 1942 rep; Lutterworth. Spine faded, o/w VG. £7.50

S352)  The Queerness of Rusty; 1941 1^st ed; Lutterworth. Spine faded o/w VG. £8.50

S353)  Chloe Takes Control; pb GGBP 2013.  1st Daneswood school story. £13

S354)  The Queerness of Rusty; pb GGBP 2014. 2^nd Daneswood title. Rather unusual school story featuring a genuinely working class girl going to a boarding school. New. £13

S355)  A New Role for Natasha; pb GGBP 2020. Daneswood series. £13

S356)  Justice for Jacqueline; pb GGBP 2021. New. £13

S357)  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

S358)  Thanks to Mr Jones; pb GGBP 2013. Family theatricals. NEW. £13

Matthews, E.C.

S359)  Lavender at the High School; nd Blackie. “So far [Lavender] had only been used to quiet and often solitary teaching, and the very idea of entering a great public day-school such as this, with growing traditions and the high culture for which it stood, and the enchanting prospect of the society of so many girls of her own age to work with, charmed her.” VG. £5

Mayne, William

S360)  A Swarm in May; 1962 rep: OCL. Classic, beautifully written, set in a choir school. VG+ in VG dw £12

S361)  Cathedral Wednesday; 1972 ed, Brockhampton. With loads of the choir going down to a “plague”, Andrew finds himself acting head boy and Senior Chorister, and it isn’t as easy as he might have expected. Scarce. Nr fine in VG dw. £24

S362)  The Incline; 1973 rep; CBC. VG+ in VG+ dw. £6.50

Montgomery, L.M.

S363)  Emily of New Moon; pb Puffin. VG+. £3

S364)  The Story Girl; 1950 rep; Harrap. VG+ in VG uniform orange dw.  £7.50

S365)  A Tangled Web; pb McClelland and Stewart. When Aunt Becky dies, the question of who will receive her treasured family heirloom convulses the extended clans of Dark and Penhallow.  VG. £4

S366)  Anne of The Island; 1934 rep; Harrap. VG+ in poor dw. £5.50

S367)  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

S368)  Anne’s House of Dreams; 1935 rep; Harrap. A little foxing, G++ in G+ dw. £6

S369)  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

S370)  Anne of Ingleside; 1957 rep Harrap. VG+ in G+ dw. £6

S371)  Rainbow Valley; McClelland & Stewart (Canada). “Cavendish” edition of L.M. Montgomery’s work named after her childhood home. Anne’s children centre stage. VG+ in VG+ dw. £12

S372)  Rainbow Valley; 1937 rep; Harrap. VG+ in VG uniform orange dw. £10

S373)  Chronicles of Avonlea; 1936 rep; Harrap. VG+ in G+ uniform orange dw. £6.50

S374)  Further Chronicles of Avonlea; 1972 “Canada ed” Ryerson. Fine in fine dw. £7.50

S375)  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.

Morris, Ethelberta

S376)  Ameliaranne, Bridesmaid; 1950 rep; Harrap. Illus Susan B. Pearse. A much-loved sound reading copy. £4

Moore, Dorothea

S377)  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

S378)  The Wrenford Tradition; pb Books to Treasure 2015. School story classic. £12

Needham, Violet

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

S379)  The Horn of Merlyns; pb GGBP 2010.  £13

S380)  The Bell of the Four Evangelists; pb GGBP.  NEW.  £13

S381)  Pandora of Parrham Royal  pb GGBP.  NEW.  £13

S382)  The Emerald Crown; pb GGBP 2005.  NEW  £16

S383)  The Betrayer; pb GGBP. NEW. £13

S384)  The House of the Paladin; pb GGBP 2006.  NEW.  £13

S385)  How Many Miles to Babylon?; pb GGBP 2012.  NEW. £13

S386)  Richard and the Golden Horseshoe; pb GGBP 2008.  NEW. £16

S387)  The Great House of Estraville; pb GGBP 2014.  NEW. £13

S388)  The Secret of the White Peacock;  GGBP 2008.  £13

S389)  The Red Rose of Ruvina;  GGBP 2008. NEW.  £13

S390)  The Avenue; pb GGBP 2013. NEW. £13

S391)  The Boy in Red; pb GGBP 2015.  NEW. £13

S392)  The Black Riders; 1967 rep, Collins Evergreen. VG+ in G+ dw. £16

S393)  The Emerald Crown; 1970 rep; Collins Evergreen. VG++ in VG++ dw, very clean and fresh. £12

S394)  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

Nesbit, E.

S395)  Five Children and It; pb Puffin 1967. Classic Puffin edition. VG. £4

S396)  The Story of the Amulet; pb Puffin. Classic puffin edition. G+. £3

Nicholls, Sally

S397)  Things a Bright Girl Can Do; pb Andersen. Evelyn, rich and clever, isn’t allowed to go to university. May follows her mother in campaigning for good causes. Nell is intoxicated and unsettled by the glimpses into different worlds that her involvement in the suffrage movement brings. But, as War looms, fighting for their freedom brings more challenges than they could ever imagine. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. VG++ £3.50

Norling, Winifred

S398)  The Making of Mara; nd Ward, Lock. Spoilt Mara has to show what she’s made of. VG in VG dw. £7.50

Norris, Phyllis I.

S399)  The Harlands Go Hunting; nd Nelson. The Harlands, three sisters and a cousin, decide they will try to track those responsible for stealing their dog. With the help of a local tennis star whose dog has also been stolen, they follow up some leads that take them to kennels in Devon. Christine takes a maid’s job in the household of the vet whom they think may be responsible, and things get exciting! B&w fp. VG. £6

Norton Mary

S400)  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

S401)  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.

S402)  Dulcie Captains the School; nd Sampson Low. Old-fashioned and timid Dulcie will be the only Sixth former to remain at school in September and so will accede to the position of Captain. But can she make a go of it? Current captain Joe is determined to see she’s as ready as possible, and that includes learning to ride Joe’s motorcycle! B&w fp. Pictorial boards, lacks fep o/w VG. £6.50

Oxenham, E.J.

