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St. Clare's #1-3
St Clares Collection 1 Books 1 3
St Clares Collection 1
576 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
138 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Enid Blyton
5,132 books6,304 followersSee also:
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
Ένιντ Μπλάιτον (Greek)
Enida Blaitona (Latvian)
Энид Блайтон (Russian)
Inid Blajton (Serbian)
Інід Блайтон (Ukrainian)
Enid Mary Blyton (1897–1968) was an English author of children's books.
Born in South London, Blyton was the eldest of three children, and showed an early interest in music and reading. She was educated at St. Christopher's School, Beckenham, and - having decided not to pursue her music - at Ipswich High School, where she trained as a kindergarten teacher. She taught for five years before her 1924 marriage to editor Hugh Pollock, with whom she had two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce, and Blyton remarried in 1943, to surgeon Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters. She died in 1968, one year after her second husband.
Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.
According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare.
See also her pen name Mary Pollock
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June 5, 2024The Twins at St Clare's: Patricia (Pat) and Isabel have been transferred to St. Clare's school, much against their wishes because they were top girls at their old school, and they'd be starting in the lowest form at their new one. It's evident they've developed a streak of snobbishness, and that at least in part seems to be their parents' motivation to send them someplace less posh.
At first determined to have a miserable time at St. Clare's, the twins take little time to fit in. From there, over the course of their first term, there are a number of episodic stories where the eight girls in the twins' dorm room have various scrapes and disagreements.
It's nice to think that any ill-feeling between people can be fixed by understanding the other person, and that honesty is rewarded, or, in a plotting pinch, that circumstance will let a wayward girl wiggle away from the burden of a guilty conscience.
It's a bit less nice to think that harmony is often achieved by hammering a non-conforming girl into the shape of the rest--one girl loving animals, and another dancing, and so forth, doesn't quite ease that discomfort. And there's a nasty smell of classism in the depiction of , who's obviously fronting above her station, but "sometimes talks like a rag-and-bone man" and neglects to brush her hair and wash her face, giving her lower-caste background away.
***
The O'Sullivan Twins at St Clare's: there's even less reason to title this book after Pat and Isabel than the first one, since the majority of the book is taken up with a longish episode featuring a couple of other girls in the first form, Margery and Erica. Margery is bad-tempered and Erica is "mean." What's meant by mean wasn't entirely clear to me, but the gist seems to be that you can get verbal with your peers, but if you do something physically harmful like ruining someone's class supplies, you've crossed a line that could well put you in the dumpster with the other irredeemables.
The resolution to the situation with Margery and Erica relied too much on coincidence for my taste, after several episodes where students, and sometimes teachers, worked out their differences with each other by meeting in the middle. Each story playing out exactly the same way would get tedious after a while, so, come down to it, it's a tricky thing to make this reader happy. The conclusion was a little different than the other episodes, with one of the two girls .
One of the cardinal virtues of the St. Clare's universe is bravery. Aside from simple physical bravery, and bravery in the face of something like bad news about a family member, there's the idea that if you've done something wrong, then the only correct thing to do is freely confess to it, and withstand the scorn of your peers that might follow. This idea comes into play in the Margery and Erica plotline.
I do like that St. Clare's is a place where a girl who couldn't manage to fit in anywhere else could find a place to belong. In those circumstances, maybe succumbing to conformity or uniformity in your attitude, values and behavior isn't a terrible price to pay.
***
Summer Term at St Clare's:
Sadie and Alison get grief for affecting adult hairstyles and being too focused on their looks. New student Carlotta shows that someone from a background that isn't a 100% British nuclear family can do well at the school, so long as her character is good.
On Carlotta's background, it's handled better than I'd expect from 80 years ago. (Rather unconvincingly so, if I'm honest. Maybe there was some discreet editing done between its initial publication date in 1942 and today.) At first it's kept secret from the school, but once it comes out it doesn't make any difference to how she is treated by anyone... except by the girl who will eventually leave the school because she's a nasty, unrepentant piece of work.
The climax is slightly silly and unconvincing, just like the second book's. This time it's a rather than . It doesn't have any impact on whether shakes down or not, so it's less of an "emergency ex machina," I think.
***
To my memory, I hadn't read an Enid Blyton before trying this book. I enjoyed it! I like that St. Clare's nurtures straightforward dealing and getting along as a group. The school is a forge where each girl's character is tempered and tested. Girls who don't, or won't, bring their flaws under control will never be able to conceal it, and will never fit in. While the stories are on the melodramatic side at times, for the most part there aren't villains so much as square pegs. You can pity a girl who effectively (if not literally) gets kicked out, even as you can understand why it happened.
Blyton was a workhorse who was able to knock out a children's book a week at the height of her powers. Knowing that, I was surprised that there wasn't a lot of repetition between the three books in this collection. Events, themes or motifs, and characters, were different in each one, and there was never a dull moment to bog things down. There were always tricks to play on instructors (usually Mam'zelle), clandestine after-hours shenanigans, sports events, bickering, and much more, to keep things fresh and interesting.
I'm not much of a MG reader, so this is likely where my relationship with Blyton's writing will end. I'm mildly curious to see if the other three books in this series authored by Blyton keep up a similar level of engagement and (mostly) lightly applied behaviorial guidance as the girls move on to second form at St. Clare's, but probably not curious enough to actually do it. :)
Unrated for now.
At first determined to have a miserable time at St. Clare's, the twins take little time to fit in. From there, over the course of their first term, there are a number of episodic stories where the eight girls in the twins' dorm room have various scrapes and disagreements.
It's nice to think that any ill-feeling between people can be fixed by understanding the other person, and that honesty is rewarded, or, in a plotting pinch, that circumstance will let a wayward girl wiggle away from the burden of a guilty conscience.
It's a bit less nice to think that harmony is often achieved by hammering a non-conforming girl into the shape of the rest--one girl loving animals, and another dancing, and so forth, doesn't quite ease that discomfort. And there's a nasty smell of classism in the depiction of , who's obviously fronting above her station, but "sometimes talks like a rag-and-bone man" and neglects to brush her hair and wash her face, giving her lower-caste background away.
***
The O'Sullivan Twins at St Clare's: there's even less reason to title this book after Pat and Isabel than the first one, since the majority of the book is taken up with a longish episode featuring a couple of other girls in the first form, Margery and Erica. Margery is bad-tempered and Erica is "mean." What's meant by mean wasn't entirely clear to me, but the gist seems to be that you can get verbal with your peers, but if you do something physically harmful like ruining someone's class supplies, you've crossed a line that could well put you in the dumpster with the other irredeemables.
The resolution to the situation with Margery and Erica relied too much on coincidence for my taste, after several episodes where students, and sometimes teachers, worked out their differences with each other by meeting in the middle. Each story playing out exactly the same way would get tedious after a while, so, come down to it, it's a tricky thing to make this reader happy. The conclusion was a little different than the other episodes, with one of the two girls .
One of the cardinal virtues of the St. Clare's universe is bravery. Aside from simple physical bravery, and bravery in the face of something like bad news about a family member, there's the idea that if you've done something wrong, then the only correct thing to do is freely confess to it, and withstand the scorn of your peers that might follow. This idea comes into play in the Margery and Erica plotline.
I do like that St. Clare's is a place where a girl who couldn't manage to fit in anywhere else could find a place to belong. In those circumstances, maybe succumbing to conformity or uniformity in your attitude, values and behavior isn't a terrible price to pay.
***
Summer Term at St Clare's:
And there we will leave them, first formers for the last time, singing on their way home for the holidays.Five new girls arrive at the beginning of term, and remain at the end. Some girls just never "shake down." Girls who sneak, cheat, or tell tales (tattle) won't be in the good graces of anyone in the school--the Mistresses included--if they don't take remonstrance to heart, engage in some self-reflection, and change their ways.
Sadie and Alison get grief for affecting adult hairstyles and being too focused on their looks. New student Carlotta shows that someone from a background that isn't a 100% British nuclear family can do well at the school, so long as her character is good.
