Jennings (novel series) facts for kids
The Jennings series is a collection of funny books written by Anthony Buckeridge (1912–2004). These books are for children and are all about the hilarious adventures of J.C.T. Jennings. He's a schoolboy at Linbury Court prep school in England.
There are 24 novels in the series. The first book, Jennings Goes to School, came out in 1950. New books were published regularly until the mid-1970s. Jennings at Large (1977) is special because it's the only book where Jennings is on school holidays. The last two books, Jennings Again (1991) and That's Jennings (1994), were published in the 1990s.
Many of the books were translated into other languages. Sometimes, Jennings's name was even changed! In France, he was called "Bennett." In Norway, he was known as "Stompa." And in Brazil, his name became "Johnny."
Contents
What Makes the Books Funny?
A lot of the humor in the Jennings books comes from misunderstandings. Jennings often takes things very literally or acts on impulse. This gets him into all sorts of funny trouble.
In the older books, there were some jokes using Latin words. But these were removed later so more people could enjoy the stories. The early books show an ideal picture of English life in the countryside or small towns. This was after World War II but before the big social changes of the 1960s. Even though the later books still felt like they were from this time, they also showed how things were changing.
The stories also created some unique words for the boys to use. One famous word they made up was "ozard." The word "wizard" used to mean "good" or "very good" after the war. "Ozard" came from "Wizard of Oz." The boys used "ozard" to describe anything they really disliked or were afraid of. It was also used to describe how angry Mr. Wilkins could get. His anger could be "ozard," "ozard squared," and sometimes even "ozard cubed"!
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the main characters you'll find in the Jennings books:
- J. C. T. (John Christopher Timothy) Jennings – He's the main character! Jennings is a good-natured boy who means well. But he often acts without thinking, which gets him into trouble. The author, Anthony Buckeridge, said Jennings was based on a school friend of his.
- C. E. J. (Charles Edwin Jeremy) Darbishire – Darbishire is Jennings's best friend and right-hand man. He's usually more careful than Jennings. He often finds himself pulled into Jennings's wild plans, even if he'd rather not be involved. Darbishire's father is a clergyman, and Darbishire often quotes his father's sayings.
- Venables, Atkinson, Temple, Bromwich (Major) – These boys are Jennings's classmates in Form 3. They all live in Dormitory 4 with Jennings and Darbishire. Temple's nickname was "Bod."
- Pettigrew, Marshall – These are day boys in Jennings's class. Jennings often "borrows" their special privileges to help him bend the school rules.
- Binns Minor, Blotwell – These are younger boys in the first form. Jennings and his friends treat them with the usual older-boy attitude.
- Mr L. P. (Lancelot Phineas) Wilkins (Old Wilkie) – He is Jennings's teacher. Mr. Wilkins doesn't have much patience and can get very angry. But deep down, he has a kind heart, which usually shows at least once in every book. His famous sayings when he's mad are, "Doh! You silly little boy!" and "...I - I - Corwumph!"
- Mr Michael Carter – He is Jennings's housemaster. Mr. Carter is friendly and very patient. He's also incredibly good at knowing when the boys are lying or breaking rules. His nickname is "Benedick." The author said Mr. Carter was based on himself.
- Mr M. W. B. (Martin Winthrop Barlow) Pemberton-Oakes (The Archbeako) – He is the headmaster of the school. He is a very smart scholar. He can make everyone quiet and disciplined instantly. He often gives long speeches, but he's usually calm and speaks softly. He always gives praise when it's deserved.
- Matron – She is the school nurse. Matron is kind and understanding. Like Mr. Carter, she's very good at spotting boys who are pretending to be sick.
- Miss Angela Birkenshaw (Aunt Angela) – She is Jennings's aunt. She's a bit absent-minded but very generous. She sometimes visits Jennings during half-term holidays.
Most of the boys and teachers are known by their last names, which is common in British boarding schools.
Other Characters You Might Meet
- Hawkins (Old Nightie) – The school's night watchman.
- Robinson (Old Pyjamas/Old Robbo) – The odd-job man at the school.
- Lieutenant General Sir Melville Merridew – A retired general and a famous former student of the school. He often gives the boys extra half-holidays!
- PC Herbert Honeyball – The village policeman. He's a bit gruff but kind-hearted. He often has tiring encounters with Jennings and his friends.
- Mr and Mrs Lumley – Mrs. Lumley runs the local cafe, famous for her amazing cakes and doughnuts. Mr. Lumley fixes bicycles.
- Farmer Jim and Mrs Arrowsmith – They own a farm next to the school. They are usually supportive, but sometimes the boys' antics annoy them.
- George the Third – Matron's big ginger cat.
