The Malory Towers series has 12 year-old Darrell Rivers starting her first year at her new boarding school in Cornwall 'Malory Towers'. Darrell's younger sister, Felicity, is due to start a few years later.
FIRST TERM
Darrell arrives on the train platform to greet her new form mistress, Miss Potts - or 'Potty' as her form-mates call her. Miss Potts introduces her to Alicia Johns, a complex individual who goes on to become Darrell's best friend. Unfortunately, Alicia can make extremely cutting remarks - especially at 'the dear Gwendoline Mary Lacey' as she calls her. Gwendoline is a sly girl, who lies about things to please her mum and her old governess, Miss Winter. But Darrell faces many a tricky problem, for instance her dreadful temper, the mystery of Sally Hope's mysterious behaviour, and the spiteful tricks play on poor Mary-Lou.
SECOND YEAR
The second term at Malory Towers is another dramatic one for Darrell, with Gwendoline being her usual cunning self, poor Mam'zelle Dupont consistently being baffled by Alicia's one-of-a-kind practical jokes, and Sally's continous flow of the same strange behavour she showed in the first year.
THIRD YEAR
Another year in the south proves to be quite a complicated one. The outdoor swimming pool is the main attraction. The fresh water from the sea fills the pool with sapphire blue waves.
UPPER FOURTH
The Upper Fourth promises to be another exciting year at Malory Towers; there is Alicia with her tricks, Darrell with her temper, timid Mary-Lou, the madcaps Belinda and Irene, as well as all the others. Darrell is made head-girl along with the tension of the School Certificate exams, but there is all the fun of the summer term as well, and the high spirits of a lively and imaginitive form. Felicity also joins the school in the First Form too.
IN THE FIFTH
Games, lessons, quarrels, rows and tricks all form part of a very lively term for Darrell and her friends, but the biggest event of all is the fifth form pantomime, written, acted and produced entirely by the girls. The pantomime generates a lot of fun, but also a surprising amount of trouble. And head-girl Moira has a lot to say about it.
LAST TERM
In the final book about the girls at Malory Towers, Darrell becomes head-girl. Unfortunately, not all the girls are as responsible as she is, and in her last term Darrell sees many changes in her school friends. There is Amanda's incurable boasting, Gwendoline who grumbles and is frequently unkind, and Jo who never knows right from wrong. All in all, Darrell finds her last year at Malory Towers a lively and dramatic one.
SUMMARY
The Malory Towers series is one of my favourites, and is a great collection to read in bed at night with a steaming cup of tea.
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