On Carlotta's background, it's handled better than I'd expect from 80 years ago. (Rather unconvincingly so, if I'm honest. Maybe there was some discreet editing done between its initial publication date in 1942 and today.) At first it's kept secret from the school, but once it comes out it doesn't make any difference to how she is treated by anyone... except by the girl who will eventually leave the school because she's a nasty, unrepentant piece of work.
The climax is slightly silly and unconvincing, just like the second book's. This time it's a rather than . It doesn't have any impact on whether shakes down or not, so it's less of an "emergency ex machina," I think.
***
To my memory, I hadn't read an Enid Blyton before trying this book. I enjoyed it! I like that St. Clare's nurtures straightforward dealing and getting along as a group. The school is a forge where each girl's character is tempered and tested. Girls who don't, or won't, bring their flaws under control will never be able to conceal it, and will never fit in. While the stories are on the melodramatic side at times, for the most part there aren't villains so much as square pegs. You can pity a girl who effectively (if not literally) gets kicked out, even as you can understand why it happened.
Blyton was a workhorse who was able to knock out a children's book a week at the height of her powers. Knowing that, I was surprised that there wasn't a lot of repetition between the three books in this collection. Events, themes or motifs, and characters, were different in each one, and there was never a dull moment to bog things down. There were always tricks to play on instructors (usually Mam'zelle), clandestine after-hours shenanigans, sports events, bickering, and much more, to keep things fresh and interesting.
I'm not much of a MG reader, so this is likely where my relationship with Blyton's writing will end. I'm mildly curious to see if the other three books in this series authored by Blyton keep up a similar level of engagement and (mostly) lightly applied behaviorial guidance as the girls move on to second form at St. Clare's, but probably not curious enough to actually do it. :)
Unrated for now.
March 24, 2020
These last few days have been rather hard for me so I need something light among other books I am currently reading. Since I just recently found Enid Blyton's works in Kindle formats, I have been slowly rereading them, from the Malory Towers books, to the Naughtiest Girl in the School series.
St Clare books is my current obsession. I must say I was not overly fond of the series since I only read three books when I was a kid. Somehow I could not find the other three books in the bookstores or libraries so my foray into this other boarding school was not as deep as the above mentioned series.
Anyway, it has been nice reading the first three books for the first time. I think Enid Blyton books are timeless, and I could still enjoy them, heck some stories even got me emotional and teary-eyed! St Clare's girls are more diverse than Malory Towers, so many interesting characters.
I also noticed that Enid loved to reuse character types. In St Clare, for instance:
Pat & Isabel: a mix between Darrell Rivers and Elizabeth Allen
Hilary: Sally Hope
Janet: Alicia Johns
Bobbie: Julian Holland
Carlotta: has a bit of Bill in her
Sadie: Zerelda
Margery: Amanda Chartelow & June Johns.
Actually, Margery's story line is probably my favorite in this collection - the book where she was introduced supposed to be titled Margery in St Clare since she stole every scene she's in. Such a great character, teen angst and all.
Anyway, the similarities do not matter. The character interaction was never boring. I can't wait to read the next books.
St Clare books is my current obsession. I must say I was not overly fond of the series since I only read three books when I was a kid. Somehow I could not find the other three books in the bookstores or libraries so my foray into this other boarding school was not as deep as the above mentioned series.
Anyway, it has been nice reading the first three books for the first time. I think Enid Blyton books are timeless, and I could still enjoy them, heck some stories even got me emotional and teary-eyed! St Clare's girls are more diverse than Malory Towers, so many interesting characters.
I also noticed that Enid loved to reuse character types. In St Clare, for instance:
Pat & Isabel: a mix between Darrell Rivers and Elizabeth Allen
Hilary: Sally Hope
Janet: Alicia Johns
Bobbie: Julian Holland
Carlotta: has a bit of Bill in her
Sadie: Zerelda
Margery: Amanda Chartelow & June Johns.
Actually, Margery's story line is probably my favorite in this collection - the book where she was introduced supposed to be titled Margery in St Clare since she stole every scene she's in. Such a great character, teen angst and all.
