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The Bell Family
'Well, little people, what's the news?'
Meet the big, happy Bell family who live in the vicarage at St Marks. Father is a reverend, Mother is as kind as kind can be. Then there's all the children - practical Paul, dancing Jane, mischievous Ginnie, and finally the baby of the family, Angus, whose ambition is to own a private zoo (he has already begun with his six boxes of caterpillars). And not forgetting Esau, a sure fire competitor for the most beautiful dog in Britain.
Follow their eventful lives from tense auditions to birthday treats; from troubled times to hilarious escapades.
Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out which one of the Bell children you most resemble!
Vintage Children's Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from Peter Pan and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2014
About the author
Noel Streatfeild
177 books632 followersMary Noel Streatfeild, known as Noel Streatfeild, was an author best known and loved for her children's books, including Ballet Shoes and Circus Shoes. She also wrote romances under the pseudonym
Susan Scarlett
.
She was born on Christmas Eve, 1895, the daughter of William Champion Streatfeild and Janet Venn and the second of six children to be born to the couple. Sister Ruth was the oldest, after Noel came Barbara, William ('Bill'), Joyce (who died of TB prior to her second birthday) and Richenda. Ruth and Noel attended Hastings and St. Leonard's Ladies' College in 1910. As an adult, she began theater work, and spent approximately 10 years in the theater.
During the Great War, in 1915 Noel worked first as a volunteer in a soldier's hospital kitchen near Eastbourne Vicarage and later produced two plays with her sister Ruth. When things took a turn for the worse on the Front in 1916 she moved to London and obtained a job making munitions in Woolwich Arsenal. At the end of the war in January 1919, Noel enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Art (later Royal Academy) in London.
In 1930, she began writing her first adult novel, The Whicharts, published in 1931. In June 1932, she was elected to membership of PEN. Early in 1936, Mabel Carey, children's editor of J. M. Dent and Sons, asks Noel to write a children's story about the theatre, which led to Noel completing Ballet Shoes in mid-1936. In 28 September 1936, when Ballet Shoes was published, it became an immediate best seller.
According to Angela Bull, Ballet Shoes was a reworked version of The Whicharts. Elder sister Ruth Gervis illustrated the book, which was published on the 28th September, 1936. At the time, the plot and general 'attitude' of the book was highly original, and destined to provide an outline for countless other ballet books down the years until this day. The first known book to be set at a stage school, the first ballet story to be set in London, the first to feature upper middle class society, the first to show the limits of amateurism and possibly the first to show children as self-reliant, able to survive without running to grownups when things went wrong.
In 1937, Noel traveled with Bertram Mills Circus to research The Circus is Coming (also known as Circus Shoes). She won the Carnegie gold medal in February 1939 for this book. In 1940, World War II began, and Noel began war-related work from 1940-1945. During this time, she wrote four adult novels, five children's books, nine romances, and innumerable articles and short stories. On May 10th, 1941, her flat was destroyed by a bomb. Shortly after WWII is over, in 1947, Noel traveled to America to research film studios for her book The Painted Garden. In 1949, she began delivering lectures on children's books. Between 1949 and 1953, her plays, The Bell Family radio serials played on the Children's Hour and were frequently voted top play of the year.
Early in 1960s, she decided to stop writing adult novels, but did write some autobiographical novels, such as A Vicarage Family in 1963. She also had written 12 romance novels under the pen name "Susan Scarlett." Her children's books number at least 58 titles. From July to December 1979, she suffered a series of small strokes and moved into a nursing home. In 1983, she received the honor Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). On 11 September 1986, she passed away in a nursing home.
She was born on Christmas Eve, 1895, the daughter of William Champion Streatfeild and Janet Venn and the second of six children to be born to the couple. Sister Ruth was the oldest, after Noel came Barbara, William ('Bill'), Joyce (who died of TB prior to her second birthday) and Richenda. Ruth and Noel attended Hastings and St. Leonard's Ladies' College in 1910. As an adult, she began theater work, and spent approximately 10 years in the theater.
During the Great War, in 1915 Noel worked first as a volunteer in a soldier's hospital kitchen near Eastbourne Vicarage and later produced two plays with her sister Ruth. When things took a turn for the worse on the Front in 1916 she moved to London and obtained a job making munitions in Woolwich Arsenal. At the end of the war in January 1919, Noel enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Art (later Royal Academy) in London.
In 1930, she began writing her first adult novel, The Whicharts, published in 1931. In June 1932, she was elected to membership of PEN. Early in 1936, Mabel Carey, children's editor of J. M. Dent and Sons, asks Noel to write a children's story about the theatre, which led to Noel completing Ballet Shoes in mid-1936. In 28 September 1936, when Ballet Shoes was published, it became an immediate best seller.
According to Angela Bull, Ballet Shoes was a reworked version of The Whicharts. Elder sister Ruth Gervis illustrated the book, which was published on the 28th September, 1936. At the time, the plot and general 'attitude' of the book was highly original, and destined to provide an outline for countless other ballet books down the years until this day. The first known book to be set at a stage school, the first ballet story to be set in London, the first to feature upper middle class society, the first to show the limits of amateurism and possibly the first to show children as self-reliant, able to survive without running to grownups when things went wrong.
In 1937, Noel traveled with Bertram Mills Circus to research The Circus is Coming (also known as Circus Shoes). She won the Carnegie gold medal in February 1939 for this book. In 1940, World War II began, and Noel began war-related work from 1940-1945. During this time, she wrote four adult novels, five children's books, nine romances, and innumerable articles and short stories. On May 10th, 1941, her flat was destroyed by a bomb. Shortly after WWII is over, in 1947, Noel traveled to America to research film studios for her book The Painted Garden. In 1949, she began delivering lectures on children's books. Between 1949 and 1953, her plays, The Bell Family radio serials played on the Children's Hour and were frequently voted top play of the year.
Early in 1960s, she decided to stop writing adult novels, but did write some autobiographical novels, such as A Vicarage Family in 1963. She also had written 12 romance novels under the pen name "Susan Scarlett." Her children's books number at least 58 titles. From July to December 1979, she suffered a series of small strokes and moved into a nursing home. In 1983, she received the honor Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). On 11 September 1986, she passed away in a nursing home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 7, 2026
3 stars ⭐️ Secular/Classic - Middle-Grade
Overall, this had some cute moments! Some content things to note and one of the children isn’t the best example, but the British setting was charming. The kids are just as quick to fuss at one another as they are to protect and have the others’ best interests at heart, which felt like a very realistic sibling group. They all had to make the best of their situations and the message of “make do and mend” was prominent.
There were a lot of British idioms in this one (“never say die”, “what won’t fatten will fill”, and “what the eye didn’t see the heart wouldn’t grieve about” to name some) and the children calling their parents “darling” and “dear” which was really cute.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Bell were kind, which I liked with him being the vicar. They had a few scenes of thinking something selfish or rude, but quickly corrected their thoughts and their actions would follow. They were good parents who knew their children well. There’s the chaos of the family, but also scenes of them being together that were sweet. I will say that Ginnie is quite naughty and a stubborn little miss, but her parents took in it stride and chose their battles with her. There’s definitely some lessons for her—and a reader—to learn as this book continues.
I think Noel Streatfeild had a thing for kids learning to dance/be on stage because this is now the fifth book I’ve read by her and they’ve all had that element. Also siblings willing to sacrifice for the other.
There was about one illustration per chapter and they were lovely! Very detailed and perfect for a middle-grade book.
