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Gemma #3
Gemma Alone
Gemma finds the transition from being a glamorous child movie star to working as a student at a school for the performing arts requires hard work, but she also enthusiastically joins her cousins in honing their musical, dancing, and acting talents for a grand competition on television.Already a child film star, Gemma is concerned about her reception when she enters the Headstone School of Drama and Stage Training, particularly when she enters a television talent competition with her cousins
150 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
119 people want to read
About the author
Noel Streatfeild
164 books612 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 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 30, 2021
Drama, dance and music form the backbone of this lovely series - frequently condemned as ‘too modern’ by many GoodReaders.
Well, there’s not a STEM subject in sight here, which proves that not so long ago, vocational training in the performing arts was considered a great deal more important (and necessary) than today.
A welcome escape from pandemics and politicians.
Well, there’s not a STEM subject in sight here, which proves that not so long ago, vocational training in the performing arts was considered a great deal more important (and necessary) than today.
A welcome escape from pandemics and politicians.
May 2, 2024
Third in the 'Gemma' series, the newer editions have changed the title to 'Gemma the Star'.
This story involves Gemma starting to train at a local drama school, only to be offered a film role as ‘Rebecca of Sunnybrook farm’. Lydia, meanwhile, disobeys her ballet teacher and has to suffer the consequences in the name of learning some self-discipline, and Ann, the wonderful singer, has to let her parents know that she doesn’t want to go to music college, but to study at university.
There are pleasant interludes - the holiday where they stay in Devon with another family and make new friends; the descriptions of Gemma on the film set; another holiday, a year later, in a different location. The plot, such as it is, is minimal, but it doesn’t matter. Streatfeild shone in her characterisation, even when - as so often - her children are all remarkably talented in different ways.
This book was originally published in 1969, so it feels dated in some ways. But family values don’t change, and it’s an enjoyable, relaxing read that harks back to simpler times.
I doubt if many of today’s teens would be interested in such a ‘tame’ family-orientated book, but it still appeals to children (primarily girls) of about eight or nine and older who read fluently, and of course their parents who grew up with these books.
Latest longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
This story involves Gemma starting to train at a local drama school, only to be offered a film role as ‘Rebecca of Sunnybrook farm’. Lydia, meanwhile, disobeys her ballet teacher and has to suffer the consequences in the name of learning some self-discipline, and Ann, the wonderful singer, has to let her parents know that she doesn’t want to go to music college, but to study at university.
There are pleasant interludes - the holiday where they stay in Devon with another family and make new friends; the descriptions of Gemma on the film set; another holiday, a year later, in a different location. The plot, such as it is, is minimal, but it doesn’t matter. Streatfeild shone in her characterisation, even when - as so often - her children are all remarkably talented in different ways.
This book was originally published in 1969, so it feels dated in some ways. But family values don’t change, and it’s an enjoyable, relaxing read that harks back to simpler times.
I doubt if many of today’s teens would be interested in such a ‘tame’ family-orientated book, but it still appeals to children (primarily girls) of about eight or nine and older who read fluently, and of course their parents who grew up with these books.
Latest longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
January 4, 2016
The four Gemma books are an easy read, and effectively tell one longer story about Gemma's stay with the Robinsons. I know we're not supposed to like the Gemma books, because they are all modern; and my copies had the photo cover and the Betty Maxey illustrations, so they even looked a bit rubbishy. But I always liked the Robinson family, who lived in a fairly ordinary house like ours, and went to a comprehensive school like we did. Obviously we weren't as fabulously talented as the Robinsons and we didn't have a former child film star cousin living with us; but this clearly isn't the remote world of 1930s London, and what the Robinsons do seemed to be possible in the world I lived in.
So: if you are a fan of NS, the Gemma books are a bit different, but as usual she captures sibling bickering and family life exceptionally well and, as ever, it's an enjoyable ride.
So: if you are a fan of NS, the Gemma books are a bit different, but as usual she captures sibling bickering and family life exceptionally well and, as ever, it's an enjoyable ride.
April 9, 2012
Just re-read this while on a visit home, after discovering it among a box of books in the attic! First read when I was about 14.
Probably lesser known than the other Streatfield books such as "Ballet Shoes" but a similar type of story. Precocious, but charming, youngsters discovering their talents and working towards their dreams. A lovely read.