S403)  [EJO Interest] The Morris and Sword Dances of England by Arthur Peck; c1970; published by The Morris Ring (national association of Morris sides). This is a slim booklet, but if you want to know about what Morris and Sword dancing are, their origins and traditions, you couldn’t do better! Lots of photos, and sections on Cecil Sharp and William Kimber, hugely important in preserving Morris around Oxford, as well as the different traditions of Morris in various parts of the country. VG++. £6

S404)  Patience and Her Problems; pb EJO Soc, 2023. New £16

S405)  Patience Joan, Outsider; pb EJO Soc. New £16

S406)  Peggy and the Brotherhood; pb GGBP 2005. 1 copy only. Mint. £16

S407)  The Go-Ahead Schoolgirl; pb EJO Soc 2023. New. £16

S408)  The School of Ups and Downs; pb EJO Soc 2021. New £16

S409)  Pernel Wins; pb EJO Soc 2022. New. £16

S410)  Daring Doranne; pb EJO Soc 2022. New. £16

S411)  Elsa Puts Things Right; pb EJO Soc 2020. £16

S412)  The Secrets of Vairy; pb EJO Soc 2019. NEW. £16

S413)  The Troubles of Tazy; pb EJO Soc 2019. NEW. £16

S414)  Girls of the Hamlet Club; pb EJO Soc; NEW. £16

S415)  Biddy’s Secret; pb EJO Soc; NEW. £16

S416)  Joy’s New Adventure; pb EJO Soc; NEW. £16

S417)  The Two Form Captains; pb EJO Society 2014. NEW. £16

S418)  Captain of the Fifth; pb EJO Soc. 2015 NEW. £16

S419)  The Junior Captain; pb EJO Soc; 2015. NEW. £16

S420)  Rosaly’s New School;  pb EJO Society 2013.  NEW. £16

S421)  The School without a Name; pb EJO Soc. 2016. NEW. £16

S422)  A School Camp-Fire; pb EJO Soc. 2018. NEW. £16.

S423)  Ven At Gregory’s; pb EJO Soc Spring 2017 NEW. £16

S424)  Rosamund’s Victory; pb EJO Soc. 2017. NEW. £16

S425)  Rachel in the Abbey; pb EJO Soc. Autumn 2018. NEW. £16

S426)  Abbey Champion; pb  EJO Society 2014. NEW. £16

S427)  Maidlin to the Rescue; pb  EJO Society 2014. NEW.  £16

S428)  A Fiddler for the Abbey; pb EJO Soc; 2015. NEW. £16

S429)  Guardians of the Abbey; pb EJO Soc. 2016 NEW. £16

S430)  Goblin Island; pb GGBP 2007. Beautiful ed with all the colour illustrations from previous eds.  NEW. £13

S431)  The Camp Mystery; pb GGBP 2006.  NEW. £13

S432)  Maidlin Bears the Torch;  pb GGBP 2009.  NEW.  £13

S433)  The Abbey Girls Go Back to School; pb 2005 GGBP £13

S434)  Jen of the Abbey Schoool; pb 2007 GGBP. Details of complex publishing history. NEW. £13

S435)  The Two Form Captains; pb EJO Soc 2014. VG++. £8

S436)  The School without a Name; pb EJO Soc. 2016. VG++. £8

S437)  Elsa Puts Things Right; pb EJO Soc 2020. VG++. £10

S438)  Adventure for Two; 1945 rep; OUP. Scarce Abbey connector featuring sisters Elsa and Daphne. New endpapers, gen VG. £22

S439)  Stowaways in the Abbey; 1940 1^st ed, thicker size; Collins. VG. £8.50

S440)  Tomboys at the Abbey; 1959 Collins small red Abbey. VG++ in VG dw. £8.50

S441)  The Abbey Girls Go Back to School; Collins nd “fat orange”. Repair to spine, new fep, no frontis, G+. £7

S442)  The Abbey Girls Go Back to School; 1949 Collins Seagull. Spine faded, bds sl marked, inside VG+. £6.50

S443)  The New Abbey Girls; nd, fat ed, decorated boards, G+. £14

S444)  The Abbey Girls in Town; 1947 ; Collins “fat orange” (maroon). VG+ in most of dw. £8

S445)  The Abbey Girls Win Through; 1947 “fat orange” rep; Collins. Col fp. VG. £8.50

S446)  The Abbey Girls Play Up; nd Collins “fat orange”. VG+ in G++ dw missing about 3 mm from the ends of the spine. £10

S447)  A Dancer from the Abbey; 1953 1^st ed; Collins. Col fp. Lacks the fep, o/w G+. £6.50

S448)  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

SPECIAL OFFER: All Abbey School hardbacks below 3 for £15

S449)  Strangers at the Abbey; 1958 rep; Collins “small red”. VG. £5

S450)  Selma at the Abbey; 1958 rep; Collins “small red”. VG in dw just missing a 4 mm at the top of the spine, o/w VG. £7.50

S451)  Schoolgirl Jen at the Abbey; 1955 Collins Seagull. Col fp. VG+. £6

S452)  The Girls of Rocklands School; nd Collins. First part of Jen of the Abbey School. Monochrome fp. G. £5

S453)  Jandy Mac Comes Back; 1952 rep Seagull. VG+ in poor dw reassembled from pieces under protection! £7

S454)  Maid of the Abbey; 1961 rep; Collins “smal red”. VG++ in VG dw. £7.50

S455)  Robins in the Abbey; 1950 rep; Collins.  VG in chipped dw. £6.50

Peyton, K.M.

S456)  Flambards; 1987 rep; OUP. Minimally ex-lib, missing fep, o/w VG in VG dw. £8

S457)  The Edge of the Cloud; pb Puffin. Second Flambards title. VG. £3.50

S458)  Flambards Divided; pb Puffin. Fourth Flambards title. VG. £4

S459)  Fly-By-Night; 1979 OUP rep. Line drawing iillustrations by the author. Glazed bds as issued, VG. £7.50

S460)  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

S461)  The Beethoven Medal; pb OUP. VG £4

S462)  Pennington’s Heir; pb OUP. Patrick Pennington, released from prison with his confidence shaken, faces emotional challenges which threaten his potential as a concert pianist. VG. £4

S463)  Prove Yourself a Hero; pb Peacock (Puffin). No-one can prepare for the incredibly disorienting experience of being kidnapped – or released…  VG+ £4

Ransome, Arthur (See Books About Books and Authors section below for biography)

S464)  We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea; 1937 rep Cape. Small mark on front cover, G++. £6

S465)  Peter Duck; 1948 rep; Cape. VG+. £6

S466)  Secret Water; 1947 rep; Cape. VG+. £6

S467)  Missee Lee; 1955 rep; Cape. VG+ in VG dw with sunned spine. £9.50

S468)  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     

I have an excellent selection of Saville titles to suit all budgets this time. 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 occasionally overseas).

S469)  Malcolm Saville Short Stories; pb GGBP, 2023.  A new collection. New £13

S470)  All Summer Through [Nettleford]; pb Armada. VG+. £3.50

The Lone Pine Series

S471)  The Complete Lone Pine by Mark O’Hanlon; pb 1996. This is the essential companion to the series, with a biography of Malcolm Saville, an explanation of the Lone Pine club and sysnopses of the books, a gazetteer of all things Lone Pine from the whole series, and then detailed looks at all the locations that occur in the series, illustrated by the maps that feature in the various books. VG+. £10

S472)  Mystery at Witchend; 1944 first reprint. Illustrated by Gretchen Breary. Red boards slightly faded around the margins and spine, small smeary patch on map endpaper where something has been rubbed out, otherwise VG.  £18

S473)  Mystery at Witchend; Collins. 1971 rev ed. Glazed Boards as issued. VG. £5

S474)  Seven White Gates; Newnes 3^rd ed 1946. Spine becoming detached, boards a bit discoloured, but inside is nice and clean. £8.50

S475)  The Gay Dolphin Adventure; Newnes 4^th ed 1949. VG, with front panel of dw stuck in to serve as a frontispiece. £14

S476)  The Secret of Grey Walls; Newnes 1948 first rep. Ends of the spine are very slightly frayed, o/w VG. £10

S477)  Lone Pine Five; Newnes 1^st ed 1949. Fair, tears at the ends of the spine. £8

S478)  The Elusive Grasshopper; Collins 1970 rev ed.  Clean reading copy in VG++ dw. £5

S479)  Saucers Over the Moor; CBC 1955. Pages going biscuity, otherwise VG+ in G+ edgeworn dw. £14

S480)  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 at all, overall G++ in VG dw with faded spine. £10

S481)  The Secret of the Gorge; Newnes 1^st ed 1958. Nice and fresh, would be VG+ except someone has torn the free front endpaper (ie right hand side of map) out. £13.50

S482)  Mystery Mine; Newnes 1959 1^st ed. Name and address written twice on eps, VG in VG dw. £20

S483)  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

S484)  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

S485)  Sea Witch Comes Home; CBC 1960; VG+ in G+ dw (ownership written on dw flap)  £12.50

S486)  Not Scarlet but Gold; Newnes 1962 1^st ed. Ex-school lib, reading copy. £5

S487)  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

S488)  Treasure at Amorys; CBC 1964. Free front endpaper has been stuck down to next prelim page (I think because there was scribble there), otherwise VG in VG dw. £15

S489)  Man with Three Fingers; Collins 1969 (1^st rev ed). Page edges only foxed, otherwise VG in VG dw. £14

S490)  Rye Royal; Collins 1^st ed 1969. Page 19 has a strip torn off the side margin (not affecting text), otherwise would be VG++ in VG+ dw. £30

S491)  Strangers at Witchend; Collins 1^st ed 1970. Near fine in VG++ dw. £45

S492)  Where’s My Girl?; Collins 1^st ed 1972. Near fine in near fine dw. £38

S493)  Mystery at Witchend; pb rep GGBP 2015. New £20

S494)  Seven White Gates; pb rep GGBP 2021. New. £16

S495)  The Elusive Grasshopper; pb GGBP 2008.  NEW.  £20

S496)  The Neglected Mountain ; pb GGBP 2009. NEW.  £20

S497)  Saucers Over the Moor; pb 2009.  NEW.  £20

S498)  Sea Witch Comes Home; pb GGBP 2012. NEW. One copy only. £25

S499)  Not Scarlet But Gold; pb GGBP 2012.  NEW. £20

S500)  Treasure at Amorys; pb GGBP 2013.  £20.

S501)  The Man with Three Fingers; pb GGBP 2013.  £20

S502)  Strangers at Witchend; pb GGBP 2014.  NEW One copy only. £25

S503)  Home to Witchend; pb 1^st ed – Armada original, no previous hardback. VG+. £20

S504)  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.

The Buckinghams

S505)  The Long Passage; CBC 1960 rep. Ex-school lib, but virtually no signs apart from one faded stamp, VG+ in VG+ dw. £14

S506)  The Secret of the Villa Rosa; Collins 1972 rep. VG++ in VG++ dw. £12

Marston Baines series

S507)  The Purple Valley; pb GGBP 2017. Marston Baines title. NEW. £15

S508)  The Purple Valley; 1964 1^st ed: Heinemann. VG. £8

S509)  Dark Danger; pb GGBP. New. £15

S510)  Dark Danger; 1966 CBC. Nr fine in VG++ dw with evocative illustration of night-time Venice. £15

S511)  White Fire; pb GGBP 2019. New. £16

S512)  Power of Three; pb GGBP 2020. New. £16

S513)  Power of Three; CBC 1968. VG+ in VG dw with small tears along the top edge. £10

S514)  The Dagger and the Flame; pb GGBP 2021. New £16

S515)  Marston - Master Spy; pb GGBP 2022. Order now. New £16

Jillies series

S516)  Redshank’s Warning; Lutterworth 2^nd ed 1954. VG++, very fresh, in G++ dw missing small chunks at ends of spine. £15

S517)  Two Fair Plaits; Lutterworth 1^st ed 1948. Top corners a little bumped, generally VG, nice and clean. £10

S518)  The Sign of the Alpine Rose; Lutterworth 1^st ed 1950. VG (p/c dw). £10

S519)  The Ambermere Treasure; Lutterworth 1953 1^st ed. A scarce title, particularly in hardback. Front endpaper mended down gutter, ex-lib, G. £20

S520)  Two Fair Plaits; pb GGBP 2020. New £13

S521)  Strangers at Snowfell; pb GGBP 2021. A Jillies title set in a wintry Lake District.  New £13

S522)  The Sign of the Alpine Rose; pb GGBP 2022. Jillies story, set in Austria. New £13

S523)  The Luck of Sallowby pb GGBP 2023. Jillies story. New £13

Shaw, Jane

S524)  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

S525)  New House at Northmead; pb GGBP 2022. New £13

S526)  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

S527)  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

S528)  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 

S529)  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

S530)  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

S531)  Binkie of IIIB; pb BTT. NEW. £12

S532)  Marie Macleod, Schoolgirl; pb BTT 2016. New. £12

S533)  The Little Betty Wilkinson; pb BTT 2016. New. £12

S534)  The First Fifth Form; pb Books to Treasure 2013. NEW. £12.

S535)  The Small Sixth Form; pb Books to Treasure 2013. NEW. £12.

S536)  Seven Sisters at Queen Anne’s; pb Books to Treasure 2013. NEW. £12.

S537)  Septima at School; pb Books to Treasure 2014. Second Queen Anne’s book. NEW. £12.

S538)  Phyllida in Form III; pb Books to Treasure 2014. Third Queen Anne’s book. NEW. £12.

S539)  Biddy and Quilla; pb BTT 2014. Older girl defending unpopular newcomer. NEW. £12

S540)  Milly in the Fifth; pb BTT 2015. NEW. £12

S541)  Nicky of the Lower Fourth; pb BTT 2015. £12

S542)  The Twins at School; pb BTT 2018. New. £12

S543)  Terry’s Best Term; pb BTT. 2019. £12

S544)  Nicky of the Lower Fourth; nd Blackie. 3/3 b&w pls. VG+. £6.50

Streatfeild, Noel

S545)  Party Frock; 1946 1^st ed; Collins. Gen VG+ in dw with sunned spine, a few small chips mainly at ends of spine. £10

S546)  Party Frock; 1966; Collins. First few pages have a few small splashes (pale coffee?) o/w VG in G+ dw. £6

S547)  Caldicott Place; 1968 2^nd imp, Collins. Nr fine in VG dw. £15

S548)  The Children of Primrose Lane; 1958 rep; Collins. Streafeild’s wartime adventure (first published in 1941). This was a great childhood favourite of mine – who could resist the idea of each having a room in an abandoned house to do with as one wished?! To say nothing of following and foiling possible spies… Col fp. VG+ in edgeworn G+ dw. £8

S549)  The Bell Family; pb Vintage. Recent larger format paperback; illustrated by Shirley Hughes. Fine. £6

S550)  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.

