Malory Towers facts for kids
Book 1 of the series
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| Author | Enid Blyton |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature, bildungsroman |
| Published | 1946–1951 |
| No. of books | 6 (in the original series) |
Malory Towers is a series of six novels by English children's author Enid Blyton. The series is based on a girls' boarding school that Blyton's daughter attended, Benenden School, which relocated during the war to the Cornish seaside. The series follows the protagonist, Darrell Rivers, on her adventures and experiences in boarding school. Darrell Rivers' name was inspired by that of Blyton's second husband, Kenneth Darrell Waters.
In 2009, six more books were added to the series by author Pamela Cox. Events in these take place after Darrell has left the school and focus on her younger sister, Felicity Rivers.
Plot
Darrell Rivers begins her first year at Malory Towers, a castle-like clifftop boarding school in Cornwall. Determined to do well and make friends, her first term is turbulent. Her temper causes problems, her efforts at playing the fool backfire, and the first book ends with Darrell becoming best friends with Sally Hope.
Darrell's career from this point is smoother, and she eventually covers herself in the personal, scholastic and sporting glory that was originally expected of her. She is head of the fourth form, games captain of the fifth, and head girl in her final year as well as being a successful lacrosse and tennis player. When she is in the fourth form, her younger sister, Felicity, joins her as a first former at the school. From then up until "Last Term at Malory Towers", we also focus on Felicity and the rest of her form, especially June, the troublesome cousin of Alicia. In all of the books, Darrell plays a pivotal role, though she is not always successful in her endeavours and indeed is temporarily stripped of her fourth-form captaincy (when she is caught shaking a smaller girl (June) who was threatening to reveal the secret of a midnight feast held by the fourth formers out of personal spite), though she gets it back again by resolving a particularly complicated case of sibling rivalry. She is on friendly terms with most of her classmates and even makes her peace with Gwendoline Lacey at the end, when a personal tragedy strikes the vain, selfish class outcast.
At the end of her school life, Darrell is bound for the University of St Andrews with her best friend, Sally Hope. She puts her younger sister Felicity in charge of upholding the standard that she and her classmates set.
The second series of six books follows Felicity from the third year to her final term.
In the seventh book, New Term at Malory Towers, Felicity battles with clingy friends as well as her enemy and snobbish new girl, Amy. In the eighth book, Summer Term at Malory Towers, the girls help Darrell’s friends when someone tries to ruin their new horse riding stables.
The ninth book, Winter Term at Malory Towers, shows the struggles of trying to put on a successful show whilst dealing with the troubles of pushy Sylvia, sullen Olive and interfering Miss Tallant. Millicent and June clash in "Fun and Games at Malory Towers" when girls must choose between music and sport. The eleventh book, Secrets at Malory Towers, sees the return of a familiar face from the second book: Jo, a girl who was expelled back when Felicity was in the second form, returns as Alice. A kind and caring girl who eventually saves another girl from a burning building; changing the girl’s view of her forever.
Daffy Hope a new first former and Sally Hope’s (from the first six books) younger sister joins for the final book in the Malory Towers series, Goodbye Malory Towers, sees Felicity through the ups and downs of her last term at Malory Towers. It also sees the return of Gwendoline Lacey.
Books
The six official books of the series are:
- First Term at Malory Towers (1946)
- Second Form at Malory Towers (1947)
- Third Year at Malory Towers (1948)
- Upper Fourth at Malory Towers (1949)
- In the Fifth at Malory Towers (1950)
- Last Term at Malory Towers (1951)
Pamela Cox wrote six sequels of the series in 2009 which focus on the adventures of Felicity Rivers, June Johns and Susan Blake:
- New Term at Malory Towers (2009)
- Summer Term at Malory Towers (2009)
- Winter Term at Malory Towers (2009)
- Fun and Games at Malory Towers (2009)
- Secrets at Malory Towers (2009)
- Goodbye Malory Towers (2009)
Related books
Blyton wrote two other series about boarding-school life: the St. Clare's and the Naughtiest Girl series.
Adaptations
Stage musical
A stage production written and directed by Emma Rice and her company Wise Children has been touring theatres in 2019. It is a co-production with York Theatre Royal, in association with the Bristol Old Vic.
TV series
In 2019, it was announced that a television adaptation was being produced for British children's channel CBBC, in association with Canada's Family Channel. It was developed by Rachel Flowerday, who had previously worked on the television series Father Brown, and Sasha Hails. It specifically included a cast with members of BAME communities and actors with facial disfigurements. It premiered on 23 March 2020.
Images for kids
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Lulworth Castle, believed by commenters to have inspired the design for Malory Towers.
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See also
In Spanish: Torres de Malory para niños
