Carola Storms the Chalet School
Key Facts (Possible Spoilers):School Facts:
Miss Annersley and Miss Wilson are co-Headmistress
School is located on the island of St. Briavels, off the southern Welsh coast, and is in its third term there
Series Characters Whereabouts:
Jo Maynard - is living near the school on the mainland
Mary-Lou Trelawney - is a twelve year old junior
Len Maynard - is in the Second Form
Con Maynard - is in the Second Form
Margot Maynard - is in Canada
Peggy Bettany - is the Head Girl
Bride Bettany - is in Lower 5B
Tom Gay (a girl) - is in the Fifth form
Daisy Venables - is a doctor in her early twenties
Biddy O'Ryan - returns in this book to be a History Mistress
When Carola's cousin and parents are notified of her running away, the cousin refuses to have any further responsibility for her. Her father flies home at once from Africa to enrol Carola in the school.
Carola quickly settles in to the school. When the half term comes, she is the oldest of 10 girls left at the school over the half term break. A half term trip, led by Miss Burn nearly turns into a tragedy as one of the younger girls nearly drowns, only Carola's quick thinking saving her life. Miss Burn, who also participates in the rescue, falls ill due to the exposure to the icy water. Her doctor, a Doctor Graves, tends to her carefully and she is soon on the road to recovery.
Shortly thereafter, Carola creates herself a place in the legends of the school through a misadventure in cooking class. The class is attempting to make doughnuts, but runs short on oil in which to fry the doughnuts. Carola is asked to go ask Matron for some oil, but, unable to find her, simply helps herself from the large container. The doughnuts are disgusting, fried, as it turns out, in cod liver oil.
The term ends with the Sale. Tom Gay [a girl] has made a dolls house. Carola thinks up the competition to win the house - you must guess the materials used to make the house and its furnishings.
Yet another near calamity occurs after the Sale when Grizel carelessly throws away a match, catching Len Maynard's dress on fire. Carola slaps the fire out with her hands, burning them, but is recovering by the end of the book. The book closes with the announcement of two engagements for Old Girls.
contributed by Chris King, USA __ working from a paperback edition