As a note for parents, if you have a child who is prone to mimicking what a book character does (both good and troublesome), this might be a book to pass on or read together. There are also quite a few comments about a young girl being “fat”. Some language that isn't used today by children. More content details are listed below.
Main Content-
Religious-
Mr. Bell is a clergyman (it’s noted that he is a “very clergyman sort of clergyman, so he thought the place where he was most needed was the loveliest place to be”) and the family lives in the vicarage, so there are many mentions of the church, going to church, other clergymen, sermons and writing sermons;
Mr. Bell’s father was a rich man and cut off his son financially when Mr. Bell was accepted into the Church; Mr. Bell makes sure the family says grace before meals despite his children thinking it’s “old-fashioned” for him to say one.
Someone comments about something going wrong as a “judgment” from Heaven, but Mr. Bell firmly says it was not (one of his children isn’t so sure, though, and talks to her sister about it; She discusses it with an adult as well as she’s worried about receiving a judgement for not telling the truth, but being afraid she’ll ruin plans if she does tell the truth).
Jane says she doesn’t always agree with what her father says in his sermons, but does regarding the time he said that the words “too late” were the saddest words in the English language; Someone suggests for an offering to be taken up at the church for Jane’s dancing lessons (saying that if she was the vicar, that’s what she would do, but Mrs. Bell thinks that’s a shocking idea).
A few mentions of those and events in the Bible; A few mentions of martyrs; A few mentions of a hymn & a hymnbook; A few mentions of miracles happening; A couple mentions of missions; A mention of the gifts God gave someone; A mention of a Christmas nativity play.
Magic/Spiritual-
Jane has the opportunity to dance as a nymph in a play and thinks she “ought to wear only a tiny bit of something”, but because she goes to a Christian school, will wear something “long and thick for decency” instead.
Ginnie tells her little brother to clap so Tinkerbell won’t die (which their mother “reprovingly” calls out her name when hearing this).
Ginnie says she’s “worshipping” the family’s dog when petting and fawning over him.
A comment about an “evil spirit” eating the money in the family’s savings (because they try to save, but sometimes always comes up and the money is needed for that instead).
Mentions of Jane being a nymph in a play; Mentions of a character in a play fighting a “demon thing” and going to “The Land Beyond the Stars”; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A few mentions of a fairy and elves; A mention of the card game called “racing demon”; A mention of Fate being against someone; A mention of the Goddess of Spring.
Language + Attitudes-
“ass” is used four times in different contexts: 1-2: Paul calls Ginnie a “prize ass” (an extremely foolish person; pg. 261) and Jane an “old ass” (when she’s nagging him, pg. 288); 3-4: A donkey is referred to as as “ass” twice (pg.316).
6 forms of ‘stupid’,
6 forms of ‘shut up’ (including from parents/grandparents to young kids & the siblings to each other),
9 form of ‘idiot’.
Along with the previous note, there are some other name calling between siblings (like “lily-livered loon” and “idiot”) and bickering; Also some selfishness on the children’s’ parts at the thought of being unable to partake in exciting events because of one of the children being sick and in quarantine; However, the oldest also thinks about giving up his dream to be able to help his siblings; Jealousy over the opportunity that a sibling has.
Ginnie is upset at her siblings having an event to get out of going to school, but she doesn’t get to go, so she decides not to pay attention in her classes and gets in trouble with her teacher (who sends her to another teacher and gives her a proper talking-to about her actions and behavior plus extra homework).
Paul & Jane keep a secret to themselves to be able to surprise their father (while they don’t lie about what they are doing, they aren’t upfront about it either).
Ginnie lies to her mother once (about an injury which later gets her in trouble); Ginnie can be stubborn at times and refuses to wear a certain dress to a party; Ginnie thinks of her cousin as a “mimsy-pimsy stuck-up minx” due to her cousin’s attitude and her mother says not to think like that, but knows what she means; Ginnie says she could say a lot worse about her rich aunt, uncle, and their daughter (and does think some when forced to be next to her cousin—to the point that she voices some of them and it causes a row at a family event and Ginnie gets grounded by her parents afterwards); Ginnie later tells someone that her cousin if the “nastiest, whiniest girl” you’ve ever heard of.
Paul is pressured by his grandfather to join in the family business despite wanting to be a doctor one day (his grandfather reasons that Paul can earn more money and money quicker for his family than if he became a doctor; Paul does not tell his parents about this conversation, but does tell a family member on the other side of the family; *Spoilers* ).
A classmate gets the mumps and there’s mentions of quarantine, but a character doesn’t want to be quarantined, so she doesn’t tell her mother the truth about being near the classmate; She plans to measure her face everyday and only tell her mother if her face gets bigger; She makes a sibling promise to not tell on her (it’s noted that tale-telling is a big deal in the Bell home, but the sister knows that it’s sometimes right to tell on someone; However, she doesn’t tell and adult; *Spoilers**Major Spoiler* .
The children are very aware their family doesn’t have a lot of money and make comments about it (such as Ginnie wishing their mother didn’t have to wear a hand-me-down dress as it shames her that her mother is still wearing it & notes the comparisons between their family and their cousin’s rich family); The four Bell siblings try to earn money for their family (some which lead to trouble or keeping secrets from their parents); At one point, Jane faints due to being malnourished.
*Spoilers, but a child causes trouble by doing something without asking* .
*Spoilers* .
Dangerous situations + Negative-
Ginnie wishes she could rescue someone from drowning or catch a burglar; Ginnie takes a baby for a walk without letting the mother know, so the mother thinks her baby has been stolen and accuses Ginny of being a thief (a police officer comes and Ginnie is published by her parents to give up her next dessert).
Pain (up to a few sentences).
Concern over a missing pet dog (which lasts less than a chapter and ends well).
Mentions of a fire & a family losing nearly everything; Mentions of jealousy (including over the opportunity that a sibling has); Mentions of a missing dog; A few mentions of injuries & bleeding (Ginnie says she needed a plaster/band-aid because she was bleeding so much she thought she was going to bleed to death); A few mentions of smoking, pipes, & tobacco; A few mentions of being sick (implied throwing up); A couple mentions of alcohol (to calm someone); A mention of gossip; A mention of someone looking like she is going to face a guillotine; A mention of Ginnie being concerned that someone could be ran-over by a car; A mention of a concern about a dog drowning; A mention of of when the children ate fungi that made them all sick.
Romance-
Mentions of a play about a love story between a shepherd and shepherdess (which Ginnie calls idiotic) & the characters kissing at the end; A couple mentions of Mr. and Mrs. Bell sharing kisses; A mention of a ballet being about “sloppy stuff” like love (according to Paul).
Body Shaming, Other, + Time-Period Notes-
It’s said that the youngest Bell daughter, Ginnie, is “almost as wide as she was long” and that sometimes when feeling mean, her family would call her Queen Victoria because she looked the same shape when the queen did as an old lady; A few comments about Ginnie not having good looks & her making fun of her own appearance; Mrs. Bell refers to Ginnie as “fat” and “plain” (lovingly; twice); Mrs. Bell says that plenty of girls “started fat” and then grown up with “figures like film stars”, noting that Ginnie has time to become beautiful; Ginnie says her size is her “cross…to bear”; Ginnie wears hand-me-downs from Jane, but most do not fit well because of their size difference; When Ginnie asks her family if they notice anything different about her, Paul asks if she’s fatter; It should be noted, in the illustrations, Ginnie doesn’t appear to be “fat” at all.
A mention of “girls in their teens” being “inclined to bulge” (regarding their figures).
