In the lengthy Chalet School series for teenagers by Elinor M Brent-Dyer, there are two books which were published out of sequence. Last time I did a full read-through, I managed to miss them out, but this time I’ve ensured I read them as part of the chronological order. So I re-read ‘Tom Tackles the Chalet School’ just over a month ago. That was originally published in two parts in Chalet School annuals. I’ve just finished the very short sequel, ‘The Chalet School and Rosalie’, which wasn’t widely available when first published.
(Amazon UK link)
My copy is an Armada edition; apparently it wasn’t abridged - just as well since it’s so short anyway, fewer than 100 pages. It follows a rather sensitive and shy twelve-year-old girl called Rosalie Way whom we first meet on the train to school, looked after by a very reluctant Tom. The two are about as different as possible: Tom, brought up by a single father in a vicarage, is practical and boyish; Rosalie has long curls and easy tears, and is very feminine. However she develops a kind of crush on Tom, who is horrified. But despite this the two become quite friendly over the course of the book.
I’d entirely forgotten the story - I last read this in 2001 - although I recalled the general idea. It’s not a particularly exciting or significant book as far as the series goes, but I like the feeling of keeping in touch with the characters. The school is still in Armiford (the author's fictionalised Herefordshire, apparently), in a huge house with large grounds belonging to the family of Gwensi, one of the seniors.
So, as with most of the rest of the series, there are classroom incidents, a few arguments, and in the end Rosalie becomes a ‘real’ Chalet School girl. She has a surprisingly hot temper and is very stubborn at times, so - for instance - she’s determined to specialise in cricket rather than tennis because Tom likes cricket. She has a point in that she says she’s always wanted to try cricket, but they have lessons in both anyway. And Rosalie is really quite good at tennis, for her age.
Rosalie also takes awhile to understand some of the rules, and - when she’s in a temper - doesn’t much care about them anyway. She’s an interesting character, and although there’s nothing special in this short volume, I liked reading it. Unusually Jo Maynard doesn’t appear, although she’s mentioned more than once; the (predictable) reason becomes clear later in the book.
Worth reading if you’re a fan of the series, but it’s not a book that adds very much, and wouldn’t be a great introduction. It’s best read directly after ‘Tom Tackles the Chalet School’, before ‘Three Go to the Chalet School’, which I expect to re-read next month. Tends to be highly priced and quite rare online, but can occasionally be found at second-hand or charity shops.
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