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Books/book club

girls books 1950s

(18 Posts)
etheltbags1 Mon 07-Sep-15 20:29:09

Can anyone remember the girls books that were available in the 50s and 60s, they were spin offs from the girls magazine such as the 'Bunty', 'Diana' etc. They were in a pocket size and were in picture format, although some were full length written stories.
I remember some of the stories were about girls schools and secret societies. I was given a box full dated 1959 - 1964, I loved them and re read them until I gave them away as a teenager.
One was called Yasmin and the golden pyramid, another I cant remember the title was about a girl in ballet school who had a dancing doll that posed in various positions. There were the four Marys and many horsey stories. I would buy them again from e bay if I could remember the names of the magazines. I tried typing in 'Girls Crystal' and 'Girls Own' but did not get any help from google. Can anyone tell me the titles.

hildajenniJ Mon 07-Sep-15 20:47:57

Can't help I'm afraid. My parents tried to raise little geni. We were only allowed "Look and Learn". We had to read the classics, and the books we received from Sunday School, with Enid Blyton as light relief.

Indinana Mon 07-Sep-15 21:02:09

Are these what you're talking about etheltbags

Elegran Mon 07-Sep-15 21:08:09

I googled "Yasmin and the golden Pyramid" and got some hits.

Images of the covers - www.google.co.uk/search?q=%22Yasmin+and+the+golden+pyramid%22&biw=1600&bih=740&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CDkQsARqFQoTCLjRwLja5ccCFQeM2wod0FAOxA

And also on another site - "Another selection of the pocket-sized adventure comics featuring plucky daughters of the Empire at home and in foreign lands! Ranging from issues #51 to #78, this mid/high grade selection includes tales of "Yasmin and the Golden Pyramid", "False Friends From The East", "Mystery of Mandyke Manor", and "Companion to Cleopatra" (the latter featuring rather lovely artwork reminiscent of Russ Manning, though it's clearly not him.) Almost twenty issues of this scarce and popular series new in stock." - ccgi.thirtiethcentury.free-online.co.uk/diary/archives/00001529.htm You can order it but they don't say how much.

Greyduster Tue 08-Sep-15 08:45:06

School Friend annual; but to be honest, apart from that one, I didn't go in a lot for books for girls. I much preferred the sort of adventure books aimed at boys. My mother despaired!

annodomini Tue 08-Sep-15 09:21:51

The 50s covers me from 10 to 19. When 'Girl' came out, I got the first issue and I was also allowed to have School Friend. As far as girls' books were concerned, I avidly devoured the Chalet School books; the Abbey series and the Katy series, but I also loved Biggles books; John Buchan's adventure stories; Dorothy L Sayers, Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh's mysteries. Then in 1954 I 'discovered' Jane Austen. My parents gave me free access to their bookshelves from the age of about 11.

Lilygran Tue 08-Sep-15 09:22:18

I don't remember any of those titles Indinana but I do remember devouring as many of those little books as I could. They were really cheap and I loved them, ethelbags1. I remember particularly that the heroines were very competent, brave, self-sufficient and perfectly capable of dealing with any hazardous situation.

numberplease Tue 08-Sep-15 16:36:05

When younger, I only really bothered with one comic, Schoolfriend, but I loved Enid Blyton`s Famous Five and Secret Seven books. Then when I was about 14, I discovered Georgette Heyer, and devoured every one of her books, followed by a good few by Dapne du Maurier

eGJ Tue 08-Sep-15 17:02:26

The David Severn series about Shropshire caught the imagination and was anyone else inspired by The Swish of the Curtain?

annodomini Tue 08-Sep-15 17:08:20

Thanks for reminding me, number. I too loved Georgette Heyer's Regency romances. They were often serialised in my mum's Woman's Journal and I couldn't wait for her to finish reading it.

TriciaF Tue 08-Sep-15 17:31:46

I was obsessed with "school" at that age too. I loved books by Nancy Breary which had some humour in them as well as adventure eg Give form a bad name, No Peace for the Prefects. You can still get them on Amazon.
I've always loved the William books, can't remember when I first found them.
But later I read some of Dickens books, I've still got The Pickwick Papers that I got as a school prize when I was about ?16.

etheltbags1 Tue 08-Sep-15 19:25:42

Elegran thank y ou, those are the comic books I used to read. I will now see if I can buy them to reminisce.

grannylyn65 Tue 08-Sep-15 20:23:08

I used to like the Angela Brazil books, and horsey ones by Pat someone! Sadly the reality of Boarding School was horrendously unlike any book ��

grannylyn65 Tue 08-Sep-15 21:01:30

Oh I Loved The Swish of the Curtain, had forgotten, What memories!!

etheltbags1 Tue 08-Sep-15 21:19:42

Has anyone seen the price of the schoolgirls picture library books, they are £4 or £5, each and they originally cost one shilling each.angry

janerowena Tue 08-Sep-15 21:33:59

Pat Smythe! She was an Olympic showjumper. I loved her books.

janerowena Tue 08-Sep-15 21:34:20

They were probably dreadful!

saturnvista Tue 08-Sep-15 21:47:58

I loved 'Jump for Joy' by Pat Smythe, Chalet School, Abbey School, Noel Streatfield and also 'The Swish of the Curtain' (and its sequels). I also had an old book as a child called 'Dogs You'd Like to Meet' that was an all-time favourite.