A grandmother says that Jane shouldn’t fill her head with ideas about dance classes, but ought to take classes in the kitchen “where she’ll learn to make a good man happy some day.”; Ginnie retorts that her cousin will never be able to make a good man or even a bad man happy.
The family’s dog, Esau, is given a slice of cake and a spoonful of ice cream, later chocolate biscuits at another time, and then given many sweets at Christmas that causes him to be “very, very sick” that night; A few mentions of feeding a dog horse meat (which seems to be what Esau eats normally); A few mentions of the dog being sick over what he has eaten.
Mentions of taking a slipper or strap to a misbehaving child.
“queer” (odd) and “gay” (happy) are used thrice and ten times respectively.
Overall, this had some cute moments! Some content things to note and one of the children isn’t the best example, but the British setting was charming. The kids are just as quick to fuss at one another as they are to protect and have the others’ best interests at heart, which felt like a very realistic sibling group. They all had to make the best of their situations and the message of “make do and mend” was prominent.
There were a lot of British idioms in this one (“never say die”, “what won’t fatten will fill”, and “what the eye didn’t see the heart wouldn’t grieve about” to name some) and the children calling their parents “darling” and “dear” which was really cute.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Bell were kind, which I liked with him being the vicar. They had a few scenes of thinking something selfish or rude, but quickly corrected their thoughts and their actions would follow. They were good parents who knew their children well. There’s the chaos of the family, but also scenes of them being together that were sweet. I will say that Ginnie is quite naughty and a stubborn little miss, but her parents took in it stride and chose their battles with her. There’s definitely some lessons for her—and a reader—to learn as this book continues.
I think Noel Streatfeild had a thing for kids learning to dance/be on stage because this is now the fifth book I’ve read by her and they’ve all had that element. Also siblings willing to sacrifice for the other.
There was about one illustration per chapter and they were lovely! Very detailed and perfect for a middle-grade book.
As a note for parents, if you have a child who is prone to mimicking what a book character does (both good and troublesome), this might be a book to pass on or read together. There are also quite a few comments about a young girl being “fat”. Some language that isn't used today by children. More content details are listed below.
Main Content-
Religious-
Mr. Bell is a clergyman (it’s noted that he is a “very clergyman sort of clergyman, so he thought the place where he was most needed was the loveliest place to be”) and the family lives in the vicarage, so there are many mentions of the church, going to church, other clergymen, sermons and writing sermons;
Mr. Bell’s father was a rich man and cut off his son financially when Mr. Bell was accepted into the Church; Mr. Bell makes sure the family says grace before meals despite his children thinking it’s “old-fashioned” for him to say one.
Someone comments about something going wrong as a “judgment” from Heaven, but Mr. Bell firmly says it was not (one of his children isn’t so sure, though, and talks to her sister about it; She discusses it with an adult as well as she’s worried about receiving a judgement for not telling the truth, but being afraid she’ll ruin plans if she does tell the truth).
Jane says she doesn’t always agree with what her father says in his sermons, but does regarding the time he said that the words “too late” were the saddest words in the English language; Someone suggests for an offering to be taken up at the church for Jane’s dancing lessons (saying that if she was the vicar, that’s what she would do, but Mrs. Bell thinks that’s a shocking idea).
A few mentions of those and events in the Bible; A few mentions of martyrs; A few mentions of a hymn & a hymnbook; A few mentions of miracles happening; A couple mentions of missions; A mention of the gifts God gave someone; A mention of a Christmas nativity play.
Magic/Spiritual-
Jane has the opportunity to dance as a nymph in a play and thinks she “ought to wear only a tiny bit of something”, but because she goes to a Christian school, will wear something “long and thick for decency” instead.
Ginnie tells her little brother to clap so Tinkerbell won’t die (which their mother “reprovingly” calls out her name when hearing this).
Ginnie says she’s “worshipping” the family’s dog when petting and fawning over him.
A comment about an “evil spirit” eating the money in the family’s savings (because they try to save, but sometimes always comes up and the money is needed for that instead).
Mentions of Jane being a nymph in a play; Mentions of a character in a play fighting a “demon thing” and going to “The Land Beyond the Stars”; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A few mentions of a fairy and elves; A mention of the card game called “racing demon”; A mention of Fate being against someone; A mention of the Goddess of Spring.
Language + Attitudes-
“ass” is used four times in different contexts: 1-2: Paul calls Ginnie a “prize ass” (an extremely foolish person; pg. 261) and Jane an “old ass” (when she’s nagging him, pg. 288); 3-4: A donkey is referred to as as “ass” twice (pg.316).
6 forms of ‘stupid’,
6 forms of ‘shut up’ (including from parents/grandparents to young kids & the siblings to each other),
9 form of ‘idiot’.
Along with the previous note, there are some other name calling between siblings (like “lily-livered loon” and “idiot”) and bickering; Also some selfishness on the children’s’ parts at the thought of being unable to partake in exciting events because of one of the children being sick and in quarantine; However, the oldest also thinks about giving up his dream to be able to help his siblings; Jealousy over the opportunity that a sibling has.
Ginnie is upset at her siblings having an event to get out of going to school, but she doesn’t get to go, so she decides not to pay attention in her classes and gets in trouble with her teacher (who sends her to another teacher and gives her a proper talking-to about her actions and behavior plus extra homework).
Paul & Jane keep a secret to themselves to be able to surprise their father (while they don’t lie about what they are doing, they aren’t upfront about it either).
Ginnie lies to her mother once (about an injury which later gets her in trouble); Ginnie can be stubborn at times and refuses to wear a certain dress to a party; Ginnie thinks of her cousin as a “mimsy-pimsy stuck-up minx” due to her cousin’s attitude and her mother says not to think like that, but knows what she means; Ginnie says she could say a lot worse about her rich aunt, uncle, and their daughter (and does think some when forced to be next to her cousin—to the point that she voices some of them and it causes a row at a family event and Ginnie gets grounded by her parents afterwards); Ginnie later tells someone that her cousin if the “nastiest, whiniest girl” you’ve ever heard of.
Paul is pressured by his grandfather to join in the family business despite wanting to be a doctor one day (his grandfather reasons that Paul can earn more money and money quicker for his family than if he became a doctor; Paul does not tell his parents about this conversation, but does tell a family member on the other side of the family; *Spoilers* ).
A classmate gets the mumps and there’s mentions of quarantine, but a character doesn’t want to be quarantined, so she doesn’t tell her mother the truth about being near the classmate; She plans to measure her face everyday and only tell her mother if her face gets bigger; She makes a sibling promise to not tell on her (it’s noted that tale-telling is a big deal in the Bell home, but the sister knows that it’s sometimes right to tell on someone; However, she doesn’t tell and adult; *Spoilers**Major Spoiler* .
The children are very aware their family doesn’t have a lot of money and make comments about it (such as Ginnie wishing their mother didn’t have to wear a hand-me-down dress as it shames her that her mother is still wearing it & notes the comparisons between their family and their cousin’s rich family); The four Bell siblings try to earn money for their family (some which lead to trouble or keeping secrets from their parents); At one point, Jane faints due to being malnourished.
*Spoilers, but a child causes trouble by doing something without asking* .
*Spoilers* .
Dangerous situations + Negative-
Ginnie wishes she could rescue someone from drowning or catch a burglar; Ginnie takes a baby for a walk without letting the mother know, so the mother thinks her baby has been stolen and accuses Ginny of being a thief (a police officer comes and Ginnie is published by her parents to give up her next dessert).
Pain (up to a few sentences).
Concern over a missing pet dog (which lasts less than a chapter and ends well).
Mentions of a fire & a family losing nearly everything; Mentions of jealousy (including over the opportunity that a sibling has); Mentions of a missing dog; A few mentions of injuries & bleeding (Ginnie says she needed a plaster/band-aid because she was bleeding so much she thought she was going to bleed to death); A few mentions of smoking, pipes, & tobacco; A few mentions of being sick (implied throwing up); A couple mentions of alcohol (to calm someone); A mention of gossip; A mention of someone looking like she is going to face a guillotine; A mention of Ginnie being concerned that someone could be ran-over by a car; A mention of a concern about a dog drowning; A mention of of when the children ate fungi that made them all sick.
Romance-
Mentions of a play about a love story between a shepherd and shepherdess (which Ginnie calls idiotic) & the characters kissing at the end; A couple mentions of Mr. and Mrs. Bell sharing kisses; A mention of a ballet being about “sloppy stuff” like love (according to Paul).
Body Shaming, Other, + Time-Period Notes-
It’s said that the youngest Bell daughter, Ginnie, is “almost as wide as she was long” and that sometimes when feeling mean, her family would call her Queen Victoria because she looked the same shape when the queen did as an old lady; A few comments about Ginnie not having good looks & her making fun of her own appearance; Mrs. Bell refers to Ginnie as “fat” and “plain” (lovingly; twice); Mrs. Bell says that plenty of girls “started fat” and then grown up with “figures like film stars”, noting that Ginnie has time to become beautiful; Ginnie says her size is her “cross…to bear”; Ginnie wears hand-me-downs from Jane, but most do not fit well because of their size difference; When Ginnie asks her family if they notice anything different about her, Paul asks if she’s fatter; It should be noted, in the illustrations, Ginnie doesn’t appear to be “fat” at all.
A mention of “girls in their teens” being “inclined to bulge” (regarding their figures).
A grandmother says that Jane shouldn’t fill her head with ideas about dance classes, but ought to take classes in the kitchen “where she’ll learn to make a good man happy some day.”; Ginnie retorts that her cousin will never be able to make a good man or even a bad man happy.
The family’s dog, Esau, is given a slice of cake and a spoonful of ice cream, later chocolate biscuits at another time, and then given many sweets at Christmas that causes him to be “very, very sick” that night; A few mentions of feeding a dog horse meat (which seems to be what Esau eats normally); A few mentions of the dog being sick over what he has eaten.
Mentions of taking a slipper or strap to a misbehaving child.
“queer” (odd) and “gay” (happy) are used thrice and ten times respectively.
Read
May 16, 2022I just realized that Noel Streatfeild has several novels that I've never read, and it's so delightful to plunge in. This children's novel is based on her own childhood. It's very much like A Vicarage Family, below, which is a memoir.
March 21, 2014
This version is a reprint in the Vintage Children's Classics series and it's interesting to see what the editors have decided need to be explained for twenty-first century children in the additions at the end of the book: 'Make do and mend...'; words like 'ermine', 'perambulator' and 'verger'. There's a brief biography of Noel Streatfeild, an explanation of the background to the book (it was originally a radio serial) and a couple of quizzes. There is also, for no reason that I can discern, a 'Who's Who' that describes the characters about whom the reader has presumably just read. This book from the 1950s, published only 19 years before I was born, is definitely being presented as just as exotically historical as Little Women (1868) and The Railway Children (1905), both also in the Vintage Children's Classic series. I'm starting to feel like a relic myself!
This is definitely not one of the best of Streatfeild's books. The reader has less access to the characters' inner lives than in most of her other children's books, presumably because the book started as a radio play. The children are all versions of children that we've seen before. And while I think we're meant to find Ginnie amusing and to be on her side, 'Miss Virginia Bell' came across to me as a self-centred little madam!
The Bell Family is most interesting when read alongside Streatfeild's 'autobiography' A Vicarage Family. Alex Bell is another idealised version of 'Jim Strangeway' or William Streatfeild, and Cathy Bell is the sort of mother who could make life in an impoverished vicarage liveable and fairly comfortable, where poor 'Sylvia Strangeway' or Janet Streatfeild, as portrayed by Noel, failed miserably. There are some wonderful passages that sound like Noel is describing her own father and her reaction to him: 'Alex never got really cross. He thought it wrong to be cross and so struggled to keep that he was feeling cross to himself. Jane said Alex's keeping feeling cross to himself was worse than snapping out as ordinary people did, who were not parsons. She thought trying hard gave him a martyred face, which made other people lose their tempers looking at it'. But it's impossible to imagine Janet, portrayed as 'Sylvia', as ever saying: 'Do you think I'd miss one minute of watching my children grow up for all the money in the world?' Is Noel writing for the child who felt that her mother didn't like her?
It's also interesting to compare this realistic book with Streatfeild's romances written as Susan Scarlett. I've recently read Babbacombe's and in both The Bell Family and Babbacombe's there is a family money box which constantly needs to be raided for emergencies and so the amount to be saved for is never reached. But in Babbacombe's the money in the box is for a fur coat for the mother of the family, and she is given a fur coat by the wealthy family into which her daughter marries. The ways in which the Bells come into needed money are a little more realistic, although still magical in the context of the book.
Recommended for fans of Streatfeild, but I'd definitely start non-fans off on Ballet Shoes.
This is definitely not one of the best of Streatfeild's books. The reader has less access to the characters' inner lives than in most of her other children's books, presumably because the book started as a radio play. The children are all versions of children that we've seen before. And while I think we're meant to find Ginnie amusing and to be on her side, 'Miss Virginia Bell' came across to me as a self-centred little madam!
The Bell Family is most interesting when read alongside Streatfeild's 'autobiography' A Vicarage Family. Alex Bell is another idealised version of 'Jim Strangeway' or William Streatfeild, and Cathy Bell is the sort of mother who could make life in an impoverished vicarage liveable and fairly comfortable, where poor 'Sylvia Strangeway' or Janet Streatfeild, as portrayed by Noel, failed miserably. There are some wonderful passages that sound like Noel is describing her own father and her reaction to him: 'Alex never got really cross. He thought it wrong to be cross and so struggled to keep that he was feeling cross to himself. Jane said Alex's keeping feeling cross to himself was worse than snapping out as ordinary people did, who were not parsons. She thought trying hard gave him a martyred face, which made other people lose their tempers looking at it'. But it's impossible to imagine Janet, portrayed as 'Sylvia', as ever saying: 'Do you think I'd miss one minute of watching my children grow up for all the money in the world?' Is Noel writing for the child who felt that her mother didn't like her?
It's also interesting to compare this realistic book with Streatfeild's romances written as Susan Scarlett. I've recently read Babbacombe's and in both The Bell Family and Babbacombe's there is a family money box which constantly needs to be raided for emergencies and so the amount to be saved for is never reached. But in Babbacombe's the money in the box is for a fur coat for the mother of the family, and she is given a fur coat by the wealthy family into which her daughter marries. The ways in which the Bells come into needed money are a little more realistic, although still magical in the context of the book.
Recommended for fans of Streatfeild, but I'd definitely start non-fans off on Ballet Shoes.
October 31, 2023
Delightfully warm and cozy. I really enjoyed it.
March 30, 2017
Number 87 on my Classics Club list, The Bell Family by Noel Streatfeild was first published in 1954. As I so adored Ballet Shoes when I read it for the first time a couple of years ago, I had very high hopes for Streatfeild’s other works. The Bell Family has recently been reissued by Vintage Children’s Classics, with a darling cover designed by Alice Tait, and I was able to borrow a copy from my local library.
The novel follows, as the title suggests, the Bell family, who are carrying out their ‘eventful lives’ against the busy backdrop of London. I adore the premise which is described in the blurb as follows: ‘Meet the big, happy Bell family who live in the vicarage at St Mark’s. Father is a reverend, Mother is as kind as kind can be. Then there are all the children – practical Paul, dancing Jane, mischievous Ginnie, and finally the baby of the family, Angus, whose ambition is to own a private zoo (he has already begun with his six boxes of caterpillars)’. Streatfeild sets the scene immediately: ‘The Thames is a very twisting sort of river. It is as if it had to force its way into London, and had become bent in the process… In the smaller bulge to the left is the part of south-east London in which the Bells lived. The people around where the Bells lived are not rich; mostly they live in small houses joined on to their next door neighbours. It is a very noisy part of the world. People shout a lot, and bang a lot, and laugh a lot’.
The novel is almost like a series of short stories; the family are followed throughout, but a different event takes precedence in each chapter. In this manner, I was reminded of Michael Bond’s delightful Paddington novels, which use a very similar structure, and Rumer Godden’s children’s stories, which are written in the same quaint and amusing way.
As with the other Vintage Children’s Classics, this edition of The Bell Family contains a wealth of extra information, ranging from an author biography to a quiz which you can take once you have finished reading. As a child, I would have been delighted by this interactive aspect, and it still charmed me somewhat as an adult reader.
Streatfeild is very perceptive of her characters, and The Bell Family is certainly a nice book to settle down with. However, there is not really much of substance within its pages. It did not have a memorable cast of characters such as those within Ballet Shoes, and it paled rather in comparison. Whilst the Bell children were quite sweet, there was nothing overly distinctive about them, and I doubt I will remember much about them in a year or so. I imagine that I would have enjoyed The Bell Family far more had I been a child on my first encounter with it.
The novel follows, as the title suggests, the Bell family, who are carrying out their ‘eventful lives’ against the busy backdrop of London. I adore the premise which is described in the blurb as follows: ‘Meet the big, happy Bell family who live in the vicarage at St Mark’s. Father is a reverend, Mother is as kind as kind can be. Then there are all the children – practical Paul, dancing Jane, mischievous Ginnie, and finally the baby of the family, Angus, whose ambition is to own a private zoo (he has already begun with his six boxes of caterpillars)’. Streatfeild sets the scene immediately: ‘The Thames is a very twisting sort of river. It is as if it had to force its way into London, and had become bent in the process… In the smaller bulge to the left is the part of south-east London in which the Bells lived. The people around where the Bells lived are not rich; mostly they live in small houses joined on to their next door neighbours. It is a very noisy part of the world. People shout a lot, and bang a lot, and laugh a lot’.
The novel is almost like a series of short stories; the family are followed throughout, but a different event takes precedence in each chapter. In this manner, I was reminded of Michael Bond’s delightful Paddington novels, which use a very similar structure, and Rumer Godden’s children’s stories, which are written in the same quaint and amusing way.
As with the other Vintage Children’s Classics, this edition of The Bell Family contains a wealth of extra information, ranging from an author biography to a quiz which you can take once you have finished reading. As a child, I would have been delighted by this interactive aspect, and it still charmed me somewhat as an adult reader.
Streatfeild is very perceptive of her characters, and The Bell Family is certainly a nice book to settle down with. However, there is not really much of substance within its pages. It did not have a memorable cast of characters such as those within Ballet Shoes, and it paled rather in comparison. Whilst the Bell children were quite sweet, there was nothing overly distinctive about them, and I doubt I will remember much about them in a year or so. I imagine that I would have enjoyed The Bell Family far more had I been a child on my first encounter with it.
May 11, 2020
Delightful! The Bell family reminds me so much of the Melendy family with the mischief, the ingenuity of the kids, the friendliness of the family and the way they care for each other. Also, Mrs. Gage is a gem of a character.
January 10, 2019
For my full review: https://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/...
There was a time when The Bell Family were Noel Streatfeild's most popular creations. Wherever Streatfeild went, she was reportedly quizzed about Miss Virginia Bell and her doings. In more recent decades however, the family faded from popularity and despite attempts to rebrand them into the Shoes series as Family Shoes, their adventures went out of print until Vintage came to the rescue. Having no ties of childhood nostalgia here but being in the mood for some comfort reading, I was intrigued to see what I would make of the novel as an adult.The premise is of an impoverished vicarage family overcoming obstacles and in particular how the children of the family - Paul, Jane, Ginnie and Angus - achieve their ambitions. Regular readers of Streatfeild may notice that this situation closely resembles that of Streatfeild's own childhood, which she later fictionalised in A Vicarage Family, written around ten years after the publication of The Bell Family. Having read both books, Bell Family does feel slightly like The Whicharts to Vicarage's Ballet Shoes. Streatfeild does have form for re-using old material.
The Bell parents are idealised versions of the characters who Streatfeild presents as her own parents in Vicarage. Alex Bell is the kindly vicar who believes that there is no point in ever getting cross and who holds no grudge at being cut off by his father for entering the church. His wife Cathy is the practical and warm woman who contrasts sharply with the much colder mother who Streatfeild depicted in A Vicarage Family. Cathy's repeated assertions of how little money matters to her (A sample speech is "Do you think I'd miss one minute of watching my children grow up for all the money in the world?") seems like wish fulfilment for Streatfeild when one considers how she later depicted her mother's resentfulness about the family finances. The four Bell children are Paul who plans to be a doctor, Jane who longs to dance, Ginnie who likes get in the way as much as possible and Angus who adores animals. There is also Esau the dog, beloved by all but fed the most appalling diet I have ever read - it was a miracle the poor animal made it to the end of the book still alive.
The other thing which makes The Bell Family rather different to most of Streatfeild's other novels is that it started life as a radio serial. The book is therefore structured as a series of short stories rather than having an over-arching plot, with each episode resolved rapidly and with no major incident ever really taking place. The characters seem thinly drawn but I can imagine that might not have come across as strongly on the radio. Ginnie apparently had the breakout role, with her habit of referring to herself as Miss Virginia Bell taken as endearing over the airwaves while on the page it is rather more irksome. It was unfortunate that although she was clearly intended to provide the comedy, she grated on me increasingly as the book progressed. Between noseying in on someone who was ill and then not practising safe quarrantine standards, being rude to others, thoughtlessly promising other people's time in the hope of gaining glory for herself and then kidnapping a baby, she seemed less of a heroine and more of a brat. There are brats elsewhere in Streatfeild's fiction but they usually get a comeuppance.
The Bell Family felt rather tired as a concept. While Streatfeild often recycled character types in her other novels, somehow the situations tend to feel more fresh. Here, things just felt very repetitive. The usual fretting over what to wear, the sniping against wealthier relatives looking down their noses, grief over frocks not being what they should be, etc, etc. If anyone ever wants to start up a Noel Streatfeild drinking game, I propose that one be obliged to take a sip every time she uses the word 'gorgeous' or 'gorgeously' (you'll be hammered in no time) and then down one's glass when the phrase 'sweetly pretty' crops up (it always does sooner or later). And at that point, I feel like the Grinch, which was the last thing that I wanted when I only picked the book up because I knew that Streatfeild stories always end happily and I'm a sleep-deprived first-time parent.
Streatfeild was a commercial writer who made her living writing stories that would sell. The Bell Family had the feel of a second-rate The Family at One-End Street, which was published a decade previously. One-End Street broke ground in telling stories about a working-class family but were rather more interesting. Yet although Vintage is clearly trying to press the family Bell as a pleasing period-piece, it feels less vintage and more just ... dated. The dilemmas are never strong enough to generate real drama, the resolutions always too quick and over-the-top to be believable and the character development non-existent. In other books, the child protagonists are encouraged to make better choices - Ballet Shoes' Pauline learns not to be a diva, White Boots' Lalla suffers the consequences of being mean to Harriet, The Growing Summer children come to realise that they are not such martyrs after all - but there is no such growth for the Bells. It is not that Streatfeild is a substandard writer, it has been well over fifteen years since I last read A Vicarage Family and I still remember its painful final page, but here, the usual Streatfeild sparkle is absent.
There was a time when The Bell Family were Noel Streatfeild's most popular creations. Wherever Streatfeild went, she was reportedly quizzed about Miss Virginia Bell and her doings. In more recent decades however, the family faded from popularity and despite attempts to rebrand them into the Shoes series as Family Shoes, their adventures went out of print until Vintage came to the rescue. Having no ties of childhood nostalgia here but being in the mood for some comfort reading, I was intrigued to see what I would make of the novel as an adult.The premise is of an impoverished vicarage family overcoming obstacles and in particular how the children of the family - Paul, Jane, Ginnie and Angus - achieve their ambitions. Regular readers of Streatfeild may notice that this situation closely resembles that of Streatfeild's own childhood, which she later fictionalised in A Vicarage Family, written around ten years after the publication of The Bell Family. Having read both books, Bell Family does feel slightly like The Whicharts to Vicarage's Ballet Shoes. Streatfeild does have form for re-using old material.
The Bell parents are idealised versions of the characters who Streatfeild presents as her own parents in Vicarage. Alex Bell is the kindly vicar who believes that there is no point in ever getting cross and who holds no grudge at being cut off by his father for entering the church. His wife Cathy is the practical and warm woman who contrasts sharply with the much colder mother who Streatfeild depicted in A Vicarage Family. Cathy's repeated assertions of how little money matters to her (A sample speech is "Do you think I'd miss one minute of watching my children grow up for all the money in the world?") seems like wish fulfilment for Streatfeild when one considers how she later depicted her mother's resentfulness about the family finances. The four Bell children are Paul who plans to be a doctor, Jane who longs to dance, Ginnie who likes get in the way as much as possible and Angus who adores animals. There is also Esau the dog, beloved by all but fed the most appalling diet I have ever read - it was a miracle the poor animal made it to the end of the book still alive.
The other thing which makes The Bell Family rather different to most of Streatfeild's other novels is that it started life as a radio serial. The book is therefore structured as a series of short stories rather than having an over-arching plot, with each episode resolved rapidly and with no major incident ever really taking place. The characters seem thinly drawn but I can imagine that might not have come across as strongly on the radio. Ginnie apparently had the breakout role, with her habit of referring to herself as Miss Virginia Bell taken as endearing over the airwaves while on the page it is rather more irksome. It was unfortunate that although she was clearly intended to provide the comedy, she grated on me increasingly as the book progressed. Between noseying in on someone who was ill and then not practising safe quarrantine standards, being rude to others, thoughtlessly promising other people's time in the hope of gaining glory for herself and then kidnapping a baby, she seemed less of a heroine and more of a brat. There are brats elsewhere in Streatfeild's fiction but they usually get a comeuppance.
The Bell Family felt rather tired as a concept. While Streatfeild often recycled character types in her other novels, somehow the situations tend to feel more fresh. Here, things just felt very repetitive. The usual fretting over what to wear, the sniping against wealthier relatives looking down their noses, grief over frocks not being what they should be, etc, etc. If anyone ever wants to start up a Noel Streatfeild drinking game, I propose that one be obliged to take a sip every time she uses the word 'gorgeous' or 'gorgeously' (you'll be hammered in no time) and then down one's glass when the phrase 'sweetly pretty' crops up (it always does sooner or later). And at that point, I feel like the Grinch, which was the last thing that I wanted when I only picked the book up because I knew that Streatfeild stories always end happily and I'm a sleep-deprived first-time parent.
Streatfeild was a commercial writer who made her living writing stories that would sell. The Bell Family had the feel of a second-rate The Family at One-End Street, which was published a decade previously. One-End Street broke ground in telling stories about a working-class family but were rather more interesting. Yet although Vintage is clearly trying to press the family Bell as a pleasing period-piece, it feels less vintage and more just ... dated. The dilemmas are never strong enough to generate real drama, the resolutions always too quick and over-the-top to be believable and the character development non-existent. In other books, the child protagonists are encouraged to make better choices - Ballet Shoes' Pauline learns not to be a diva, White Boots' Lalla suffers the consequences of being mean to Harriet, The Growing Summer children come to realise that they are not such martyrs after all - but there is no such growth for the Bells. It is not that Streatfeild is a substandard writer, it has been well over fifteen years since I last read A Vicarage Family and I still remember its painful final page, but here, the usual Streatfeild sparkle is absent.
February 27, 2018
At first I thought I wouldn't like this book...the girls gush so, and there was a smell of the Skating Shoes family about it. Again the parents aren't Mum and Dad but "Cathy and Alex", making it hard to remember who's who just at first. (Why did Streatfeild consistently do that? in the thirties calling your parents by their names was not a thing.) There's a singing little brother, a girl who just has to dance, and an angry little sister who thinks she knows it all, along with a rather shadowy eldest boy and the obligatory dog.
However it did get better, though I got fine and tired of the youngest girl (the obligatory fat kid everyone laughs at) calling herself "Miss Virgina Bell" in conversation.Published in 1954, but with a definite feeling of earlier. My edition had notes in the back about how everyone in Britain had to "make do and mend" and how clothes were much more expensive then--but they neglect to mention that the quality of clothes etc was also much higher, and a dress or suit could be used for years and years without showing a lot of wear. There's a bit encouraging kids to find money-making activities, including the tiresome old trope of a lemonade stand. In these days of "health and safety", I don't think that would go very far.
An okay sort of read. Three and a half stars.
However it did get better, though I got fine and tired of the youngest girl (the obligatory fat kid everyone laughs at) calling herself "Miss Virgina Bell" in conversation.Published in 1954, but with a definite feeling of earlier. My edition had notes in the back about how everyone in Britain had to "make do and mend" and how clothes were much more expensive then--but they neglect to mention that the quality of clothes etc was also much higher, and a dress or suit could be used for years and years without showing a lot of wear. There's a bit encouraging kids to find money-making activities, including the tiresome old trope of a lemonade stand. In these days of "health and safety", I don't think that would go very far.
An okay sort of read. Three and a half stars.
October 13, 2014
This was fun! Jolly good fun, I'm almost tempted to say.
All in all, "The Bell Family" is a typical, old-fashioned children's story. Streatfeild tells the tale of a very charming, loud and noisy family and their everyday struggles and adventures. The Bell family is not exactly poor - they do not starve and they live in a very comfortable house. However they cannot afford the small luxuries in life. The eldest daughter Jane is pining for dance lessons, the youngest daughter Ginnie has a desperate need for a new dress, and the summer holiday is quiet and dreadful, as the family cannot afford to go anywhere.
The Bell family is constantly contrasted with their relatives who are rich but very obnoxious. While the Bell family isn't glamourous, they are good people who deserves lovely lives. As you read the story you cannot help but root for them; Jane deserves to succeed as a dancer, the family deserves a nice holiday and the eldest son Paul should be allowed to become a doctor.
Streatfeild works magic as she unfolds her story. "The Bell Family" is a charmingly simple tale of a large family and their little hopes and sorrows.
All in all, "The Bell Family" is a typical, old-fashioned children's story. Streatfeild tells the tale of a very charming, loud and noisy family and their everyday struggles and adventures. The Bell family is not exactly poor - they do not starve and they live in a very comfortable house. However they cannot afford the small luxuries in life. The eldest daughter Jane is pining for dance lessons, the youngest daughter Ginnie has a desperate need for a new dress, and the summer holiday is quiet and dreadful, as the family cannot afford to go anywhere.
The Bell family is constantly contrasted with their relatives who are rich but very obnoxious. While the Bell family isn't glamourous, they are good people who deserves lovely lives. As you read the story you cannot help but root for them; Jane deserves to succeed as a dancer, the family deserves a nice holiday and the eldest son Paul should be allowed to become a doctor.
Streatfeild works magic as she unfolds her story. "The Bell Family" is a charmingly simple tale of a large family and their little hopes and sorrows.
June 1, 2017
I am a big fan of Streatfeild but this family had no redeeming features. Very saccharine writing. Ghastly...
April 1, 2014
Utterly adorable. It's incredibly dated, of course, but that in no way diminishes its appeal.
It's always a good sign when I think to myself 'if X or Y does not happen to a character I am LITERALLY (not literally) going to SET MYSELF ON FIRE'. While I was reading this book I knew with utter certainty that if Jane didn't get to go to ballet school or Paul gave up his dream of becoming a doctor I was going to LITERALLY (not literally) SET MYSELF ON FIRE. Good thing everything always turns out OK in the end in a Noel Streatfeild book.
It's always a good sign when I think to myself 'if X or Y does not happen to a character I am LITERALLY (not literally) going to SET MYSELF ON FIRE'. While I was reading this book I knew with utter certainty that if Jane didn't get to go to ballet school or Paul gave up his dream of becoming a doctor I was going to LITERALLY (not literally) SET MYSELF ON FIRE. Good thing everything always turns out OK in the end in a Noel Streatfeild book.
June 13, 2014
As a child I loved Noel Streatfeild's most famous work Ballet Shoes. I had dreams of being a ballerina (which were never to materialise, although I did do a few dance exams) which were pretty much exclusively because of that book. Yet for some reason I never read any more of Streatfeild's books, until now.
Vintage Classics published this edition of The Bell Family this spring. Originally a radio series in the 1950s, the Bell's are a typical post-war family struggling to make ends meet. They have to 'make do and mend', utilise hand me down's from the wealthier side of their family and look for ways to bring in extra money. There isn't much of a plot, but that really doesn't matter- it is very much character driven. Each of the children brings their own personality and charm to the book-Paul, the sensible eldest child, Jane who harbours dreams of attending ballet school, rash and mischievous Ginnie who is desperate to find her role in the family (I must admit to having a soft spot for her. She's a feisty, determined madam) and baby of the family Angus, who collects all manner of bugs in his quest to start his own zoo. Then there is Esau the dog, who the Bell's are convinced is the most beautiful dog in Britain. Mrs Gage, the housekeeper, has oodles of compassion and is a lovable addition to the character list.
The relationships between the children are a heart warming reminder that being part of a family unit involves hard work and compromise, emphasised by the teamwork ethic which is a running theme throughout the book.
As with any text of this age (it is 60 years this year since The Bell Family was first published) it contains words that are no longer in common usage. However, there is a useful glossary in the extra features, alongside detailed author facts, information about life in the 1950s and a quiz to find out which Bell child you most closely resemble. There are also beautiful line drawing illustrations by Shirley Hughes OBE, drawn in 1954, which compliment the story perfectly.
I can't say how much I enjoyed this book which reflected on an era so different to the consumerist society we currently live in. It has similarities to classics such as The Railway Children, and I think The Bell Family deserves the same level of acclaim- it has been overlooked for far too long. I'm going to keep my copy, something I rarely do these days, because I know I will read it again in the future
Vintage Classics has a diverse range of titles, and the quality of the books is second to none. They are good value for money and have modern covers to appeal to a young audience. The hardest part is choosing which of these timeless children's books to read next-although I must admit I'm very tempted by Emil and the Detectives.
Vintage Classics published this edition of The Bell Family this spring. Originally a radio series in the 1950s, the Bell's are a typical post-war family struggling to make ends meet. They have to 'make do and mend', utilise hand me down's from the wealthier side of their family and look for ways to bring in extra money. There isn't much of a plot, but that really doesn't matter- it is very much character driven. Each of the children brings their own personality and charm to the book-Paul, the sensible eldest child, Jane who harbours dreams of attending ballet school, rash and mischievous Ginnie who is desperate to find her role in the family (I must admit to having a soft spot for her. She's a feisty, determined madam) and baby of the family Angus, who collects all manner of bugs in his quest to start his own zoo. Then there is Esau the dog, who the Bell's are convinced is the most beautiful dog in Britain. Mrs Gage, the housekeeper, has oodles of compassion and is a lovable addition to the character list.
The relationships between the children are a heart warming reminder that being part of a family unit involves hard work and compromise, emphasised by the teamwork ethic which is a running theme throughout the book.
As with any text of this age (it is 60 years this year since The Bell Family was first published) it contains words that are no longer in common usage. However, there is a useful glossary in the extra features, alongside detailed author facts, information about life in the 1950s and a quiz to find out which Bell child you most closely resemble. There are also beautiful line drawing illustrations by Shirley Hughes OBE, drawn in 1954, which compliment the story perfectly.
I can't say how much I enjoyed this book which reflected on an era so different to the consumerist society we currently live in. It has similarities to classics such as The Railway Children, and I think The Bell Family deserves the same level of acclaim- it has been overlooked for far too long. I'm going to keep my copy, something I rarely do these days, because I know I will read it again in the future
Vintage Classics has a diverse range of titles, and the quality of the books is second to none. They are good value for money and have modern covers to appeal to a young audience. The hardest part is choosing which of these timeless children's books to read next-although I must admit I'm very tempted by Emil and the Detectives.
May 3, 2014
It's always nice to acquire and read another Noel Streatfeild, and this is a nice edition reprinted this century. It has a brief biography and glossary in the back, intended for modern children who don't know much about the 1950s. This particular novel is a little unusual in that it started out as a series of radio plays.
It features the Bell family, who bear several striking resemblances to the author's own family, as portrayed in her autobiography 'The Vicarage Family'. As ever, there are some talented children: Paul who is highly academic and want to be a doctor, Jane who loves ballet, and Angus who sings well enough to have a place at a choir school but really doesn't want to sing. And then there's Ginnie, who is probably the one closest to Noel Streatfeild in character - kind-hearted but impulsive, bright but rebellious.
The book is a series of incidents through the year, showing the family contrasted with their rich and materialistic relatives, covering day-to-day problems and stresses, and seeing the children make some important decisions. It's very readable and I'm pleased to have this in my collection at last.
Latest longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
It features the Bell family, who bear several striking resemblances to the author's own family, as portrayed in her autobiography 'The Vicarage Family'. As ever, there are some talented children: Paul who is highly academic and want to be a doctor, Jane who loves ballet, and Angus who sings well enough to have a place at a choir school but really doesn't want to sing. And then there's Ginnie, who is probably the one closest to Noel Streatfeild in character - kind-hearted but impulsive, bright but rebellious.