S551)  Paperbacks: Jane Nissen; 1990s larger format; VG+ / fine; £4 each; Theatre Shoes (= Curtain Up); Tennis Shoes; Party Shoes.

S552)  Paperbacks; Puffin / Collins / Lion / Dragon; G+ or VG; £3.50 each; The Circus is Coming; The Growing Summer; Apple Bough; Party Frock.

Stuart, Sheila  

The Alison books, set in north-west Scotland, have a devoted following

S553)  More Adventures of Alison; nd Blackie. B&w frontis. Very slight foxing on eps, gen VG. £6.50

S554)  Alison’s Easter Adventure; 1965 rep; Blackie. Map of area round The Minch. Endpaper neatly cut out, slight foxing, very small felt tip patch on front cover, gen VG. £6.50

Styles, Showell

S555)  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

S556)  Simon; OCL. Distressing conflicting loyalties for Simon and his good friend Amyas during the Civil War. VG+ in VG dw. £10

S557)  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

Talbot, Ethel

S558)  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. 

S559)  No Boats on Bannermere; GGBP pb. 1 copy only, Near fine, £25

S560)  GGBP pbs; NEW; £20 each;  Under Black Banner ; Black Banner Players  2005. 

S561)  GGBP pbs; NEW; £13 each;  Black Banner Abroad; pb GGBP 2006; The Gates of Bannerdale; 2007.

S562)  Under Black Banner; 1967 rep; Heinemann Windmill. VG+. £12

S563)  The Red Towers of Granada; pb Puffin. Young Robin, cast out of his village for being a leper, falls in with a Jewish doctor and accompanies him on a quest to find a Spanish remedy that might save the life of Queen Eleanor. VG+. £5

S564)  The Seas of Morning; pb Puffin, 1^st ed 1976 (no hb) Dick wants to join the Order of St John, so accompanies Brother Simon from London, little knowing that his adventures will include the siege of Rhodes and an escape through the sewers of Constantinople! VG+. £8

S565)  A Masque for the Queen; 1970 1^st ed; Antelope. A splendid story for younger readers (my favourite and introduction to Trease when I was about 8!); Nick and Celia are to take part in a masque for Elizabeth when she visits their father’s mansion, but as preparations continue, they stumble upon something that indicates other people don’t intend the masque to end well…  Atmospheric illustrations throughout by Krystyna Turska. Ex-lib, VG in dw affixed to boards. Scarce. £7.50

S566)  Cue for Treason; pb Puffin. Plots and plays – Kit and Peter, on the run, encounter Shakespeare. VG. £3

S567)  Saraband for Shadows; 1982 1^st ed; Macmillan. Sir Renold Mandeville and his secretary Anthony must strain every muscle to prevent King Charles being assassinated when he attends Lord Ravenwood’s masque. Fine in fine dw. £15

S568)  Violet for Bonparte; 1976 1^st ed; Macmillan. Young Ben, who has managed to fulfil a dream of getting to the continent by joining the entourage of Sir Henry, finds that not everyone has the same view of the former Emperor now confined to Elba as the English, particularly not a young lady from America who dresses in violet. Ex-school lib, G+ in VG dw. £8.50

S569)  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

S570)  When the Drums Beat; 1976; Heinemann. Illustrated story for younger readers. VG in G+ dw. £5

S571)  A Whiff of Burnt Boats; pb GGBP 2009 larger size. Very entertaining autobiography Photos, extras. £12

Treece, Henry

S572)  Don’t Expect Any Mercy!; 1958 1^st ed; Faber. A fascinating version for teenagers of a hard-boiled thriller about secret service agent Gordon Stewart. Ex-Boots Library, VG. £4

Vipont, Elfrida

S573)  The Lark in the Morn; 1959 OUP (Oxford Children’s Library). Young Kit Haverard is believed to have missed out on the family’s musical heritage by her unsympathetic cousin-housekeeper, but a visit to cousins shows her that music does indeed have a central part to play in her life, at home and at Heryot, her Quaker boarding school. A much-loved book into which the author’s own knowledge of music (she trained as an opera singer in Germany) is convincingly woven. VG+ in VG dw. £15

S574)  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

S575)  The Spring of the Year; 1957 1^st ed; OUP. Ex-sch lib, old tape marks on eps, front hinge repaired, G+. £8

S576)  Flowering Spring; pb GGBP 2013. Lovely story – Laura growing up. NEW.  £13

S577)  The Pavilion; pb GGBP 2014. Last in Haverard family series. New. £13

Webb, Marion St John

S578)  The House with the Twisting Passage; nd Collins. A charming fantasy, about nine-year-old Jenny, who goes with her caretaker aunt to stay in an old house, and finds it peopled with all sorts of characters who tell her stories. B&w frontispiece and handsome little illustrations throughout the text by Doris M. Palmer. Top inch of spine is torn, rest of the book is VG. £4.50

Wiggin, Kate Douglas

S579)  Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm; 1950 rep; A&C Black. VG in VG dw. £6.50

S580)  More About Rebecca; 1958 rep; A&C Black. VG+ in VG+ dw. £7.50

Wilder, Laura Ingalls

S581)  Puffin Paperbacks of these classic stories of a 19^th C Mid-West American childhood, with Garth Williams’ wonderful illustrations. All Fine condition, £3.50 each; Farmer Boy; Little Town on the Prairie; The Long Winter; These Happy Golden Years; The First Four Years.

Sally’s Specials

Fiction  Lots of favourites and new ones to try.   

S582)  Atkinson, Kate; Emotionally Weird; pb Penguin. Effie and her mother Nora, on an island off Scotland, tell each other stories – but strange things start happening. Comic novel by a wonderful writer. Fine. £4

S583)  Buchan, John; John Macnab; pb Polygon. Classic lively tale of gentlemen poaching for a bet. VG+. £3

S584)  Dashwood, R.M; Provincial Daughter; pb Virago. First published in 1961, this is a worthy successor to the much-loved Diary of a Provincial Lady by the author’s mother. VG+. £3.50

S585)  Fleming, Ian; James Bond – Live and Let Die; 1966 pb Pan. VG+ £3

S586)  Gibbons, Stella; Cold Comfort Farm; pb Penguin. This started as a parody of the then-fashionable steamy novel of rural life, but has attained a life of its own due to its hilarious plot, characters and writing. Flora Poste has to stay with her family of rural cousins and manages to bring order to their chaotic lives, even Aunt Ada Doom who as a child saw “something nasty in the woodshed…”  Fine. £4

