The Naughtiest Girl in the School was published by Newnes in 1940, two years before the first Famous Five book, and it is among the most interesting of Blyton’s series because of its unusual premise: Whyteleafe School is run by the children themselves. A weekly Meeting, chaired by elected Head Boy and Head Girl with monitors as jury, hears complaints, settles disputes, and determines punishments. All pocket money is pooled and redistributed equally, and children who need extra (for birthday presents, hobbies, or supplies) must apply to the Meeting.
This democratic framework gives the stories a structural interest that Blyton’s more formulaic series lack. Elizabeth Allen, the protagonist, arrives at Whyteleafe determined to be expelled: she is rude to teachers, breaks rules, and refuses to participate. But the school’s response is not punishment but patience — the children at the Meeting listen to her grievances, address her concerns, and wait for her to come around. Elizabeth discovers that being “naughty” in a community that treats misbehavior as a problem to be solved rather than a crime to be punished is less satisfying than she expected, and she gradually becomes one of the school’s most committed members.
The series is remarkable for its time in its treatment of childhood democracy. Blyton presents the children’s self-governance not as a utopian fantasy but as a practical system with rules, procedures, and consequences. The Meetings are depicted in detail — the chair recognizes speakers, evidence is heard, decisions are taken by vote — and Blyton shows both the system’s strengths (it teaches responsibility, fairness, and empathy) and its limitations (it can be manipulated by clever children, and it sometimes produces unjust outcomes).
Collecting The Naughtiest Girl in the School
First edition (Newnes, London, 1940): Illustrated boards, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition in dust jacket: $200–$600
- Without jacket: $30–$80
- Later editions: $5–$10