The book is a series of incidents through the year, showing the family contrasted with their rich and materialistic relatives, covering day-to-day problems and stresses, and seeing the children make some important decisions. It's very readable and I'm pleased to have this in my collection at last.
Latest longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
September 24, 2017
What a delightful book. I have read Noel Streatfeild before but this was a new one for me, and it was totally delightful.
The story which is set in 1950's SE London, is of the Bell family.
Father: Reverend Alex Bell. Kind and conscientious of his parish and family duties.
Mother: Cathy, Sweet woman trying bravely to make ends meet on a vicar's income.
Eldest: Paul. Intelligent caring young man wants to be a doctor.
Next Eldest: Jane. Pretty one of the family with a talent and desire to be a ballet dancer. (of course, this is Noel Streatfeild after all).
Third eldest: Ginnie (Virginia). The somewhat outspoken plain one of the family who is quite hilarious at times with her faux pas.
Youngest: Angus, likes all things animal and sings in the choir.
Mrs Gage; down to earth general help for the family and as big hearted as she is capable.
And the cocker spaniel dog: Esau.
I loved this family. More I will not say but that this is one I would like to get for my library.
The story which is set in 1950's SE London, is of the Bell family.
Father: Reverend Alex Bell. Kind and conscientious of his parish and family duties.
Mother: Cathy, Sweet woman trying bravely to make ends meet on a vicar's income.
Eldest: Paul. Intelligent caring young man wants to be a doctor.
Next Eldest: Jane. Pretty one of the family with a talent and desire to be a ballet dancer. (of course, this is Noel Streatfeild after all).
Third eldest: Ginnie (Virginia). The somewhat outspoken plain one of the family who is quite hilarious at times with her faux pas.
Youngest: Angus, likes all things animal and sings in the choir.
Mrs Gage; down to earth general help for the family and as big hearted as she is capable.
And the cocker spaniel dog: Esau.
I loved this family. More I will not say but that this is one I would like to get for my library.
January 20, 2021
***4.75 Stars***
Book review: This is heckin’ adorable. “The Bell Family” is a kids book written by Noel Streatfeild (author of “Ballet Shoes” and the other Shoes books that are mentioned in “You’ve Got Mail”). I absolutely loved this family and their story. The story follows a vicar’s delightful family and their adventures -and misadventures- for about a year. To provide context, “Ballet Shoes” is one of my favorite books of all time and this might now be my second favorite of hers. “The Bell Family” was originally a very popular radio program in England. She took those stories and adventures and novelized it. I thought some sentences were awkwardly phrased and I wonder if that happened because of how the story came to be written. And the story just sort of ends. There is a sequel, but I think it is out of print. (Also, this was originally published in the United States as “Family Shoes.”)
Book review: This is heckin’ adorable. “The Bell Family” is a kids book written by Noel Streatfeild (author of “Ballet Shoes” and the other Shoes books that are mentioned in “You’ve Got Mail”). I absolutely loved this family and their story. The story follows a vicar’s delightful family and their adventures -and misadventures- for about a year. To provide context, “Ballet Shoes” is one of my favorite books of all time and this might now be my second favorite of hers. “The Bell Family” was originally a very popular radio program in England. She took those stories and adventures and novelized it. I thought some sentences were awkwardly phrased and I wonder if that happened because of how the story came to be written. And the story just sort of ends. There is a sequel, but I think it is out of print. (Also, this was originally published in the United States as “Family Shoes.”)
March 22, 2022
This was thoroughly charming and delightful. The streak of comedy of manners that I noted but that was not sustained in The Children on the Top Floor is in full flower here. There are a lot of hilarious scenes and sly comments on various social "types" (like the well-meaning but rather pitiful church groupie - a character right out of Barbara Pym). I thought Ginnie was going to be over-the-top, and she was, but I couldn't help liking her. The scene where she blasts her horrible relatives and their pretensions is absolutely wonderful. Okay, there are all the Streatfield tropes - the dancer daughter, the musical son, the unattractive but strong-willed middle child - but the family dynamics are warm and likeable and the characters overall transcend their Streatfield stereotypes.
June 21, 2015
The four star review must be entirely without reference to any other work besides others by the same author! I've read this so many times since I was child; I'm completely incapable of giving it an unbiased rating. Yes, Streatfeild's stories are very similar, as are her characters. I suppose the cozy tone may grate on the nerves. But I've always loved how the author made her adults point-of-view characters alongside the children, and even referred to them by first name. The children's career aspirations are fascinating, too.
I wish all her other novels would be released in eBook form, too.
I,own this one as an ebook, published as "The Bell Family."
I wish all her other novels would be released in eBook form, too.
I,own this one as an ebook, published as "The Bell Family."
April 6, 2015
It was a nice book. A very fast paced book. We get to know about the poorer side of London and how hard it can be to manage a family and still be happy when you can break at any point. We get many colourful characters which are very different from each other. Along the read you feel happy and sad with the ongoing events. It will a really nice read for a kid thought they may find it not to relevant because of their fast life. A nice read to start the year.
The edition by Vintage is really good and beautiful and I love the snippets they include in the end.
The edition by Vintage is really good and beautiful and I love the snippets they include in the end.
January 16, 2016
Noel Streatfield is always good for a bit of comfort reading and escapism, but for me this book didn't come close to Ballet Shoes or White Boots. She does tend to recycle her characters from book to book, and I didn't find a single character here who wasn't instantly recognisable from at least one other Streatfield. It was also very episodic - probably not a surprise as I think the book came after the radio series of the same name - but I never really felt I could get into the story the way I wanted to.
February 1, 2016
Slightly different than most of Noel Streatfeild's books for children. This family actually has both parents living at home with them and the entire family is not caught up in the entertainment industry. But a lot of the other familial Streatfeild theme's are there: dealing with poverty, children trying to help out their family by earning money, secrets or half-truths causing havoc and misunderstandings. Another solid Streatfeild story to share with my daughter.
May 25, 2015
This was enjoyable for all the usual reasons in a Streatfeild novel. Perhaps the only shock was the Sister Who Dances did not force her way into an audition, as so many other characters have done. It's nice to read a book without a major issue. The story unfolds chapter after chapter about the family, and nothing traumatic happens and the Bells are kind and pleasant people. The End.
March 5, 2011
The Bell Family were far posher than our family; I was fascinated at the thought of having a maid, and didn't have a clue what brawn was - but I enjoyed the book so much that I read it umpteen times.
July 24, 2014
quite pleasant. a rose tinted view of an English parish family and their community. Very proper & twee. the narrative tends to overlap without proper pauses. a very sweet keep calm and carry on tale of happily ever after!
April 20, 2017
It's quite a delightful story, one I would have adored in its entirety if I was younger. It's not as lovely as Ballet Shoes though it's refreshing to find characters who are well-fleshed out stereotypes.
January 13, 2025
Reviewing books and going down memory lane at the moment. So warm, so charming. One of my first prose pieces too. I begged my drama teacher to let me choose my own piece because I loved this book so much.
May 28, 2016
Read this one aloud with Brooke. Definitely a slow read as it is character driven rather than plot driven. We enjoyed spending time with the family in the book.
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August 19, 2016Fiction S914b 2014
August 5, 2018
i read a juvenile book each summer. loved this one. love streatfeild.
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