Mabel Esther Allan facts for kids

Mabel Esther Allan (born February 11, 1915 – died May 14, 1998) was a British author. She wrote about 170 books for children.

About Mabel Esther Allan

Mabel Esther Allan was born in Wallasey on the Wirral Peninsula, England. She decided to become an author at just eight years old. Her father supported her dream. He bought her a writing desk and taught her how to type. When her family moved, she even got her own study where she could write.

Mabel Esther Allan had poor eyesight. This made school difficult for her. She didn't talk about it with anyone until she was nearly 30. During the Second World War, she worked in the Women's Land Army. She also taught at a busy school in Liverpool.

Her first book, The Glen Castle Mystery, was published in 1948. Mabel Esther Allan often got ideas for her stories from a "Flash." This was a strong feeling of connecting with a place. This feeling would then inspire her whole story. She said this was the basis of all her writing.

Mabel Esther Allan's Books

Mabel Esther Allan wrote many different kinds of stories. These included adventure stories, mysteries, and tales about families. She also wrote school stories and ballet stories. Her books were for various age groups. She didn't follow a single pattern for her writing.

She used different pen names for some of her books. Her ballet stories, like the Drina series, were written under the name Jean Estoril. She also wrote as Priscilla Hagon and Anne Pilgrim. Most of her books were standalone stories. However, she did write a few popular series. These include the Wood Street Gang and the Pine Street School books. These series were about groups of modern city children.

Dundonay House Series

• Over the Sea to School (1950)
• A School in Danger (1950)
• School under Snowdon (1950)
• At School in Skye (1957)

Wood Street Series

• The Wood Street Secret (1968)
• The Wood Street Group (1970)
• The Wood Street Rivals (1971)
• The Wood Street Helpers (1973)
• Away from Wood Street (1976)
• Wood Street and Mary Ellen (1979)
• Strangers in Wood Street (1980)
• Growing Up in Wood Street (1982)

Pine Street Series

• Crow's Nest (1974)
• Pine Street Pageant (1978)
• Pine Street Goes Camping (1980)
• Pine Street Problem (1981)
• Goodbye to Pine Street (1982)
• Alone at Pine Street (1982)
• Friends at Pine Street (1984)
• Pride of Pine Street (1984)
• First Term at Ashgrove (1988)

Crumble Lane Series

• The Crumble Lane Adventure (1983)
• Trouble in Crumble Lane (1984)
• The Crumble Lane Captives (1986)
• The Crumble Lane Mystery (1987)

Drina Series – as Jean Estoril

The Drina Books are a series about a young girl named Drina. She dreams of becoming a ballerina. Drina lost her parents when she was very young. She lives with her grandparents. Her mother was a famous ballerina. However, Drina's grandmother blames ballet for her daughter's death. Because of this, she tries to stop Drina from dancing.

• Ballet for Drina (1957) – Drina meets Jenny Pilgrim, who becomes her lifelong friend. Jenny introduces Drina to ballet lessons. Drina's grandmother forbids her to dance, but Drina keeps trying. Eventually, her grandmother gives in. Drina moves to London and secretly continues dancing. She then auditions for the Dominick Ballet School. Days before her audition, she learns her mother was the famous ballerina, Elizabeth Ivory. Drina decides to keep this a secret. She wants to succeed on her own.
• Drina's Dancing Year (1958) – Drina gets into the Dominick School. She becomes best friends with Rose Conway. Drina also gets a dancing and acting role in a play in London's West End.
• Drina Dances in Exile (1959) – Drina leaves the Dominick School. Her grandparents go abroad for her grandfather's health. Drina is unhappy at first. She has to go to the Dominick's boarding school, Chalk Green, in the countryside. She feels better when Rose also gets a scholarship to attend. Drina sees a film of her mother's most famous ballet. This experience leads her to tell Rose that her mother was Elizabeth Ivory.
• Drina Dances in Italy (1959) – Drina meets the Lorencz family, who are refugees. Igor Dominick Jr. moves to London from Paris. Drina travels to Italy to meet her father's family. She ends up dancing with the Dominick company there.
• Drina Dances Again (1960) – Drina sprains her ankle. This stops her from dancing for a month. She gets a role in a play called Dear Brutus. Later, Drina and Rose are chosen to dance in The Nutcracker at the Edinburgh Festival. Drina's teachers learn about her famous mother but agree to keep it a secret.
• Drina Dances in New York (1961) – Drina's grandparents take her on a trip to New York. They travel on a cruise ship. On the ship, Drina meets a dancer with stage fright. She choreographs her first short ballet.
• Drina Dances in Paris (1962) – Drina's ballet from New York is performed. A rival student is expelled from the Dominick School. Drina and Rose go to Paris to dance in The Nutcracker again.
• Drina Dances in Madeira (1963) – Drina acts in a play based on the Lorencz family's story. Her grandfather becomes very ill. Drina's family goes on holiday to Madeira. There, Drina dances with a company at a festival.
• Drina Dances in Switzerland (1964) – Drina is sent to a strict finishing school in Switzerland. She is unable to dance there.
• Drina Goes on Tour (1965) – Drina returns to the Dominick School. The secret of her famous mother is revealed. The media wants to meet her. She becomes a Senior Student and goes on tour with the Dominick company.
• Drina Ballerina (1991) – Drina visits her friend Jenny, who has just had a baby. Drina returns to London and agrees to marry Grant. She had put him off, wanting to achieve more in her dancing career first. Drina's engagement surprises Igor Jr., who likes her. He then turns to Rose, which upsets her. The Dominick company decides to perform a ballet Drina created. Drina dances the lead role. The film of her mother's last ballet is shown on TV. This inspires the Dominick company to revive it. Drina dances the lead role, which is a big success. After the ballet's initial run, Drina marries Grant. They move into a flat near her grandparents. The book ends with Drina and Grant flying to New York as newlyweds. Drina has achieved her dream of being a ballerina and married the man she loves.

The Ballet Family

• The Ballet Family (1963)
• The Ballet Family Again (1964)
• We Danced in Bloomsbury Square (1967) (Also published as The Ballet Twins)

• Chiltern Adventure, Foreword by Mabel Esther Allan, Edinburgh: Fidra Books, 2006
• Robertson, Vanessa. Information on Fidra Books website.