S587)  [Heyer] Fiona St Aubyn; A Portrait of Georgian London; 1985 Leader. This gorgeous large book will be fascinating for any Heyer fan. It has map endpapers, and takes the key locations of Georgian London and not only explains them, but also has contemporary illustrations for them. Also included are 8 separate contemporary prints in excellent condition, which include Astley’s Amphitheatre and A Masquerade at the Pantheon. VG++ in VG++ dw. £10

S588)  James, P.D; Innocent Blood; 1980 1^st ed; Faber. Adopted Philippa, at 18, finds that the facts about her blood parents are devastating – and that their impact on her present life is going to become very dangerous indeed. An atmospheric thriller. Pages going slightly biscuity, VG+ in VG+ dw. £8

S589)  Jones, H. Bedford; The Kasbah Gate; nd 1920s Hurst & Blackett. Adventure novel set in Morocco. Very scarce. Slightly faded strips across top of front & spine, gorgeous boards gilded in a flower design. VG £20

S590)  Mantel, Hilary; A Place of Greater Safety; pb 4^th. Exhilaration and horror of French Revolution. VG+. £3

S591)  Shaffer and Barrows; The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society; pb Bloomsbury. VG £3

S592)  Shepherd, Nan; The Quarry Wood; pb Canongate. This novel, originally published in 1928, tells of Martha, her determination to get to university, and her growing to maturity in her young adulthood, as well as her family and neighbours. Nan shepherd did not write many books, but is now recognised as one of the key Scottish writers of the early twentieth century, and her face now features on the Royal Bank of Scotland five pound note. Fine. £5

S593)  Sutcliff, Rosemary; The Flowers of Adonis; 1969 1^st ed; H&S. The wild and magnificent Alkibiades recreated in a dazzle personal magnetism against the background of the Peloponnesian War. Nr fine in nr fine dw. £6

S594)  [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

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

S595)  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

S596)  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

S597)  Allan, Mabel Esther; To Be an Author; pb Greyladies 2020. This is MEA’s autobiography. £10

S598)  Barne, Kitty; While the Music Lasted; pb Greyladies. This is a fascinating standalone novel of musical talent, but it’s also a sequel, written for adults, of Kitty Barne’s children’s book She Shall Have Music. £12

S599)  Channon, E.M.; The Chimney Murder; pb Greyladies 2012. NEW.  £12

S600)  Channon, E.M.; The Chimney Murder; pb Greyladies 2012. Slight crease at top of spine, o/w VG++ £6

S601)  Crompton, Richmal; Leadon Hill; pb 2011. English country life acutely observed… NEW £12

S602)  Crompton, Richmal; Matty and the Dearingroydes; pb Greyladies 2012. Warm and delightful. New. £12

S603)  Crompton, Richmal: Mrs Frensham Describes a Circle; pb Greyladies 2015. NEW. £12

S604)  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

S605)  Elder, Josephine; The Encircled Heart; pb Greyladies. A doctor and her errant husband. NEW. £12

S606)  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

S607)  Lyon, Elinor; The Shores of Darkness; pb Greyladies 2023. This book about the Merediths and their pursuits (exploring, poetry, music) among the evocative landscapes of Wales was written in the 1960s, but never published due to a change of policy at Elinor Lyon’s publishers, so this is the 1^st edition. New. £12

S608)  Nesbit, E; Ghost Stories; pb  (pocket) Greyladies. £8

S609)  Lee, Austin; Sheep’s Clothing; pb Greyladies. Miss Hogg, school mistress turned private investigator. £12

S610)  Pleydell, Susan; The Glenvarroch Gathering; pb Greyladies 2014.  NEW. £12

S611)  Pleydell, Susan; Brighouse Hotel; pb Greyladies 2014. New. £12

S612)  Pleydell, Susan; The Road to the Harbour; pb Greyladies. New. £12

S613)  Pullein-Thompson, Josephine; Murder Strikes Pink; pb Greyladies 2014. The rich, bitter and unpopular Theodora Thistleton, passionately determined to win at showjumping, seems to have people queueing up to murder her… NEW. £12

S614)  Stafford, Ann; Silver Street; pb Greyladies 2018. New. £12

S615)  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

S616)  Vaizey, Mrs Geo. de Horne; The Ignorance of Sybilla & Other Stories; pb Greyladies 2010 NEW £12

Books about Books and Authors

S617)  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

S618)  Barrett, Frank; Treasured Island – A Book Lover’s Tour of Britain; pb AA. Delightful guide. VG £3

S619)  Betjeman by A. N. Wilson; pb Arrow. An absorbing biography of the much-loved Poet Laureate with the very complicated private life. VG+. £3.50

S620)  A Book of Days; NCC A5 booklet Events for different days of the year, taken from girls’ books.  New.  £3

S621)  De Botton, Alain; How Proust Can Change Your Life; pb. “So charming, amusing & sensible”. VG++ £3

S622)  Edwards and Saltman; Picturing Canada – A History of Canadian Children’s Illustrated Books and Publishing; pb large format; U of Toronto Press. VG+. £3

S623)  Feaver, William; When We Were Young – Two Centuries of Children’s Book Illustration; large format pb 1977 Thames and Hudson. Feaver discusses techniques, sources, influences and styles as well as the artists themselves, and the bulk of the book consists of masses of relevant illustrations. VG++. £5

S624)  [Forest] The Marlows and Their Maker, by Anne Heazlewood; looks at the plots and characters of the Marlow books, incorporating comments by Forest herself on a first draft.  GGBP 2007.  £10

S625)  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

S626)  Origo, Iris; Images and Shadows; pb Century. The acclaimed historian and biographer recalls her own childhood, divided between three different worlds, her American grandparents in Gilded Age New York and Long Island, her Anglo-Irish grandparents, Lord and Lady Desart, in their Irish country house, and her mother’s villa near Florence. VG+. £6

S627)  Rose, Phyllis; The Year of Reading Proust; pb Vintage. “Love story, travel essay, biography, personal history, mid-life accounting, mother-daughter story and essay on the literary life all in one.” Nr fine, £3

S628)  Stevenson, Robert Louis; In the South Seas; 1900 Chatto and Windus. Stevenson’s account of two cruises in the 1880s and what he observed. Lacks fep. G+. £3

S629)  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

S630)  Turner, E.S.; Boys will be Boys; 1948 M. Joseph. Comics and Penny Dreadfuls. VG. £3

Remarkable Women

S631)  Bakewell, Joan; The Centre of the Bed; pb Sceptre. The autobiography of one of the most influential journalists of her generation. VG. £3

S632)  Barnard, Josie; London – The Woman’s Travel Guide; 1993 Virago. Although much of the practical advice has been superseded, most of the guide is devoted to different areas of London and the contributions made by women to the history, art and culture of the capital. VG. £3

S633)  [Beeton] The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton by Kathryn Hughes; pb Harper. Fine. £4.50

