Autumn Term facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Antonia Forest |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
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Publication date
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1948 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-571-06521-X (hardback edition) |
| OCLC | 13968369 |
| Followed by | The Marlows and the Traitor |
Autumn Term is the first book in a series about the Marlow family by Antonia Forest. It was first published in 1948, right after World War II. The story is about the two youngest Marlows, identical twins Nicola and Lawrence. It follows them during their very first term at Kingscote, a boarding school. The next book in the series is The Marlows and the Traitor.
About the Story
Antonia Forest first wanted to write books for adults. But she thought writing a children's book might be an easier way to get published. School stories were popular then, so she chose that type of book. However, Autumn Term is different from most school stories. Forest's main characters, like Nicola, Tim, and Lawrie, are often not perfect. They can be unsuccessful or even a bit unlikeable sometimes. But they are always very real. Even Lois Sanger, who isn't always nice, is shown to have some good qualities.
What Happens in the Book
Nicola's time at Kingscote School starts badly. She drops her new penknife out of the train window. To get it back, she pulls the communication cord (a way to stop the train in an emergency). She and her twin, Lawrie, then face another problem. They are placed in a "Remove" class. All their older sisters were always in "A" classes. This makes them feel even worse. To top it off, students in "Remove" classes are not allowed to play netball.
Since they can't play netball, the twins join the school's Guide Company. They hope to do well there. Things go smoothly until a hike to the beach is planned. Nicola and Lawrie offer to take a shortcut. They want to go through a farmyard to light the campfire quickly. Sadly, a haystack on the farm is found burned later that day. The twins become the main suspects. Lois Sanger, their Patrol Leader, should take the blame. Instead, she changes the story to make herself look good. After a difficult "Court of Honour" (a meeting to decide what happened), the twins are asked to leave the Guide company.
During half-term break, the older Marlows laugh at the twins' failures. Nicola gets advice from her oldest brother, Giles. He is a lieutenant in the Navy. He tells her to focus on what she is good at – being naughty! A few weeks later, school life is very tough. Nicola remembers Giles's advice. She takes the train to Port Wade to visit Giles and his ship. When she arrives, she realizes she doesn't have enough money for the return ticket. She also has no idea where to find Giles. Eventually, she finds him. He is not happy with her visit. But he does put her on the train back to school.
The second half of the term focuses on fundraising. The Third form (class) is raising money. Other classes are holding a Bazaar. They offer Third Remove the Jumble and Kitchen stalls. Third Remove prefers to do their own thing. So, they decide to put on a play instead. Tim (Thalia) Keith, the Headmistress's niece, writes a play. It is a version of The Prince and the Pauper. Nicola plays Edward VI. Lawrie plays Tom Canty, the beggar boy who looks just like the king.
Lois Sanger saves the play. She agrees to read the narration for them. She does this to make up for what she did in the Guide company. Nicola is still upset with Lois. But she admits that Lois reads very well. However, Lawrie is the real star of the show. She helps the rest of the cast perform well.
At the end of term, Nicola is the only one from Third Remove to do well in the exams. But the rest of the class is happy. One of the older students calls them "brilliant eccentrics." They are a little embarrassed to find out they also won the Form Tidiness Prize. This was thanks to Nicola's efforts.
Kingscote School for Girls
Kingscote School for Girls is a made-up boarding school for girls. It is the setting for four books in the Marlow series. The school is in Wade Abbas. This is a fictional town that is like a city because it has a big cathedral called Wade Minster. The books describe a made-up landscape. It takes ideas from places all over southern Britain. This includes areas from Sussex to Pembrokeshire. Forest said she based Wade Minster on Chichester Cathedral.
Kingscote is a boarding school. But it is based on Forest's own day school, South Hampstead High School. She went there from 1921 to 1934. The school takes students from about 6 or 7 years old up to the sixth form (ages 16–18). It has classes divided into A, B, and sometimes Remove forms. Like South Hampstead, the school plays netball, hockey, rounders, and cricket. Forest herself played these sports for her school. Many of the teachers at Kingscote are based on teachers who taught Forest.
See Also
