| Grace James |
John and Mary's Visitors |
Frederick Muller
1940 |
John and Mary make friends with brothers Nick
and Wally, London evacuees, who spend the summer living
with them at Smockfarthing Home Farm. The 6th title
in the series, popular among younger children. Undoubtedly
dated, the writing and drawings still hold their charm.
| David Severn |
Rick Afire ! |
Bodley Head 1942 |
The first of Severn's enormously popular 'Crusoe' stories.
Derek and his sister Diana spend a summer holiday with
schoolfriends, Pamela and Brian, at a family farm.
They meet a city worker spending his two-week holiday
camping nearby. He introduces them to marvels of nature.
When he is blamed by suspicious locals for setting a hayrick
ablaze, the five of them set about tracking down the real
culprit. Racy and richly descriptive it still
offers an exciting read for ten-year olds.
| M.E.Atkinson |
Crusoe Island |
Bodley Head 1941 |
Another holiday adventure, the third in Atkinson's
stories about the four Angel and Lockett children. A
boring spring holiday is transformed into adventure
when the children find themselves marooned in a strange
house during a devastating flood. As usual with this
author (a distinguished nurse) girls prove just as capable
as boys, in this book rather more so. More dated in
language than Severn's the story is packed with
incident and a real sense of danger and mystery enhanced
by superb illustrations.
Of these, only Kipling's enduring classic remains in
print. Because the other three were children's favourites
( and critically approved) for twenty-five years after
1930 Lucky Children will be of interest to students
of children's books at that time. It will
also interest older people recalling their pleasures
in childhood reading. The title suggests
a two-edged question: are the lucky children the
ones in the stories themselves, comfortable, innocent,
richly imaginative and secure in their families ?
Or is it the child reader who is lucky to
be able to escape to happy adventure in a safe, protected
world ?
Biographies of each author are included and brief appraisals,
with biographies, are provided for each of the illustrators.
| H. R Millar |
Mary Gardiner |
Joan Kiddell-Monroe |
Harold Jones |
|