S634)  Bielenberg, Christabel; The Road Ahead; pb Corgi. So many readers contacted the author after her memoir above 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

S635)  Birkett, Dea; Spinsters Abroad; pb Gollancz. A look at the experiences of fifty Victorian women and what led them to leave the comforts of home and go off exploring the world – a fascinating account. Overall the book is in very good condition, apart from a very pale stain and tide line over the lower fifth of all the pages, as though maybe it got briefly wet at some point, hence an excellent reading copy. £3

S636)  Brassey, Mrs; A Voyage in the Sunbeam – Our Home on the Ocean for Eleven Months; 1879 Longmans. 66 woodcut illustrations of this splendid Victorian memoir of life at sea. Beautiful pictorial boards in gold, a really handsome book. Hinge mended, G++. £5

S637)  Devonshire, Deborah; Wait for Me!; pb Murray. The entertaining memoirs of the youngest Mitford sister (the one who fulfilled her ambition to marry a duke). VG. £3

S638)  Edwards, Anne; Vivien Leigh; pb Coronet. Biography of this flamboyant actress, famous for Gone with the Wind, and once half of the most famous theatrical couple in the world with Laurence Olivier. VG. £3

S639)  Fountayne, Margaret; Love Among the Butterflies; pb Penguin. “The diaries of a wayward, determined and passionate Victorian lady,” who lived a wild and fearless life that took her all over the world. VG. £3

S640)  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

S641)  Licence, Amy; Bohemian Lives – Three Extraordinary Women: Ida Nettleship, Sophie Brzeska and Fernande Olivier; 2017 1^st, Amberley. The fascinating lives of three women who are almost unknown, but who were the wives or lovers of famous artists – Augustus John, Picasso and Henri Gaudier-Brzeska. The author explores how their lives, achievements and sacrifices overlapped and contrasted. Mint in fine dw £6

S642)  [Mahler] Alma Mahler – Muse to Genius by Karen Monson; 1984 1^st Collins.  A remarkable and charismatic woman, courted by Klimt, married in turn to composer Mahler, architect Gropius and writer Werfel, and lover of artist Kokoschka. Fine in VG++ dw. £7.50

S643)  Summerscale, Kate; Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace; pb Bloomsbury. Married Isabella Robinson fell in love with the dashing Edward Lane the first time she met him. But this was 1850, and the result was one of the most scandalous divorce cases of the Victorian period. This book illuminates a frustrated Victorian wife’s longing for passion and learning in a rigid society. VG+. £4

S644)  [Wilson] Harriette Wilson’s Memoirs – The Greatest Courtesan of her Age; ed and introduced by Lesley Blanch. Harriette Wilson was patronised by most of the distinguished men of her day, from the Duke of Wellington to Lord Byron. Left in penury in later life by the lovers who had promised to support her, she wrote her memoirs and said she would take out references to any who paid her £200. Some did, but the Duke of Wellington memorably responded “Publish and be damned”.  Near fine. £4.50

An Interesting Miscellany (including fascinating biographies)

S645)  Adburgham, Alison; A Punch History of Manners and Modes; 1961 1^st, Hutchinson. A large, very dip-into-able social history illuminated by Punch prose, verse, illustrations, cartoons and charivaria, woven into a narrative history of life and politics over the mid-19th to mid-20^th Centuries. VG++ in G+ dw. £6

S646)  Ashton, Rosemary; 142 Strand – A Radical Address in Victorian London; 2006 1^st ed Random House. Home of unconventional publisher John Chapman, 142 was in an area teeming with literary, theatrical, artistic, and less reputable life. It was a meeting place for writers like Dickens, Thackeray, Carlyle and John Stuart Mill; Huxley and other scientists; Americans such as Emerson; and radicals like Barbara Leigh Smith, one of the founders of Girton College Cambridge. And when Chapman brought the future George Eliot to London to edit his magazine, it caused disruptions in his household. Fine in VG dw. £7.50

S647)  Bloom, Ursula; Youth at the Gate; 1959 1^st, Hutchinson. Ursula Bloom’s engaging memoir of being a young woman in the First World War, with wonderful and sometimes astonishing insights into life and attitudes at the time (she wasn’t allowed into the house of her mother-in-law when they went to call but had to sit in the car so that the butler wouldn’t see her heavily pregnant state, for example). Ex-lib, covers affixed to boards a bit grubby, inside G+. £4

S648)  Bloom, Ursula; Price Above Rubies; 1965 1^st ed; Hutchinson. This is a biography of Mary Gardner, Ursula Bloom’s mother, born in 1860 in Norfolk, who soon “ran out of schools” as her widowed mother found fault with all of them, before ending up at a finishing school in Bonn – several of her letters bring her time there to life. She later married Ursula’s father, the Rev James Bloom, and remained in love with him for the rest of her life, despite a late realisation of his philanderings. Has a Boots Libray sticker on, but no other sign of library ownership, a lovely copy, VG+ in VG+ dw. £7.50

S649)  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

S650)  Bythell, Shaun; The Diary of a Bookseller; 2017 Profile. The jaundiced but very funny account by the proprietor of one of Scotland’s largest second-hand bookshops in Wigtown. Fine in fine dw. £8.50

S651)  Clabburn, Pamela; Samplers – Shire Album. Slim but fascinating and well-illustrated overview. VG+ £3

S652)  Colley, Linda; The Gun, the Ship and the Pen – Warfare, Constitutions and the Making of the Modern World; pb Profile. A very engaging world history. A couple of creases on the front, generally VG. £3

S653)  Conradi, Peter; Hot Dogs and Cocktails; pb Alma. A fascinating account of the visit of Goerge VI and Queen Elizabeth to North America in 1939, and more particularly the unprecedented visit to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s country estate, Hyde Park on the Hudson (and the controversy that raged over Eleanor Roosevelt’s plans to serve hot dogs to the royal couple…). VG+. £5

S654)  De Waal, Edmund; The Hare with Amber Eyes; pb Vintage. When he inherits a collection of Japanese netsuke, his investigations unlock a remarkable family’s history over a tumultuous century. Nr fine. £4

S655)  Dorling, Danny; So You Think You Know About Britain?; pb Constable. We know Britain is changing, but in this book Dorling analyses why things aren’t actually as you might think, and explains why we should feel positive about its future. VG++. £3.50

S656)  Every Woman’s Doctor Book; [1930] Amalgamated Press. A splendid cover showing a woman in a blue hat and coat across the desk from the handsome doctor. This copy is completely falling apart, but it’s such a lovely social history document that I thought someone might be interested! £2.

