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The Moochers #1
The Moochers
The first of two stories about two cousins, Fiona Auchenvole and Katherine Morton and their move to Pendragon Haven in Cornwall.
157 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1950
20 people want to read
About the author
Jane Shaw
78 books17 followersJane Shaw (1910-2000), born Jean Bell Shaw Patrick, was a children's book author. She was the daughter of Dr. John Patrick, and his wife, Margaret (née Shaw). Educated first by a governess, and then at the Park School in Glasgow, she went on to Glasgow University, where she graduated with Honors in English Literature and Language, in 1932. After taking a teacher training course in London, Shaw returned to Glasgow, where she worked for the publisher Collins, and where one of the editors encouraged her to write her own stories. Breton Holiday, published in 1939, was the result.
Shaw married accountant John Evans in 1939, settling with him in Dulwich, London, where they lived with their children - daughter Jane, son Ian - until they were bombed out during World War II. A job in Johannesburg took the family to South Africa, where they lived from 1952 to 1978, after which they returned to Scotland. Shaw, who is best remembered as the creator of the eleven-book Susan series, died in 2000.
Shaw married accountant John Evans in 1939, settling with him in Dulwich, London, where they lived with their children - daughter Jane, son Ian - until they were bombed out during World War II. A job in Johannesburg took the family to South Africa, where they lived from 1952 to 1978, after which they returned to Scotland. Shaw, who is best remembered as the creator of the eleven-book Susan series, died in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 10, 2014
This is a mildly subversive and very entertaining school story.
Cousins Katherine and Fiona must, at the advanced age of 16, start at a new school, due to the old one having gone bankrupt. Pendragon Manor, however, comes as something of a shock to them; their previous school was a "progressive" one, co-educational and inclined to let the pupils learn what they wanted when they wanted (and unusually for this genre, it's generally mentioned approvingly), but Pendragon is a traditional girls' public school complete with Houses, prefects, timetables, rules, etc.
The cousins do not get off to a good start, either - due to Fiona's falling ill at quite the wrong moment they arrive two weeks late, which causes their Head of House, rather unfairly, to apostrophise them as "beastly slackers". They then compound their sins by failing to treat said Head with the appropriate (or indeed any) deference, and proceed to chum up with the shyest and most put-upon (one might even say, bullied) member of their form. They fail to turn out to "voluntary" House hockey practice, bait the Maths mistress, and generally fail to care about any of the school's rules, customs or traditions.
They do, on the other hand, succeed in entertaining themselves and the reader very well, and while not partaking of school life in the traditional way, spend time coaching their put-upon friend to become a demon goal-keeper, attend meetings of the village Council, and ultimately save the honour of their House and the future of the school. Much to the chagrin of the aforementioned Head of House.
I found it a hugely enjoyable book.
Cousins Katherine and Fiona must, at the advanced age of 16, start at a new school, due to the old one having gone bankrupt. Pendragon Manor, however, comes as something of a shock to them; their previous school was a "progressive" one, co-educational and inclined to let the pupils learn what they wanted when they wanted (and unusually for this genre, it's generally mentioned approvingly), but Pendragon is a traditional girls' public school complete with Houses, prefects, timetables, rules, etc.
The cousins do not get off to a good start, either - due to Fiona's falling ill at quite the wrong moment they arrive two weeks late, which causes their Head of House, rather unfairly, to apostrophise them as "beastly slackers". They then compound their sins by failing to treat said Head with the appropriate (or indeed any) deference, and proceed to chum up with the shyest and most put-upon (one might even say, bullied) member of their form. They fail to turn out to "voluntary" House hockey practice, bait the Maths mistress, and generally fail to care about any of the school's rules, customs or traditions.
They do, on the other hand, succeed in entertaining themselves and the reader very well, and while not partaking of school life in the traditional way, spend time coaching their put-upon friend to become a demon goal-keeper, attend meetings of the village Council, and ultimately save the honour of their House and the future of the school. Much to the chagrin of the aforementioned Head of House.
I found it a hugely enjoyable book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews