Some of the books in this series are samey, with too much detail about lessons, or end-of-term plays. But this one has a story that, having not read for perhaps 20 years or more, I found quite gripping. I didn’t remember what happened to at all, and was full of admiration for the way that the author made it clear that a particular girl's mindset was tacky and 'cheap' without ever being condescending.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book, which is around 40th in the series, depending on how they are counted. Inevitably it’s a little dated, and some ideas about education have changed since the middle of the 20th century. Nonetheless, Brent-Dyer created believable people and I found myself strongly drawn into this book; definitely recommended to fans of the series. ( )