First Term at Fernside

Fernside #1

by Sheena Wilkinson

Robin can't wait to be back at Fernside boarding school. All she wants is to have fun with her friends in the dorm, play hockey and try to win the Form Shield.

But for her younger cousin Linnet the first term at Fernside is a bit of a nightmare.

And she needs Robin's help with every little thing.

Robin soon discovers that keeping everyone in line is hard.

Some of them are even sneaking off to the forbidden garden of Rowanbank.

And when the adorable puppy Rudy disappears, can the girls stay out of trouble long enough to solve the mystery?

Genres: School Stories, Historical, Irish Literature

286 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2024

About the author

Described in The Irish Times as 'one of our foremost writers for young people', Sheena Wilkinson is the author of eight acclaimed YA novels. She has won many awards for these, and for her short fiction. Her first adult novel, Mrs Hart's Marriage Bureau, a historical romantic comedy, is published by HarperCollins Ireland.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, what is it about boarding school stories?! I’ve always been fascinated by them, from my first reading of “The Little Princess”, and many others through the years.
This one did not disappoint! It had everything a good boarding school novel should have:
Newcomers, not sure of their places
Mean girls, who make it harder for the newbies
Matrons who can freeze blood with one stare
Kind, understanding, well-established students, and teachers, who more than make up for mean girl stuff
A mystery (not too scary, but intriguing enough to keep the reading going)
Dormitories to sleep in (and sneak out of to solve that mystery, at night!)
Huge houses turned into schools
Girls with all types of personalities; always at least one that can really be related to.
In short, a very interesting, readable book!

[Libby Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly enjoyable tale.

[Nick Garlick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is lovely. And rather more than the title and the cover might suggest. Yes, it’s about a girl’s school. And yes, there are hockey sticks. And adventures! But it’s not quite the warm and cuddly Malory Towers escapade it might appear to be.

In addition to the worries about getting onto the netball team, or fitting in, or being bullied, or trying to master the art of plaits, is an awareness of the outside (adult) world and the pain and confusion lurking there. A horse is mistreated by a cruel owner. One girl’s father died in the Great War. Another is on crutches following a bout of polio. And the adventure that brings everyone together at the end has a happy ending – of course – but also reveals more of a world stained by global conflict. It's a girls' school story* that respects the conventions but manages add a modern perspective that never feels forced or overly serious. A delicate balancing act that works beautifully.

All the charm that made the same author's 'Mrs Hart’s Marriage Bureau' such a delight is also on display here. Which is why I’m already looking forward to, and hoping for, Second Term at Fernside.

[Linda Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly I'm not the target audience here! But I read it for a review and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you remember liking St Clare's and/or Malory Towers, then please buy this for any girls aged 8 - 12 you might know. It has all the highs and lows of boarding school, adventures with puppies, mean girls and kind girls, sporty girls and nature girls - I was totally absorbed by the girls' characters.
Plus, there's a post WW1 historical context which just allows a bit of history to drip feed into the story and add to the richness of the day. It's set in Belfast but would translate to any other country or culture. Hope she gets a series from it!

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the vein of the popular girls school stories of the early twentieth century, this book is set in 1925 in Ireland. Robin Grey is happy to be returning to boarding school, but this term her slightly younger cousin, Linnet, who she's always though of as slightly odd, will be joining the school. She's not the only new girl—there's also Sadie, who is recovering from polio and needs to use crutches. The new science lab destroyed the hockey pitch, so this term the girls begin learning netball instead. But they learn more than just what is taught in class.

[Farah Mendlesohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed.

A nice modern take on the classic boarding school which manages to diversify without anachronism.

One weirdness tho: this is Belfast in the 1920s. No one is making assembly secular.

[Mary Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheena Wilkinson has a real talent for placing her readers right at the heart of her stories with clear language that is expressive and concise; understanding her characters and the roles they play. In First Term at Fernside, this happens from page one. We are part of the school, the classes, the striving to belong, the day trips, adventures and disagreements, breaking rules and building friendships and alliances…discovering who they are and what they can be. We’re just one of the girls as they move through their classes, work their way around the teachers and sneak away into “forbidden territory.” Each scene unfolds with finesse, gliding seamlessly through the pages. And each of the characters is a pure delight and perfectly placed. They all shine, though there are a few surprises, as the characters grow and develop, change and resolve; some that you might not expect from the girls.
As the action unfolds and adventure ensues, you can’t help but see yourself as part of it all. But there is something that sets First Term at Fernside apart; that causes it to become more than your typical Malory Towers or Chalet School type story. It may be set in a similar time, but there are more contemporary sensibilities. Concerns for animal rights and the courage to take action, womens rights and social issues are displayed here. A disparity between rich and poor, privileged and working class work their way subtly into the plot. It glimmers through and seeps into the lives of these girls. They think about it and they take action. Quite cleverly, too. And they have so much fun doing it, even if it gets them into a spot of bother with the school. Because of these things, while it may well be a genuine, old-style, boarding school story like the ones that inspired it, First Term at Fernside moves forward with that tradition. It becomes a story that is more relatable, more enjoyable for the contemporary reader not only building relationships within the book, but with the reader and the book itself. And this is exciting! Delightful, compelling, thoroughly entertaining and a book that gives pause for thought; I loved it! I can’t wait for the next instalment!