List of Novels
| # | Title | Date | Summary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennings Goes to School | 1950 | Jennings starts his first term at Linbury Court. He makes friends with Darbishire, sneaks into town in disguise, and accidentally kicks the headmaster! He also has a scary moment with a poisonous spider. | Parts of this book were read by Stephen Fry for BBC7. |
| 2 | Jennings Follows a Clue | 1951 | Jennings starts the Linbury Court Detective Agency. He tries to find a suspected burglar and solves the mystery of missing trophies from the library. | |
| 3 | Jennings' Little Hut | 1951 | Jennings and Darbishire build a hut by the pond. They try to take a goldfish for a walk and have trouble with a pane of glass. Jennings falls into the pond while sailing a homemade yacht. | Read by Mark Williams for Radio 4. |
| 4 | Jennings and Darbishire | 1952 | Jennings and Darbishire start their own newspaper. They have a funny chat with some French people and accidentally set a photography dish on fire. They also try fishing down Old Wilkie's chimney! | |
| 5 | Jennings' Diary | 1953 | Jennings decides to keep a diary. He tries to start a Form 3 museum, find a missing link, and uncover a "Roman fake." This doesn't go well with the museum curator! | Available as an Audiobook, narrated by Simon Vance. |
| 6 | According to Jennings | 1954 | A space-age craze sweeps through Linbury Court. This leads to an accident with a glass dome and a memorable visit to a cricket ground. | Available as an Audiobook, narrated by Simon Vance. |
| 7 | Our Friend Jennings | 1955 | Jennings and Darbishire go on a cross-country bus ride. They get locked in the boiler-room and accidentally flash SOS signals. They also try to put on a play. | |
| 8 | Thanks To Jennings | 1957 | Darbishire finds a way to remove heads from park railings. Jennings finds and loses a guinea pig. He also helps save the day when a school inspector visits Old Wilkie's class. | |
| 9 | Take Jennings, for Instance | 1958 | Aunt Angela gives Jennings a bicycle. This leads to a runaway boat and trouble with PC Honeyball. Jennings's Natural History Club causes chaos but is saved by a "scientific frogman." | |
| 10 | Jennings, as Usual | 1959 | Jennings has a short and disastrous time as a dorm monitor. He sets his rubber on fire and draws a funny picture of Old Wilkie. He also improves his piano playing with a record. | Available as an Audiobook, narrated by Simon Vance. |
| 11 | The Trouble With Jennings | 1960 | Jennings tries to be good to the masters but floods the bathroom. He also accidentally causes a fire drill. Everything is sorted out at a party for old people. | |
| 12 | Just Like Jennings | 1961 | Jennings and Darbishire almost miss their train. They discover a suspected spy and a "snow-cat." Aunt Angela's cake-baking skills come in handy when Jennings breaks a vase. | |
| 13 | Leave it to Jennings | 1963 | A fortune teller predicts Jennings will go on a journey, get an unexpected gift, and achieve a dream. All three predictions come true, causing chaos at school. | |
| 14 | Jennings, Of Course! | 1964 | Jennings gets wet and muddy again but manages to get his clothes cleaned secretly. He causes more trouble than help for Old Wilkie's lost property campaign. | |
| 15 | Especially Jennings! | 1965 | The Jennings Membership Club starts with secret goals. Jennings is mistaken for a burglar and accidentally gets Old Wilkie accused of stealing his own car. | |
| 16 | Jennings Abounding | 1967 | Jennings helps the Fire Brigade put out a fire. There's also a story about a racing pigeon. | (Later called Jennings Unlimited in 1993) |
| 17 | Jennings in Particular | 1968 | Jennings and Darbishire get trapped in the attic during a cricket match. Jennings accidentally wins a pig, which causes a lot of trouble. | |
| 18 | Trust Jennings! | 1969 | Jennings creates a plan to raise money for charity. This involves an emergency haircut, using Old Wilkie's coat by mistake, and a day out with a piano. | |
| 19 | The Jennings Report | 1970 | Jennings plans to report on TV aerials but gets sidetracked by caring for Old Sleepy, a top-secret hedgehog. | Available as an Audiobook, narrated by Simon Vance. |
| 20 | Typically Jennings! | 1971 | Broken tennis rackets lead to Jennings becoming a potholer and Darbishire a cave painter. There's also an explosive attempt to make tea on a school picnic. | |
| 21 | Speaking of Jennings! | 1973 | Jennings gets a brilliant money-making idea from a fishing rod for sale. This leads to trouble with a shady character. The school is also rocked by missing gerbils and strange bird behavior. | |
| 22 | Jennings at Large | 1977 | This is the only story set during the school holidays. Jennings, Darbishire, and friends go camping with Mr. Carter and Mr. Wilkins, leading to chaos. Jennings then stays with his Aunt Angela in London. | Available as an Audiobook, narrated by Simon Vance. |
| 23 | Jennings Again! | 1991 | The school tries to "go green" by collecting rubbish and recycling. The students want to help, but Jennings's good intentions lead to danger for precious fish. | Parts of this book were read by Stephen Fry for BBC7. Available as an Audiobook, narrated by Simon Vance. |
| 24 | That's Jennings | 1994 | Jennings is sure Mr. Wilkins will forget a maths test if they are nice to him. But his plan goes very wrong! The boys also start a Natural History club and collect tadpoles. | |
| 25 | A Bookful of Jennings | 1996 | This book is a collection of the first four novels. | Also called The Best of Jennings. |
Stage Play
In 1980, there was a stage play called Jennings Abounding!. It was a comedy with music, written by Anthony Buckeridge himself.
Radio Shows
Many of the early Jennings stories were turned into radio plays for Children's Hour on the BBC Home Service in the 1950s and 60s. The theme song was "The Old Clockmaker." Interestingly, Jeremy Clarkson (who later became famous for Top Gear) voiced the character of Atkinson in these radio shows.
"Jennings Goes to School" and "Jennings Again!" were also adapted for radio and read by Stephen Fry. "Jennings' Little Hut" was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010, read by Mark Williams.
Television Shows
There have been two BBC TV series based on the books.
- Jennings at School ran for ten episodes in 1958.
- Jennings ran for six episodes in 1966.
John Mitchell played Jennings in the first series, and David Schulten played him in the second. Sadly, no episodes from either series are known to still exist today. John Mitchell later became famous as Mitch Mitchell, the drummer for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Jennings Around the World
The Jennings books were very popular in other countries. In Germany, Jennings was called Fredy. In France, he became Bennett. He was especially popular in Norway, where the main character was named Stompa. The books were even rewritten with Norwegian places. There were also movies made in Norway based on the Stompa books.