Probably lesser known than the other Streatfield books such as "Ballet Shoes" but a similar type of story. Precocious, but charming, youngsters discovering their talents and working towards their dreams. A lovely read.
December 29, 2016
I have always loved Noel Streatfeild's books and as a child I got my library to ILL them for me or hunted through second hand book stores to find all of them. She tells the perfect "girls stories". I was always able to find one character in each book that was my favorite. They definitely stand up to re-reads.
April 29, 2009
Not as good as most of Streatfeild's other books. Gemma just wasn't as interesting or as likeable as most of her other girls, and the setting was getting a bit too modern for the old-fashioned charm to still be there.
December 19, 2013
Enjoyed more than Gemma and Sisters. Still light reading - I didn't actually realize that it was published as long ago as it was, but it explains why mum bought them in the first place - she must have read them as a teenager.
April 19, 2012
Another re-living of my childhood. I even shed a tear at the end. Not sure why.
June 1, 2020
This was much better than Book #2 in the series. It focuses much more on Gemma and you can see her really begin to understand herself and the world around her. She can still be bratty, but you can see that she is growing out of it. Lydia misbehaves - again! and gets caught - again! I'll be interested to see if she's finally learned her lesson. Anne is still the least interesting character, but at least she got to finally stand up for what she wanted. Robin is Robin, though inexplicably they've decided to rename his "swirling" to the much more boring "improvising". Fun quick, read. Not perhaps as strong as her early books, but better than I was expecting.
September 30, 2021
This was cute—very reminiscent of Meet the Austins and of course in the vein of Ballet Shoes, it being the same author and all. It ended kind of abruptly, I wanted to get to the part where her show airs, but maybe that’s in a subsequent book.
April 6, 2020
All four of the Gemma books make for an enjoyable series and are light and fun children's books.
June 28, 2024
Not as great as I was expecting. Realised part way in that it was book 3 in a series. Quick and easy read but wouldn't recommend it.
October 26, 2023
I remember reading this at school in sick bay in 2000 and turned to this when I had a cold at the start of half term.
Gemma and Lydia start at a new school and Gemma is starting to settle in and how to finally learn maths as well as stage acting when her mum decides to pay her a visit. Gemma then has a difficult decision to make and realises that she has changed since she last saw her mother.
I loved this one. Especially as Gemma really starts to mature and think about what she wants in life. Ann also develops alot as does Robin when he becomes solo boy and Gemma and sisters enter a talent contest.
Gemma and Lydia start at a new school and Gemma is starting to settle in and how to finally learn maths as well as stage acting when her mum decides to pay her a visit. Gemma then has a difficult decision to make and realises that she has changed since she last saw her mother.
I loved this one. Especially as Gemma really starts to mature and think about what she wants in life. Ann also develops alot as does Robin when he becomes solo boy and Gemma and sisters enter a talent contest.
December 15, 2015
Gemma, fresh from starring as Lady Jane Grey at the Comprehensive, is now starting at a new school — the local drama school. And this time she will be using her own name. Her cousin Lydia is joining her, on a scholarship from Miss Arrowhead, Lydia's ballet teacher. But much as she loves it, it isn't quite what Gemma expected, and some storms result.
Gemma isn't the only one with issues. When Robin and Nigs get a chance at an audition, the results are not quite what they anticipate.
(And in this edition, Gemma's new coat is no longer a fur coat.)
Originally published as Gemma Alone.
Gemma isn't the only one with issues. When Robin and Nigs get a chance at an audition, the results are not quite what they anticipate.
(And in this edition, Gemma's new coat is no longer a fur coat.)
Originally published as Gemma Alone.
September 5, 2007
It wasn't as good as it's prequels: "Gemma" and "Gemma and Sisters", but I did enjoy it. :)
December 5, 2009
Slightly sub-par for Noel Streatfeild, but okay. I haven't read any of the others in this series.
August 3, 2015
Cute. I remember reading this series when I was a kid, I think.
From #patcbox.
From #patcbox.
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November 12, 2018This continuation of the story of Gemma and the Robinson family does something particularly special in tackling the question of what becomes of talented children as they grow up. It’s a great aspect of character development but with all the familiar Streatfeild charms of shows and vacations
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews