Product Description

Darrell and her friends grow together as they share their school days. There are new students to induct, sporting matches to be won, tempers to control and tricks to play on teachers. This work presents stories about life at boarding school as readers follow the girls' lives through 6 years at Malory Towers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6611 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Customer Reviews

One of my favorites
I first read Malory Towers when my mum gave me the first book for my birthday and I've been hooked ever since and now collect all the different ones I can find and the fifth term is definately my favourite.

I do agree that it is a bit over the top, but there is something that makes this book more likeable than the rest, (I dont really like the third form), Sally doesn't really get a look in much except to back Darrell up and I would have slapped Katherine a long time ago. Gwen of course gets her come uppance and June is worse than ever.

One person who is even worse in this book is Darrell's babyish and goody two-shoes sister "Little" Felicity who gets on my last nerve.

Rather overdone, but still quite good
In this book, the girls have to organize the Christmas pantomime. It is to be "Cinderella".

Their talents and gifts for writing (Darrell), music (Irene), drawing (Belinda), singing (Mavis) and games (Felicity - she scores the winning goal in a lacrosse match in spite of a twisted ankle) are far too exaggerated, especially Darrell's role is overdone - she is an author as well as a games captain, and "Sally is to help her".

I found myself disliking Sally's part - she is a mere shadow of Darrell's - why not Darrell for playwright and Sally for games captain? But that's not unusual in girls' books - the heroine is interesting and so are her friends, but not her BEST friend - she is often only a back-up for the main character.

But I like the book... There's a new girl in the Fifth, Maureen, who is very much like Gwen.

Blyton shows her knowledge of human nature when Gwen hates the girl who is so much like her. Even Alicia detests her cousin June who is so much like her. The Gwen-Maureen-thing is well done and very amusing. Poor Gwen has a very bad time with the sickening Maureen!

Needless to say that Maureen has got blonde hair and blue eyes like all the baddies in Enid Blyton's book (Gwen in "Malory Towers" and "Angela" in "St. Clare's"). Having blonde hair and blue eyes myself, I don't like this stereotype.

What a pity that we don't know much about Pat and Rita, the funny twins who are to play Cinderella's ugly sisters - they should have had a bigger part in the book or the whole series, I'm sure I would have liked them. At first, Gwen is afraid of being chosen as an ugly sister, but during the play she finds herself envying them because their part is so comical. I believe it - an ugly sister must be much more entertaining and interesting than an innocent and boring "Cinderella"!

Then there is a horrible incident, when Moira, the unpopular head-girl, receives hateful anonymous letters - I would never have guessed who is the writer.

The mood is rather sinister - poisonous letters and many quarrels between the girls -, but Blyton lightens it up with a trick played by Mamzelle on the horrified girls - she uses trick teeth that make her look like a vampire. Very funny and delightful, unfortunately the whole chapter is left out in the German translation I read as a child.

I think I don't reveal too much by telling that the pantomime is a roaring success.

we thought it was an excellent book
This book was a excellent way of learning what boarding school is about and the fun things you can get up to. The play was very good and made me feel as if I was really there. My favourite characters in the books are Sally Hope, Alicia and Darrell Rivers. I have all of the collection of tapes and most of the books. I can read them over and over again and still enjoy them. I would recommend any girls reading this to read the books from the first one - First Term at Malory Towers through to the final installment - Last Term at Malory Towers.