Improve my life

When I was little I absolutely loved Ballet Shoes and indeed, just about anything by the incomparable Noel Streatfield. Ballet Shoes will be presented to my niece at a suitable juncture, although last night on the phone she seemed more interested in chocolate ice creams in the interval than actually seeing Swan Lake. I said - tell Mummy it will be gin and tonics all round; she told Mummy, Mummy said Oh well, you like gin and tonic, don't you E.

Ballet Shoes introduced me to the world of ballet, and also a slight fascination for the Midsummer Night's Dream. School English lessons are guaranteed to kill Shakespeare - we did MND, Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliette, that Scottish play, and, for O Level, Henry IV Part 1. My mother, of course, has the Complete World of Shakespeare in the dining room bookcase, printed on ultra thin paper and with a magical feel about the book. I have been to a few plays - I'm not even sure which ones - there was definitely a Hamlet in Nottingham, a couple at the Royal Exchange, one outside in Southend. It struck me watching, repeatedly, Verdi's Otello, being enchanted by Ades's The Tempest, noticing various colleagues getting over-excited by the opening of booking for The Globe, that maybe Shakespeare had something about him.

Should I acquire a complete works of Shakespeare and read them? If so, what plays should I start on? Should I be brave enough to hunt out a live performance of something and dare myself not to fall asleep?

Give me your opinion.

Or should I just re-read the Noel Streatfield books that sit yet on my booksheleves, and search out ones I haven't read?

I feel a little saddened to note that Noel Streatfield died in 1986. I don't recall this happening, which suggests that there was very little media coverage. Presumably because she wrote 'girls' books' and back then, they weren't considered important.

An under-rated ground breaking genius:

By (1936), Noel was busy on many projects. These included...another play, 'Wisdom Teeth'...at the Everyman Theatre. (It) was of a more serious nature, designed to shock with its two themes of divorce and drugs.

I notice on Amazon it says that Customers who bought books by Noel Streatfeild also bought books by

• Antonia Forest - remember Nicki and Lawrie Marlow and Tim Keith?
• Elinor M. Brent-Dyer - th eincomparable chalet School series
• Frances Hodgson Burnett - The Secret Garden, of course, a true literary masterpiece, but also others
• Johanna Spyri - Heidi, superbly wonderful!
• Enid Blyton - I read a few - it was de rigeur, much to my parents' chagrin, but I don't have magical memories of Enid Blyton, except perhaps of the Island of Adventure, Castle of Adventure etc series. And the Magic Faraway Tree

Missing from this list is Mabel Esther Allan - an author clearly loved by a librarian at Coppice Avenue library - remember that boarding school in Skye, but lots of other quite challenging subject matters for 'young adults'.

I'm a roll now - how about Joan Lingard and her Belfast books, including Across the Barricades

Comments

[susie]

I love, love, love the Shoes books. And my favorite Blyton books (by far) are her boarding school series. LOVE.

However, about that Shakespeare... I've read a bunch of them, but I honestly find that the ones I've both read and seen are my favorites. The one exception to the rule is Romeo and Juliet, which I seem not to have any patience for anymore. They're both just so stupid and young, and I find all the near misses incredibly frustrating. Maybe that's the point.

My favorites are probably Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Henry V, Twelfth Night, and Julius Caesar. I also like The Taming of the Shrew but I don't think I've ever seen it performed. I'm sure it'd be super.

[Lyle]

Joan Lingard's stuff was good - as was Jan Mark's books.

In addition there was also Margaret Mahy, who wrote some stunners, and the ineffable (if American) Judy Blume. Slightly older age-group for reading those though, I suspect.

There's another couple of authors in my head, except I can't remember their names. I'll list them here when I recall them...

[Belinda]

Do any fans of children's books remember a book in which a family of children were left without adults during the war? They had to fend for themselves, and one of the things they did was to make raspberry jam. I've not read this book, but a friend of mine remembered it vividly and I would like to trace it for her birthday if I can. I thought it might be Noel Streatfield; it certainly sounded unlike Enid Blyton (too ordinary!) I'd be grateful for any help.

Thanks

[Jane]

Hi Gert
I agree totally, I love Noel Streatfeild books, she was a great writer and wrote the best stories. White Boots was probably my favourite all time one. I must have given them all away in a mad moment of teenage pique but now that I am 'grown up', I have built up a huge collection off Ebay. I read these and eat mountains of chocolate whenever I am feeling sorry for myself, and they are fantastic! I have tried to persuade my 9 year old to try them but so far she studiously ignores them...so hope you do better with your niece! It's such a shame that her books are all out of print now, I'll join youin a lobby for a revival!
Can't think what the book you want is, Belinda...Noel Streatfeild did write one called 'The Children of Primrose Lane' about some children who got caught up in an empty house with a German spy and then had to run away with him when he overheard one of their dads give away secret info about the war effort...don't remember raspberry jam but they did have to smuggle food into him every day. Not your typical Noel Streatfeild and probably not the one you're thinking of but thought I'd mention it just in case.
Jane

[Jane]

And another one, Gert! You forgot Pamela Browne and the Blue Door Ventures - Maddy Fayne and co and their home grown theatre company! 'The Swish of the Curtain' was the first and written when she was only 14.
(Personally I always thought Lawrie Marlowe was a bit wet, though Nicky was alright. And as for Tim- hard as nails!)