Nostalgia for British Children's Writers Quiz

Answer: Biggles

There were over ninety "Biggles" books and the name of this pilot is now associated in Britain with any daring flying escapade. "The Flying Beetle" was the creation of George E. Rochester. The "Hunter Hawke" stories were written by Eric Leyland. "Worrals" is another set of stories by Johns but they are all about a female pilot.

Answer: "Pigeon Post" by Arthur Ransome

Arthur Ransome's "Swallows and Amazons" stories were already justly popular by the time he wrote "Pigeon Post" which is the sixth in the series. The Borrowers" won in 1952 and Noel Streatfeild won in 1938 with "The Circus is Coming".

Answer: Richmal Crompton

The other three authors in the wrong answers section were also very popular. Dodie Smith is perhaps most famous for "101 Dalmatians".

Answer: Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

Even today the "Chalet School" books are tremendously popular in Britain and other parts of the world. There are "Chalet School" clubs and a tremendous network of "old girls" who discuss endlessly the faults and virtues of Jo Bettany.

Answer: Scotland

The four locations were Austria, Switzerland, Guernsey and Wales. At least one of the moves was caused by World War Two.

Answer: Jennings

The "Jennings" series of books were written by Anthony Buckeridge. In "Jennings' Diary" the eleven year old gets into trouble and hilarious situations by inventing his own secret code which merely consists of writing every word backwards.

Answer: Susan

Susan is a very Scottish heroine and many of the unfortunate things that happen to her are accompanied by some amusing dialect expressions. The first story is called "Susan Pulls the Strings" but the funniest is probably "Susan's Trying Term".

Answer: The "Abbey" series

There is a tremendous network of "Abbey" characters and heroines in one story are very often there in the background in others. Just like the "Chalet School" series, there are also clubs and societies that treasure and celebrate the "Abbey" books by this prolific author.

Answer: Geoffrey Trease

All four authors mentioned here wrote historical novels for children but it was Geoffrey Trease who was the first to take the more realistic approach. He was always concerned with writing stories that would involve both boys and girls in the plot.

Answer: Pullein-Thompson

The three sisters are Josephine, Christine and Diana. After a while you will notice that they each have a slightly different style. They have even written an autobiography with each of them taking it in turns to give their version of their childhood.

Answer: singing

"The Lark in the Morn" and "The Lark on the Wing" are the two books referred to here. Some of the same characters appear in later Vipont books.

Answer: The Famous Five and the Stately Homes Gang

"The Famous Five and The Stately Homes Gang" was written by Claude Voilier in French and translated into English by Anthea Bell. There are other non-Enid Blyton "Five" books such as "The Famous Five and Golden Galleon" and "The Famous Five and the Cavalier's Treasure".

Answer: Peter

Peter is short for Petronella. There's obviously something very special between the two of them from the very first book of the twenty. The other two "romantic partnerships" that develop are between Jenny and Tom and between Penny and Jonathan.

Answer: Antonia Forest

The stories of this author are all highly individualised and do not really conform to any particular genre. She sometimes makes use of the expectations of the conventional school story but turns each book into a study of character, particularly the study of Nicola, the most appealing of the Marlow girls.

Answer: sea stories

Douglas Duff's own background was in the Royal Navy in both World War One and World War Two. Two of his series heroes Adam MacAdam and Bill Berenger had many adventures at sea. Duff also had a detailed and sympathetic understanding of the countries in the Middle East.

Answer: north of the Roman Wall

The ninth legion marched north from York, crossed the Roman Wall and was never seen again. Rosemary Sutcliff produced a wonderful story about how the wounded Marcus with his friend Esca set out to reclaim the lost "eagle" and thus remove the stain on the reputation of Marcus' father.

Answer: Tamzin

Monica Edwards takes on the interesting challenge of actually dealing with how young people at the centre of a series of children's stories react to the attraction of the opposite sex. The turning point comes in "No Going Back" where Tamzin realises that the friendship she has shared with Meryon, Rissa and Roger has begun to change.

Answer: Brown

William has a brother called Robert and a sister called Ethel. Both are older than William and many of the short stories are concerned with the way he interferes in their lives.

Answer: Patricia Leitch

In fact Ruby Ferguson wrote a series of nine pony stories about her heroine Jill Crewe. Pat Smythe was a famous showjumper who also wrote a series about the three "J's".

Answer: The New Forest

"New Forest Adventure" was followed by "New Forest Mystery" and many others. The children in this series proved very sucessful in outwitting a whole regiment of crooks.

Answer: David Almond

The other three writers in the wrong answers have also won the Carnegie Medal. Tim Bowler won with "River Boy". Anne Fine won with "Flour Babies" and Berlie Doherty won with "Granny was a Buffer Girl" and "Dear Nobody".

Answer: Robert Westall

"The Machine-Gunners" is set in Tynemouth during World War Two and was written by Robert Westall for his son Christopher so that he could understand what it was really like to live under the German bombs.

Answer: The Edge of the Cloud

The series of books is all about Christina Parsons and her involvements with Mark, Will and Dick. It was later turned into a television series by Yorkshire television.

Answer: Carey

Amonst the titles in the series are "Knight Crusader", "Captain of Dargoons", "Captain of Foot", "Escape from France" and "Nicholas Carey".

Answer: Tom's Midnight Garden

This is another Carnegie Medal winner. The end of the book brings the unexpected truth about who Hatty really is.