Description /Buy link takes you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.
The Malory Towers series of book is a series of children’s books written by the English author Enid Blyon. In total, there were six books published in the Malory Towers series, but they have become a firm favourite with children and adults over the years. The first book in the Malory Towers series was published in 1946, and the sixth and final book in the series was published in 1951.
Order of Malory Towers Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Term at Malory Towers | 1946 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Second Form at Malory Towers | 1947 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Third Year at Malory Towers | 1948 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Upper Fourth at Malory Towers | 1949 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | In the Fifth at Malory Towers | 1950 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Last Term at Malory Towers | 1951 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | New Class at Malory Towers | 2019 | Description / Buy |
The Malory Towers series of books is set in a boarding school in Cornwall by the name of Malory Towers, and it focuses on the character of Darrell Rivers as she goes through six years of her live at school. It charts her time from her first day until the day she leaves Malory Towers. We also meet her friends, including Sally Hope, who is Darrell’s best friend, Mary-Lou, and also Darrell’s younger sister, Felicity.
The first book in the Malory Towers series, First Term at Malory Towers, was released in 1946. We meet Darrell Rivers as she is about to start at Malory Towers, and as she arrives to the school she is sent to the head’s office, Miss Grayling, who explains the main principles of Malory Towers and how she expects the girls to behave. Throughout the book, we start to see the Darrell has a short termper, starting when she saves Mary-Lou from the school bully, Gwendoline. Her temper continues to flare up during the book, and it soon leads to repercussions that cause the girls some real distress. There is also the ongoing threat of Gwendoline to worry about for Darrell and the rest of the girls, and they have to constantly be aware of the threat she poses to their time at Malory Towers.
The book series continues through Darrell’s school life, as is evident through the titles of the books. The second book in the series is Second Form at Malory Towers, the third book in the series is Third Year at Malory Towers, followed by Upper Fouth at Malory Towers, In The Fifth in Malory Towers, and finally Last Term at Malory Towers.
The third book in the Malory Towers series, Third Year at Malory Towers, starts off with us learning that Sally has mumps and will not be joining Darrell and the rest of the girls at school for a while, until she has fully recovered from her illness. However, they meet a new girl from America, Zerelda Brass, who, it turns out, is not as great a student as she would have you believe. The other new student at Malory Towers is Wilhelmina, and the main plot of the story revolves around her and her horse Thunder, who is in the school’s stables. The new characters breathe new life into the Malory Tower series, as the girls get to know each other even better and forge newer and stronger friendships.
Malory Towers is a six book series of novels by popular English Children’s novelist Enid Blyton. Starting in 2009, Pamela Cox who is also a contributor to Enid Blyton’s St. Clare’s series added six more novels to the Malory Towers series of novels. Malory Towers is a fictional girls’ boarding school modeled on the Benenden School an all-girl boarding school that Enid’s daughter once attended before it was moved to Cornish.
The lead protagonist in the Malory Towers series of novels are Darrell Rivers and Felicity River her sister, whose experiences and adventures form the foundation of the novels. The first novel in the series that featured Rivers was the 1946 published “First Term at Malory Towers”. The series of novels is best classified as children’s mystery and fantasy.
The first novel in the series, First Term at Malory Towers begins with a narrative of Darrell Rivers first day in the school. Rivers is happy and excited to go to school having heard stories of pillow fights and sisterly camaraderie to be found in high school. Even as she has resolved to become a success at the school, she is soon derailed from the path when she makes friends with the irresponsible Alicia Jones.
Things soon settle down, but it is not long before Darrell’s fiery temper boils over. In a disagreement with Sally her classmate, she pushes her so hard she falls over and has to be taken to the sanatorium for treatment. What follows is an amazing story of teenage jealousy, friendship, and sisterhood that is essentially a Machiavellian masterpiece that demonstrates Enid Blyton’s excellent storytelling abilities.
BEST MALORY TOWERS BOOKS
First Term at Malory Towers: The debut novel in the series is one of the most highly regarded novels in the Malory Towers series of novels. Darrell Rivers arrives at Malory Towers and is soon making friends and enemies of the other girls in her dorm room. The dorm room is full of girls with different dispositions and personalities. Even as she makes a commitment to herself and to the headmistress to be successful in her studies, her anger and friendship with one of the naughtiest girls in the school soon derail her from her path. Teaming up with Alicia Johns, they tease and bully other girls, which make them one of the most unpopular girls in the school. Trying to make amends with the other girls, she invites them to half term, but when there are no takers, she takes her frustrations out on Sally by pushing her off her stool seriously injuring her. What follows is a roller coaster of a school term as the girls succumb to jealousy, anger, and distressing pranks. The term ends on a lighter note when Darrell finally manages to make friends, even going home with two of her dorm mates.
Goodbye Malory Towers: The 12th and last novel in the Malory Towers series of novels is one of the most popular novel in the Malory Towers resurrection by Pamela Cox. In this novel, the sixth formers have just taken the final exam before the end of the school term and are now kicking back to enjoy their last days in school. But the headmistress has a surprise up her sleeve – she has invited Gwendoline Lacey, an old girl from the school to come teach a finishing school course. Gwendoline is a sweet girl and a good teacher, but someone does not like her and is determined to get her kicked out of the school. It takes the return of original Malory Towers heroine Darell Rivers to find an answer to the mystery at her alma mater.
Fun and Games: The 10th novel of the Malory Towers series of novels is another fan favorite. In addition to Felicity Rivers the lead of the Pamela Cox novels, there are three new girls in the school, Gillian, Millicent, and Delia. Just like in the previous novels, the novel highlights the clash in personalities between the girls. Delia is sweet and modest; Gillian is talented in music and sports, June is obsessed with tennis, and Millicent is a music enthusiast. The main story is about the rivalry between Millicent and June who are trying to entice the girls to enter the school orchestra and the tennis tournament.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
Fans of the Malory Towers series of novels also love the “St. Clare’s” series of novels by Pamela Cox. These novels are a spinoff of the Malory Towers series of novels, even though they are set in a different school and have different characters. Many Malory Towers fans also love the “Marlows” series of novels by Antonia Forest. These series of novels follow the adventures of the twins Nicola and Lowrie on their adventures at school and during the holidays.
Malory Towers FAQ
Q: Who wrote the Malory Towers series?
A: The Malory Towers series was written by the children’s author Enid Blyton.
Q: How many books are in the Malory Towers series?
A: There are six books in total in the Malory Towers series, one for each year of Darrell River’s school life.
Q: When was the first book in the Malory Towers series published?
A: The first book in the Malory Towers series, First Term at Malory Towers, was published in 1946.
Q: What was the last book in the Malory Towers series published?
A: The last book in the Malory Towers series, Last Term at Malory Towers, was published in 1951 and concludes the story of Darrel Rivers.
What Is The Next Book in The Malory Towers Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Malory Towers Series. The newest book is New Class at Malory Towers and was released on June, 27th 2019.
I’m familiar with Enid Blyon but I’m not sure this series would be enjoyable for me. I haven’t read anything similar to these but maybe I’d give them a whirl. What series are similar to this series? Is there enough going on in the plot to keep someone interested? Just wondering since it seems to be strictly about the girl’s school life, and there isn’t anything such as magic or mystery that the children have to deal with.