The Naughtiest Girl

The Naughtiest Girl series of novels was written by Enid Blyton in the 1940s-50s. Unusually, they are set at a progressive boarding school rather than a traditional one. The school, Whyteleafe, bears a striking resemblance to the independent Suffolk boarding school, Summerhill. Anne Digby, author of the Trebizon series, has written some additional books in the series.

The main character is Elizabeth Allen, a very spoiled girl whose misbehaviour causes her governess to leave. Elizabeth is sent to Whyteleafe School, and is determined to behave so badly that she will be expelled. But, in the middle of her first term, Elizabeth discovers how lonely she was as an only child, and starts to behave. The second main character is her best friend Joan Townsend, who does her best to get Elizabeth to behave. Also, in the second book, The Naughtiest Girl Again, she makes two enemies (Robert Jones and Kathleen) but the becomes great friends with them later on; while the third book The Naughtiest Girl is a Monitor, is as much about fellow pupils Julian and Arabella as it is about Elizabeth.

• The Naughtiest Girl in the School (1940)
• The Naughtiest Girl Again (1942)
• The Naughtiest Girl is a Monitor (1945)
• Here's the Naughtiest Girl! (1952)

Anne Digby continuation

The titles added by Anne Digby, at the invitation of the Enid Blyton copyright proprietors, were described as "seamless" by one reviewer in that they persuasively recreated the genuine publication and atmosphere but "with welcome touches of greenness and conservationism" ^[1] These are:

• The Naughtiest Girl Keeps a Secret (1999)
• The Naughtiest Girl Helps a Friend (1999)
• The Naughtiest Girl Saves the Day (2000)
• Well Done, the Naughtiest Girl! (2000)
• The Naughtiest Girl Wants to Win (2001)
• The Naughtiest Girl Marches On (2001)

All ten titles in both series remain in print.

Footnotes

1. ^ Issue Archive | Books For Keeps

References

• Naughtiest Girl Series