Anyway, the similarities do not matter. The character interaction was never boring. I can't wait to read the next books.
December 20, 2023
I adored St Clare's series throughout my childhood. Reading it again after years brought back those beautiful memories i had. I always wanted to go to a boarding school and have midnight fiests like twins did, play tricks like Janet and Bobby and overall enjoy the playful time. I know there are some flaws about these stories and some people say they are quite repetitive. Yes they are sometimes, but for me this series has happy memories of my childhood. So it will be precious to me no matter what. 📚✨️
March 11, 2018
T Welcome to St Clare's
Great story I look forward to reading the next in the series. Once more wonderful written books by Enid Blyton
Great story I look forward to reading the next in the series. Once more wonderful written books by Enid Blyton
June 26, 2022
Review for the series as a whole, including the authorised sequels by Pamela Cox:-
Re-read these purely for the nostalgia as they were some of my favourites growing up, and whilst I enjoyed it, it did make me realise how much a product of their time these books are. Each fictional genre has it’s own tropes or stereotypes, and boarding-school stories are no different…..
Things that feature regularly:-
1/ Getting the uniform, sports equipment, tuck-box etc. followed by the journey to the school, most often via train from London, then a coach
2/ The new girl, starting a term or two behind everyone else in the class, or the girl or girls who got kept back a form for academic reasons
5/ Mean girls, sporty girls, naughty girls, responsible girls, artistically-gifted girls
6/ The upper-school forms being all dignified (or trying to!) & the lower forms are “those kids”
7/ 98% of the girls being white, British & upper-class, or at least very upper-middle-class, though sometimes there’s a token scholarship student, or a girl attending the school because a relative works there, or a rich relative pays the fees
8/ The closest the school gets to diversity is a continental European girl, usually French. Or the French teachers are themselves French
9/ At least one drama per term, whether it’s a midnight feast, epic row, accident, theft or fire
10/ The naughty girls playing pranks/tricks on the teachers or other girls
11/ Inter-year, -form or -school rivalry, especially in sports or intra-form rivalry at the end-of-term or Christmas concert/play
12/ As girls progress through the school, their younger cousins or sisters arrive as pupils too
13/ An emphasis on girls’ characters developing, learning to deal with faults - those who don’t have a hard time; but “work hard, play hard” too
Disappointing that the Kindle editions don’t feature any of the original illustrations, which are a big part of the nostalgia for me. One thing I do like is that the characters aren’t perfect, and with a couple of rare exceptions, no-one is irredeemable.
Re-read these purely for the nostalgia as they were some of my favourites growing up, and whilst I enjoyed it, it did make me realise how much a product of their time these books are. Each fictional genre has it’s own tropes or stereotypes, and boarding-school stories are no different…..
Things that feature regularly:-
1/ Getting the uniform, sports equipment, tuck-box etc. followed by the journey to the school, most often via train from London, then a coach
2/ The new girl, starting a term or two behind everyone else in the class, or the girl or girls who got kept back a form for academic reasons
5/ Mean girls, sporty girls, naughty girls, responsible girls, artistically-gifted girls
6/ The upper-school forms being all dignified (or trying to!) & the lower forms are “those kids”
7/ 98% of the girls being white, British & upper-class, or at least very upper-middle-class, though sometimes there’s a token scholarship student, or a girl attending the school because a relative works there, or a rich relative pays the fees
8/ The closest the school gets to diversity is a continental European girl, usually French. Or the French teachers are themselves French
9/ At least one drama per term, whether it’s a midnight feast, epic row, accident, theft or fire
10/ The naughty girls playing pranks/tricks on the teachers or other girls
11/ Inter-year, -form or -school rivalry, especially in sports or intra-form rivalry at the end-of-term or Christmas concert/play
12/ As girls progress through the school, their younger cousins or sisters arrive as pupils too
13/ An emphasis on girls’ characters developing, learning to deal with faults - those who don’t have a hard time; but “work hard, play hard” too
Disappointing that the Kindle editions don’t feature any of the original illustrations, which are a big part of the nostalgia for me. One thing I do like is that the characters aren’t perfect, and with a couple of rare exceptions, no-one is irredeemable.
January 5, 2023
I found this book recently after watching the Mallory Towers TV series and finding out more about Enid Blyton books. I enjoyed this book a lot and liked the beginning of the book where the girls were stuck up and did not like St Clare’s. I felt conflicted about their transition out of this (haha!) as I wanted to them view the school better and try more with others then later felt it was a little bit rushed in terms of the girls not having any of these attributes in the later books (especially collection 2). Although not overly important, I was not fussed on the cover of this book and feel like it doesn’t really suit the period of when the book is set but it doesn’t really matter. I would definitely recommend this book, it feels like having 3 books in 1 makes it a faster book to read. This book would be a good read ages for 11+.
September 29, 2025
A Great Collection
I hadn’t read these since I was a child and was both surprised and entertained by the stories. The surprising thing for me was the behaviour of the girls towards each other - so tough and even aggressive. It reflects real life in my own childhood but I hope that by now we are teaching our children to be much kinder.
I hadn’t read these since I was a child and was both surprised and entertained by the stories. The surprising thing for me was the behaviour of the girls towards each other - so tough and even aggressive. It reflects real life in my own childhood but I hope that by now we are teaching our children to be much kinder.
July 21, 2019
Good book for a bedtime read
Lovely book... Nice for a light reading... Having read Malory Towers prior to this book, I found it a bit lacking in the fun areas. Hence the 3 rating.
Lovely book... Nice for a light reading... Having read Malory Towers prior to this book, I found it a bit lacking in the fun areas. Hence the 3 rating.
September 24, 2020
A fun story to while away the time.
Read these years ago as a child, and fancied a bit of fluffy nostalgia. They did the trick. All very about honour, working and playing hard, being sensible, and not being mean.
Read these years ago as a child, and fancied a bit of fluffy nostalgia. They did the trick. All very about honour, working and playing hard, being sensible, and not being mean.
June 16, 2024
This book definitely all pre-teens need! Not to much and not boring at all, i ended this book only in 2 days. The entire series are so exciting so there's no way you didn't collect all the books of St Clare's series. But sometime the story is kinda easy to guess but over all good! Worth to read
July 21, 2019
An all time favourite
This is the best book to start with in the st.clates collection. I am 45 and getting back again to my childhood favourites.
This is the best book to start with in the st.clates collection. I am 45 and getting back again to my childhood favourites.
June 28, 2020
Good fun for some light relief.
July 7, 2021
i dont know
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2021
this is the kinda book I would read when I was ten or something but my library doesn't have nice books so I had to read something
April 10, 2022
a great collection of books and i really enjoyed all the character developments and different plots, a must read
July 20, 2022
St Clare’s was the best book I’ve read by far and has encouraged me to read more books. I liked it because it was relatable and a fun way to read about boarding schools.
October 3, 2024
a very funny book I highly recomand!
December 27, 2023
The O’Sullivan twins aren’t keen on going to St Clare’s but within a term have completely settled in - and over the next two terms the stories feature how other new girls get used to school life. Or don’t! Tricks are played, midnight fears eaten - and really, in today’s terms, the girls are pretty unpleasant to those they disapprove of in any way.
First there was the Naughtiest Girl (published 1940-45), then St Clare’s (published 1941-45)and then Malory Towers (published 1946-51) - which I like best of all. In none of these is the Second World War mentioned, nor the associated rationing with cream buns and”smashing” teas aplenty. So the books were sheer escapism for the young readers when they were first published.
(Counted as three books for my 2023 reading challenge - target adjusted down 2)
First there was the Naughtiest Girl (published 1940-45), then St Clare’s (published 1941-45)and then Malory Towers (published 1946-51) - which I like best of all. In none of these is the Second World War mentioned, nor the associated rationing with cream buns and”smashing” teas aplenty. So the books were sheer escapism for the young readers when they were first published.
(Counted as three books for my 2023 reading challenge - target adjusted down 2)
May 30, 2023
Old fashioned stories of a bygone era.
July 28, 2023
literally my childhood in a book.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews