- Chalet School
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The Chalet School is a series of approximately sixty school story novels by Elinor Brent-Dyer, initially published between 1925 and 1970. The school was initially located in Austria, moved to Guernsey in 1939, following the rise to power of the Nazi Party, then to "Plas Howell", a house on the border of England and Wales, then to St Briavels, close to the English - Welsh border and finally to Switzerland.[1]
Contents
Background and main characters
The Chalet School is founded in 1925 by Madge Bettany when her brother Dick has to return to his job in the Forestry Commission in India. She comes to the conclusion that starting a school would be a convenient way to generate some much-needed income, while also looking after her infirm younger sister Joey. Finding that suitable locations in England would be too expensive for her plans, she decides to look abroad, and finally settles on a large chalet in the Austrian Alps, conveniently providing a helpful climate for Joey's recuperation. Within a few years a sanatorium is built not far from the school, where tuberculosis patients convalesce. The founder, Dr Jem Russell, along with Dr Jack Maynard, provides assistance to members of the school and they eventually marry Madge and Joey respectively. Robin Humphries (in the later books Soeur Cécile) is also a main character, until she leaves the Chalet school to go to Oxford and later becomes a nun. The books then follow a variety of characters, including Daisy Venables, Bride Bettany and Gay Lambert, until Mary-Lou Trelawney comes to the school, and becomes the main character for several books. After she leaves school, in the later books, Joey's triplets, Len, Con & Margot, become main characters. The three main leads throughout the series are generally accepted to be Joey Bettany, Mary-Lou Trelawney and Len Maynard.
Throughout the series, various girls arrive at the school with personal problems, bad attitudes or behavioural issues. As a result of the ministrations of better-behaved classmates and the school mistresses, including Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson, they all tend to discover the error of their ways and become model pupils, or 'real Chalet School girls'. This formula of a troublesome new girl who reforms and conforms is most common in the later books.
Book details
Hardback
Chalet School books were originally published in hardback between 1925 and 1970 by W. & R. Chambers.[2]
Title Year 1 The School at the Chalet 1925 2 Jo of the Chalet School 1926 3 The Princess of the Chalet School 1927 4 The Head Girl of the Chalet School 1928 5 The Rivals of the Chalet School 1929 6 Eustacia Goes to the Chalet School 1930 7 The Chalet School and Jo 1931 8 The Chalet Girls in Camp 1932 9 The Exploits of the Chalet Girls 1933 10 The Chalet School and the Lintons [a] 1934 11 The New House at the Chalet School 1935 12 Jo Returns to the Chalet School 1936 13 The New Chalet School [b] 1938 14 The Chalet School in Exile 1940 15 The Chalet School Goes to It [c] 1941 16 The Highland Twins at the Chalet School 1942 17 Lavender Laughs in the Chalet School [d] 1943 18 Gay From China at the Chalet School [e] 1944 19 Jo to the Rescue 1945 20 Three Go to the Chalet School 1949 21 The Chalet School and the Island 1950 22 Peggy of the Chalet School 1950 23 Carola Storms the Chalet School 1951 24 The Wrong Chalet School 1952 25 Shocks for the Chalet School 1952 26 The Chalet School in the Oberland 1952 27 Bride Leads the Chalet School 1953 28 Changes for the Chalet School 1953 29 Joey Goes to the Oberland 1954 Title Year 30 The Chalet School and Barbara 1954 31 Tom Tackles the Chalet School [f] 1955 32 The Chalet School Does It Again 1955 33 A Chalet Girl from Kenya 1955 34 Mary-Lou of the Chalet School 1956 35 A Genius at the Chalet School [g] 1956 36 A Problem for the Chalet School 1956 37 The New Mistress at the Chalet School 1957 38 Excitements at the Chalet School 1957 39 The Coming of Age of the Chalet School 1958 40 The Chalet School and Richenda 1958 41 Trials for the Chalet School 1958 42 Theodora and the Chalet School 1959 43 Joey and Co in Tirol 1960 44 Ruey Richardson: Chaletian [h] 1960 45 A Leader in the Chalet School 1961 46 The Chalet School Wins the Trick 1961 47 A Future Chalet School Girl 1962 48 The Feud in the Chalet School 1962 49 The Chalet School Triplets 1963 50 The Chalet School Reunion 1963 51 Jane and the Chalet School 1964 52 Redheads at the Chalet School 1964 53 Adrienne and the Chalet School 1965 54 Summer Term at the Chalet School 1965 55 Challenge for the Chalet School 1966 56 Two Sams at the Chalet School 1967 57 Althea Joins the Chalet School 1969 58 Prefects of the Chalet School 1970 Paperback
The novels were reissued in paperback format between 1967 and 1995, usually updated for language, and some heavily abridged. A few were split into two paperback volumes, and several were retitled.[3]
Hardback Paperback 10 The Chalet School and the Lintons The Chalet School and the Lintons A Rebel at the Chalet School 13 The New Chalet School The New Chalet School A United Chalet School 15 The Chalet School Goes to It The Chalet School at War 17 Lavender Laughs in the Chalet School Lavender Leigh at the Chalet School 18 Gay From China at the Chalet School Gay Lambert at the Chalet School 35 A Genius at the Chalet School A Genius at the Chalet School Chalet School Fête 44 Ruey Richardson: Chaletian Ruey Richardson at the Chalet School Additional books
Title Year The Chalet Book for Girls
(including The Mystery at the Chalet School)1947 The Second Chalet Book for Girls
(including Tom Tackles the Chalet School, part 1)1948 The Third Chalet Book for Girls
(including Tom Tackles the Chalet School, part 2)1949 The Chalet School and Rosalie 1951 The Chalet Girls’ Cookbook 1953 The Chalet Club News Letter Book 2004 Elinor M Brent Dyer's Short Stories 2005 Books by other authors
Several authors have written books about the Chalet School. Some of them follow on from the last book of the series, and others attempt to fill in some of the "gaps" in the earlier years of the school. All books are published by Girls Gone By Publishers (formerly Friends of the Chalet School) unless otherwise stated.
Prequel
This title describes the events which led to the founding of the Chalet School.
- The Bettanys of Taverton High - Helen Barber (2008)
Fill in novels
This list contains all fill ins that have been published so far. The second title listed is the book that immediately precedes the respective fill in.
- Joey and Patricia: A Reunion in Guernsey - Helen McClelland (2000) Published by The New Chalet Club - The Chalet School in Exile
- Gillian of the Chalet School - Carol Allan (2001) - Two Chalet School Girls in India
- The Chalet School and Robin - Caroline German (2003) - The Chalet School Goes to It
- A Chalet School Headmistress - Helen Barber (2004) - Gay From China at the Chalet School
- Visitors to the Chalet School - Helen McClelland (2004) First published by Bettany Press and later by Collins - The Princess of the Chalet School
- Hilda Annersley: Headmistress - Lesley Green (2005) Published by Matador - Gay From China at the Chalet School
- Peace Comes to the Chalet School - Katherine Bruce (2005) - The Chalet School and Rosalie
- Juliet of the Chalet School - Caroline German (2006) - The Guides of the Chalet School
- Two Chalet School Girls in India - Priyadarshini Narendra (2006) Published by Bettany Press- The New Chalet School (and A United Chalet School)
- Cornelia of the Chalet School - Jackie Roberts (2009) Published by Yersinia Press - Three go to the Chalet School
- The Guides of the Chalet School - Jane Berry (2009) - Jo of the Chalet School
- Deira Joins the Chalet School - Caroline German (2010) - The Guides of the Chalet School
Sequels
The first book follows some of the Chalet School characters, though it is not set in the School itself. It is not recommended for younger readers.
- Chalet Girls Grow Up - Merryn Williams (1998) Published by Plas Gwyn Books
These two books follow on immediately after Prefects of the Chalet School
- New Beginnings at the Chalet School - Heather Paisley (1999)
- The Chalet School Librarian - Pat Willimott (2005) Published by Matador
The Chalet School on the Internet
- Friends Of The Chalet School issue a quarterly magazine to members, and also run Girls Gone By Publishers re-publishing the books with the original text and illustrations, as Hardbacks can often reach hundreds of pounds on auction sites and elsewhere. Girls Gone By also publishes new novels set in the Chalet School universe.
- In May 1995 the New Chalet Club was formed at the request of the late Helen McClelland, who became its first President until her death in November 2008. The Club produces regular Journals for members and has issued various supplements on EBD-related topics.
References
- ^ Ann Mackie-Hunter (May 1998). "The Chalet School's homes". Friends of the Chalet School. http://www.rockterrace.demon.co.uk/FOCS/homes.html. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ^ "Complete Numerical List of Titles in the Chalet School Series". Friends of the Chalet School. Archived from the original on 2008-03-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20080314160130/http://www.chaletschool.org.uk/CShb.html. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
- ^ "Chalet School reference list". The New Chalet Club. http://www.newchaletclub.co.uk/ncc_library/library1_chalet_reference.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
External links
Categories:- Series of children's books
- Novel series
- Fictional schools
- British children's novels
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