Jo of the Chalet School

Elinor Brent-Dyer

Original copyright 1926 – this edition 1993

In the first of the Chalet School series, Madge Bettany, a young English woman, decides to start a boarding school in the Austrian Alps with her sister Jo as the first pupil.  The series eventually covers over 30 years of their lives in 58 books which were initially published in the United Kingdom between 1925 and 1970.  I had never heard of the Chalet School before stumbling across this book at a half-price used book sale.  Looking into it, I discovered that this was a beloved series for young girls in the UK.  Like Nancy Drew in the U.S., these books remain popular with readers and collectors.

In this, the second book of the series, the school’s enrollment has grown to about 30 girls of various backgrounds.  A sanatorium for tuberculosis patients has recently been started nearby, providing a young, handsome doctor to care for the girls after their various hijinks get them into trouble.  Conveniently, this also provides Jo’s sister Madge with a suitor and the book ends with their engagement.  

In one chapter, Jo and her classmates are excited to hear of a new organization, the Girl Guides.  Badges can be earned for learning new skills such as making knots, cooking outdoors, nursing, and basket-weaving.  Plans begin to start an official Girl Guide group at the Chalet School.  The excitement of the students is evident as they begin to think of the new skills they can learn.   

This makes me wonder why we don’t always keep that excitement as we grow older.  Would we be more inclined if we could still earn badges?  Yes, I know…life gets in the way.  As our responsibilities grow, we don’t have the same amount of time or energy for learning new skills or trying new hobbies.  Still, we have to remember to keep life interesting by taking time to try new things.  

Let’s see…what badge should I try to earn next?