S657)  Fermor, Patrick Leigh; Between the Woods and the Water; pb Penguin. Celebrated travelogue of a 1933 journey, the world of mountains and plains, castles and ancient ways between the woods of Transylvania and the waters of the Danube. Really beautiful cover design taken from the hardback. Fine. £4

S658)  Fermor, Patrick Leigh; A Time to Keep Silence; pb Penguin. Fermor studies the rigorous contemplative life of monks across Europe and the timeless beauties of their monasteries. VG+ £3

S659)  Gilbreth, F & E; Cheaper by the Dozen; pb Pan. Very entertaining memoir of being the dozen children of two of the pioneering Time and Motion experts in the USA, Frank and Lilian Gilbreth. Each older child had a younger child to look after, and the ways in which such a large household ran efficiently (Father showed them the most rational way to soap themselves in the bath so they could get out quickly!) were interspersed with fun and adventures – Father taught them Morse code by leaving them cryptic messages painted all over the walls of their holiday house. G++. £3.50

S660)  Haustedt, Birgit; Rilke’s Venice; pb Haus. 11 guided walks around Venice, Rilke’s passion. Fine. £3

S661)  [Heyer] Fiona St Aubyn; A Portrait of Georgian London; 1985 Leader. This is a gorgeous large book, with map endpapers, taking the key locations of Georgian London with background and also contemporary illustrations of them. Also included are 8 separate contemporary prints in excellent condition, which include Astley’s Amphitheatre and A Masquerade at the Pantheon. VG++ in VG++ dw. £10

S662)  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++ £8

S663)  Holmes, Richard; In the Footsteps of Churchill; pb BBC. A “mature and wise portrait”. VG++ £4

S664)  Hoyle’s Hymns & Songs for Temperance Societies & Bands of Hope; c1880, Partridge. Lacks fep, G £3

S665)  Kirmse, Persis; Shakespeare at the Kennels; Methuen 1934. A book of gorgeous drawings of dogs, 57 different breeds of dog illustrating different quotations from Shakespeare’s plays. VG. £5

S666)  Levi, Primo; The Periodic Table; pb Abacus. Levi worked as a chemist all his life, and it was this which enabled him to survive as a prisoner in Auschwitz. A memorable book, part fiction, part memoir. VG. £3

S667)  Lincoln, M; London & the 17^th Century – The Making of the World’s Greatest City; pb Yale. Fine. £4

S668)  Moore, Tim; I Believe in Yesterday – a 2,000 Year Tour Through the Filth and Fury of Living History; pb Vintage. Research into his family history, or rather the actual experiences of his ancestors, leads Moore to historical re-enactments all over the country from the Iron Age to the steam age – hilarious. VG. £3

S669)  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

S670)  Newby, Eric; The Last Grain Race; pb Granada. Newby’s great adventure in the last days of sail. VG. £3

S671)  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

S672)  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

S673)  Parkinson, C. Northcote; Parkinson’s Law; pb Murray. Amusing exposition of “Work expands…” £3

S674)  Raban, Jonathan; Old Glory; pb Flamingo. A pilgrimage to discover the Mississippi. VG. £3

S675)  RAF; We Speak from the Air – WW2 Broadcasts from the RAF; Crecy 2013. Talks first broadcast in 1941 and published in 1942. The experiences of ordinary members of the RAF and WAAF. Fine. £3

S676)  Sobel, Dava; Galileo’s Daughter – A Drama of Science, Faith and Love; pb 4^th Estate. VG+. £3

S677)  Spencer and Burrows; The Early Days of Rock Island and Davenport; Lakeside Press 1942. This is a reprint of two original Victorian memoirs of early pioneering days in Illinois and Iowa, with prints of their patriarchally bearded authors to introduce each one. VG+. £4

S678)  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.

S679)  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

S680)  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+ £5

S681)  Vale, Edmund; How to Look at Old Buildings; 1945 rev ed; Batsford. A huge amount of information packed into a slim illustrated book; the introduction explains that Batsford’s new series of “How to” books is designed “to meet the needs of those who, through wartime circumstances, must seek their own entertainment instead of finding it readymade and to hand. It is intended particularly for people now living in the country for the first time, that they may use their leisure constructively for their own benefit and for the benefit of the nation in general.” VG+, a nice clean copy. £6.50

S682)  Walker, Matthew; Why We Sleep – The New Science of Sleep and Dreams; pb 2017 Penguin. Fine. £4

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

S683)  Brody, Frances; A Snapshot of Murder; pb Piatkus. Kate Shackleton, a war widow who has found her way into private investigation by accident, pursues her interest in photography by joining a local club expedition to Haworth, home of the Brontes. But in this case, a murder mystery is thrust upon her, when an obnoxious member of the group is found dead. VG+. £3.50

S684)  Brody, Frances; A Mansion for Murder; pb Piatkus. Kate Shackleton, a war widow who has found her way into private investigation by accident, receives a request for a meeting from a young man in the model industrial village of Saltaire. But before she has a chance to do so, the young man is found dead… Inspired by the real-life location, now a World Heritage site. VG+. £3.50

S685)  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

S686)  Burley, W.J.; Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy; pb Orion. VG. £3

S687)  [Christie, Agatha] The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah; pb Harper. A further adventure of Hercule Poirot, sanctioned by the Christie estate. Pb VG++. £3

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

Crispin, Edmund  The blurb on his Penguin edition (obviously written by himself!) says “He is thirty-one years old, unmarried, constitutionally torpid; for recreation, he does crossword puzzle, reads, and sleeps. Unlike most authors, he has not been a lumber-jack, bar-tender, advertising agent, ship’s cat, lecturer in metallurgy, gigolo and Member of Parliament. For a time after leaving Oxford he was, however, a schoolmaster; and it it to this period of his life that he attributes his knowledge of human nature in general and of criminal human nature in particular.” His recurring detective is Prof. Gervase Fen.

S688)  Love Lies Bleeding; pb 1954 Penguin. Classic green crime livery. VG. £3.50

S689)  Frequent Hearses; pb Gollancz. Crease down front wrap, rest is VG. £3

S690)  Swan Song; pb Gollancz. VG. £3.50

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

S691)  Edwards, Ruth Dudley; Publish and Be Murdered; pb HC. When the deputy editor of the magazine he manages dies, Robert Amiss investigates, egged on by the inimitable Baroness “Jack” Troutbeck. G++ £4

S692)  Edwards, Ruth Dudley; The Anglo-Irish Murders; pb HC. Somewhat foolishly the Government asks the forthright Baroness Troutbeck to chair an Anglo Irish conference… VG. £4

S693)  Filleul, Liz; To All Appearance, Dead; pb 2007 Bettany Press. A pall is cast on a conference of school story devotees when one of the book dealers there is found murdered. Australian Sally Meredith feels bound to follow up her suspicions. A hugely enjoyable book for anyone who’s been to a conference – but very dated in the enormous prices then commanded by some of the rarer titles!  Fine. £8

S694)  Gayford, C. (ed); Murder by the Seaside; pb Profile. Handsome collection of summery short stories, by the likes of Conan Doyle, Anthony Berkeley, Gladys Mitchell, John Dickson Carr etc. VG+. £3

S695)  Griffiths, Elly; The Postscript Murders; pb Quercus. When elderly Peggy Smith dies, it appears to be from natural causes. But then her carer is held up at gunpoint, and DS Harbinder Kaur discovers that Peggy’s job had been coming up with murder methods for detective story writers… VG+. £3.50

S696)  Griffiths, Elly; The Stranger Diaries; pb Quercus. When two of her fellow teachers are murdered at the school where Clare Cassidy teaches English, it appears that Clare must play a pivotal part, with references to a Gothic novelist she teaches, and bizarre extra entries written into her own diary. Features DI Harbinder Kaur. Front cover curling a little, G++. £3

S697)  Griffiths, Elly; The Zig Zag Girl; pb Quercus. Brighton 1950. DI Edgar Stephens is reminded of a magic trick invented by a comrade in his wartime unit when the body of a woman is found cut in three. At first Max Mephisto, still in music hall, isn’t interested, but changes his mind when he discovers that the body is that of her former yung assistant. Nr fine. £3.50

S698)  Griffiths, Elly; Smoke and Mirrors; pb Quercus. Brighton 1951. When the bodies of two children are discovered surrounded by sweets, DI Stephens is reminded of Hansel and Gretel. He turns to his friend Max to help navigate the world of entertainment where he is sure the answers lie. VG++. £3.50

S699)  Griffiths, Elly; The Blood Card; pb Quercus. Brighton 1953. Both Stephens and Mephisto are shocked to learn of the murder of their wartime commander. VG++. £3.50

S700)  Griffiths, Elly; The Vanishing Box; 2017 1^st, Quercus. Brighton 1953. A Stephens and Mephisto mystery. Fine in fine dw. £5

S701)  Griffiths, Elly; The Midnight Hour; pb Quercus. Brighton, 1965. Emma Stephens, now a private investigator, has to vie with the police, including her husband Supt Edgar Holmes, to try to find whoever is responsible for the death of an old music hall impresario. VG++. £3

S702)  McDermid, Val; The Skeleton Road; pb Sphere. When a skeleton is found at the top of a crumbling gothic building in Edinburgh, DI Karen Pirie investigates. VG+. £3.50

S703)  Mitchell, Gladys; Tom Brown’s Body; pb Vintage. Mrs Bradley mystery, handsome edition. VG £3

S704)  Mitchell, Gladys; When Last I Died; pb Vintage. Mrs Bradley investigates an old diary. VG. £3

S705)  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. VG++. £3.50

S706)  Osman, Richard; The Man Who Died Twice; pb Penguin. A Thursday Murder Club mystery. VG+ £3.50

S707)  Sayers, Dorothy; Clouds of Witness; pb NEL. Peter’s brother, the Duke, is accused of murder… VG. £3

S708)  Sayers, Dorothy; Gaudy Night; pb Hodder. A handsome modern reprint of this seminal story of Harriet Vane & Lord Peter Wimsey, introduced by Harriet Walter ( Harriet Vane in the TV series). VG £3

S709)  Sayers, Dorothy; Busman’s Honeymoon; 1949 rep; Gollancz. VG. £5

S710)  Shaw, Catherine; Flowers Stained with Moonlight; pb A&B. Mrs Bryce Fortescue arrives to request Vanessa Duncan’s help in clearing her daughter Sylvia, suspected of murdering her husband. Fine. £4

S711)  Shaw, Catherine; The Library Paradox; pb A&B. The aid of Vanessa Duncan, now in 1896 married with two small children, is sought when murder invades the halls of King’s College, London. VG++ £3.50

S712)  Tey, Josephine; The Daughter of Time; pb Penguin. Truth is said to be the Daughter of Time, and here Inspector Grant, hospital-bound, reinvestigates the case of the princes in the Tower. Often voted one of the best mysteries of all time. VG. £3

S713)  Tope, Rebecca; The Windermere Wilderness; pb A&B. VG+. £3

S714)  Upson, Nicola; Angel with Two Faces; pb Faber. JHospehine Tey in Cornwall. Ex-lib, G+. £2

S715)  Upson, Nicola; The Dead of Winter; pb Faber. Christmas at St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall seems an attractive prospect to Josephine Tey, but it’s a strange houseparty, and when things turn murderous, being cut off from the mainland doesn’t seem like such a good idea…  VG++. £4

S716)  Witting, Clifford; There Was a Crooked Man; 1960 1^st ed; H&S. A man in a bowler hat visits an elderly woodworker in a hut in the woods, and before the night is out, Crooked Charley is found violently done to death…  Ex-lib, but clean VG copy in VG dw. £8

Special Offer – any 4 crime books below for £10

S717)  Bax, Roger; Blueprint for Murder; pb Arcturus. Handsome reprint of 1948 original. Arthur Cross and his cousin return from WWII, but it seems his intentions towards his uncle are far from amiable… Fine. £4

S718)  Bradley, Alan; The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie; pb Orion. In 1950, Flavia de Luce, ten-year-old prodigy chemist and youngest of three, decides to investigate when a body is found in the garden of their country house… “A cross between I Capture the Castle …and the Addams family…” – Guardian. G++. £3

S719)  Brody, Frances; Yorkshire war widow Kate Shackleton finds herself in the 1920s falling into being a private investigator; pbs, Piatkus, all VG. £3.50 each; Death of an Avid Reader; A Woman Unknown; A Medal for Murder. 

S720)  Gregory, Susannah; The Tarnished Chalice; pb Sphere. Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael arrive in Lincoln in 1356, only to find that a previous visitor at the friary where they are staying has recently been murdered. He was holding a holy relic with a bloody history… G++. £3

S721)  Gregory, Susannah; A Vein of Deceit; pb Sphere. Cambridge, 1357. Matthew Bartholomew is fearful that someone has been filching his medicinal supplies, and also that his friend Wynewyk, the college treasurer, has been fiddling the books. His fears that something is awry are confirmed in the most awful way, when Wynewyk is found dead – but what exactly has been going on?  VG. £3

S722)  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? G Footsteps in the Dark, VG+; Penhallow, VG+.

S723)  Highsmith, Patricia; The Talented Mr Ripley; pb Vintage. Famous thriller. Nr fine. £3

S724)  James, P.D.; The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories; pb Faber. VG. £3.50

S725)  Marsh, Ngaio; Pbs; Fontana/ Harper Collins. G+ or better. Inspector Alleyn golden-age mysteries. £3 each; Opening Night; Scales of Justice; Death and the Dancing Footman; The Nursing Home Murder.

S726)  McDermid, Val; The Grave Tattoo; pb HC. A gripping thriller where the past of Fletcher Christian and his Mutiny on the Bounty reaches out to create danger in the present-day Lake District for literary researcher Jane Gresham. VG++. £3.50

S727)  Sansom, Ian; Essex Poison; pb 4^th. 1930s; the inimitable auto-didact Swanton Morley continues researching his County Guides; pipers, gangsters and a fishy case of food poisoning! VG++. £3.50

I hope you’ll find something to enjoy as the evenings get lighter.        Sally