Malcolm Saville facts for kids

Leonard Malcolm Saville (born February 21, 1901 – died June 30, 1982) was an English writer. He is most famous for his exciting Lone Pine series of children's books. Many of these stories take place in Shropshire, England.

Saville's books are known for their strong focus on location. He wrote many detailed descriptions of the English countryside, small villages, and sometimes towns. This made readers feel like they were really there.

Early Life and Writing Career

Malcolm Saville was born in Hastings, Sussex. He went to school at Richmond Hill School in Richmond, Surrey. His first job was at Oxford University Press in 1918. After that, he worked as a publicist, helping to promote books for different companies.

He also worked as an editor for My Garden magazine. In 1954, he took over editing Sunny Stories magazine from the famous children's author Enid Blyton. She left to start her own magazine.

Saville started writing his own books in 1943. At first, it was just a hobby. His very first book was Mystery at Witchend. This story was set in Shropshire, where his children had moved during World War II.

Mystery at Witchend was so popular that it was turned into a BBC radio show in 1943. This led to 19 more books in the Lone Pine series, with the last one published in 1978.

Many of his 90 books were also made into radio shows, especially for Children's Hour. His 1953 book, The Ambermere Treasure, was even made into a TV show. It was one of the first children's drama series shown on ITV in the United Kingdom. Saville also wrote many short stories and articles for magazines.

Personal Life

Malcolm Saville married Dorothy McCoy in 1926. They had four children together. He was a deeply religious person and a practicing Christian.

He passed away in Hastings in 1982, when he was 81 years old.

Books by Malcolm Saville

Malcolm Saville wrote many books for children. Here are some of his most well-known series and other works. The dates show when each book was first published.

Lone Pine Series

This is his most famous series, full of adventure and mystery.

• Mystery at Witchend (1943)
• Seven White Gates (1944)
• The Gay Dolphin Adventure (1945)
• The Secret of Grey Walls (1947)
• Lone Pine Five (1949)
• The Elusive Grasshopper (1951)
• The Neglected Mountain (1953)
• Saucers Over The Moor (1955)
• Wings Over Witchend (1956)
• Lone Pine London (1957)
• The Secret of the Gorge (1958)
• Mystery Mine (1959)
• Sea Witch Comes Home (1960)
• Not Scarlet But Gold (1962)
• Treasure at Amorys (1964)
• Man With Three Fingers (1966)
• Rye Royal (1969)
• Strangers at Witchend (1970)
• Where's My Girl? (1972)
• Home To Witchend (1978)

Buckingham Series

• The Master of Maryknoll (1950)
• The Buckinghams at Ravenswyke (1952)
• The Long Passage (1954)
• A Palace for the Buckinghams (1963)
• The Secret of the Villa Rosa (1971)
• Diamond in the Sky (1974)

Jillies Series

• Redshank's Warning (1948)
• Two Fair Plaits (1948)
• Strangers at Snowfell (1949)
• The Sign of the Alpine Rose (1950)
• The Luck of Sallowby (1952)
• The Ambermere Treasure (1953)

Nettleford Series

• All Summer Through (1951)
• Christmas at Nettleford (1953)
• Spring Comes To Nettleford (1954)
• The Secret of Buzzard Scar (1955)

Marston Baines Series

• Three Towers in Tuscany (1963)
• The Purple Valley (1964)
• Dark Danger (1965)
• White Fire (1966)
• Power of Three (1968)
• The Dagger and the Flame (1970)
• Marston – Master Spy (1978)

Susan and Bill Series

• Susan, Bill and the Wolf Dog (1954)
• Susan, Bill and the Ivy-Clad Oak (1954)
• Susan, Bill and the Vanishing Boy (1955)
• Susan, Bill and the Golden Clock (1955)
• Susan, Bill and the 'Saucy Kate' (1956)
• Susan, Bill and the Dark Stranger (1956)
• Susan, Bill and the Bright Star Circus (1960)
• Susan, Bill and the Pirates Bold (1961)

Michael and Mary Series

• Trouble at Townsend (1945) – This book was even made into a film starring a young Petula Clark.
• The Riddle of the Painted Box (1947)
• The Flying Fish Adventure (1950)
• The Secret of the Hidden Pool (1953)
• Where The Bus Stopped (1955)
• Young Johnnie Bimbo (1956)
• The Fourth Key (1957)

Brown Family Series

• Four And Twenty Blackbirds (1959)
• Good Dog Dandy (1971)
• The Roman Treasure Mystery (1973)

Other Fiction Books

• Treasure at the Mill (1957)
• The Thin Grey Man (1966)

Travel Books

Saville also wrote books about different places in England.

• Come to London (1967)
• Come to Devon (1969)
• Come to Cornwall (1969)
• Come to Somerset (1970)
• Portrait of Rye (1976)
• The Silent Hills of Shropshire (1998)

Nature and Countryside Books

He wrote books to help children learn about nature.

• Country Scrapbook for Boys and Girls (1944)
• Open Air Scrapbook for Boys and Girls (1945)
• Seaside Scrapbook for Boys and Girls (1946)
• Jane's Country Year (1946)
• Small Creatures (1959)
• Malcolm Saville's Country Book (1961)
• Malcolm Saville's Seaside Book (1962)
• See How It Grows (1971)
• Eat What You Grow (1975)
• The Countryside Quiz (1978)
• The Wonder Why Book of Exploring a Wood (1978)
• The Wonder Why Book of Exploring the Seashore (1979)
• The Wonder Why Book of Wild Flowers Through the Year (1980)
• The Seashore Quiz (1981)

Religious Books

• King of Kings (1958)
• Strange Story (1967)

Other Non-Fiction

• The Adventure of the Lifeboat Service (1950)
• The Coronation Gift Book for Boys and Girls (1952) – This book helped children understand the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
• The Story of Winchelsea Church (1978)

Malcolm Saville also edited a book of poems called Words For All Seasons (1979). He started writing a book about the Shropshire countryside, The Silent Hills of Shropshire, but he passed away before finishing it. Another writer, Mark O'Hanlon, completed it, and it was published in 1998.