Star Ka’at
by Andre Norton & Dorothy Madlee (Blackie & Son, 1977); ill. Bernard Colonna (Knight Books, 1980)
A slight volume that hints at a more complicated story but doesn’t come close to delivering one. In fact, the plot is little more than its MG protagonists lining up for a SF adventure ride that will (presumably) begin with book two.
The Ship of Adventure
by Enid Blyton (Macmillan, 1950)
audiobook read by Thomas Judd (Bolinda, 2021)
While the animals (Kiki plus Micky the monkey) allow for chaos and key plot progressions, Blyton writes herself into a corner where adult intervention is the only way forward. Nowhere is her off-hand approach more evident than in Bill and Allie’s insta-engagement.
Brat Farrar
by Josephine Tey (Peter Davies, 1949)
audiobook read by Carole Boyd (Bolinda, 2017)
The broad sweep of the mystery is predictable, the mechanics of the murder left improperly explained, yet this remains an oddly compelling read, full of nuanced characterisation and gently poetic depictions of post-war British country life (or the elite horsey subsection thereof).
Thank You, Jeeves
by P. G. Wodehouse (Herbert Jenkins, 1934)
audiobook read by Jonathan Cecil (Bolinda, 2014)
The usual hijinks, predictable in outline but spontaneous and delightful in the detail. While Jeeves may have lodged more firmly in the public consciousness than has Bertie, the latter presents as the more quintessentially Wodehousian character, frothing over with witter and wit.
The Bell Jar
by Sylvia Plath (Heinemann, 1963)
audiobook read by Maggie Gyllenhaal (Faber & Faber, 2015)
Heavily descriptive, albeit the slathered-on imagery (a poet throwing herself at prose) does serve as a tracing agent in charting mental illness. An unsatisfying novel, difficult to separate from its affecting autobiographical content. Gyllenhaal’s audiobook reading renders it at least somewhat accessible.
Agaton Sax and the London Computer Plot
by Nils-Olof Franzén; ill. Quentin Blake (André Deutsch, 1973)
[from Agaton Sax och den svällande rotmos-affären, 1970]
![Book cover: “Agaton Sax and the London Computer Plot” by Nils-Olof Franzén; ill. Quentin Blake (André Deutsch, 1973) [from Agaton Sax och den svällande rotmos-affären, 1970]](https://www.derelictspacesheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Franzen_Agaton-Sax_London-Computer-Plot.jpg)
Agaton Sax once again comes up against The Boss and his ineffectual, scramble-talking gang. While the Swedish detective’s much-vaunted mastery doesn’t really hold water on this occasion, the pseudo-portentous, faux-mysterious comings-and-goings will nonetheless keep young readers amused (and delving into the genre).
The Second Form at Malory Towers
by Enid Blyton (Methuen, 1947)
audiobook read by Beth Eyre (Bolinda, 2021)
Second Form introduces new characters and shifts the viewpoint away from Darrell (embracing an omniscient narrative). While the plot mirrors that of First Term, the girls have turned thirteen and the shading is less innocent. Thus the series grows alongside its readers.
A Murder is Announced
by Agatha Christie (Collins Crime Club, 1950)
audiobook read by Joan Hickson (Lamplight, 2015)
Christie dollops out distinct, often irreverent personalities, and fashions an engaging murder mystery, albeit the scenario hangs on an unnaturally compressed timeline (to which the reader is only belatedly made privy). The omniscient narrative allows for different angles of sleuthing and deception.
Terry Nation’s Dalek Special
ed. Terrance Dicks (Target, 1979)
The odd typesetting gives this a fanzine appearance, as if Dicks has cut-and-pasted his material from elsewhere. Includes a potted Dalek history, random Dalek puzzles and photographs (B&W), and a truly amateurish (more nonsensical than ever) MG story courtesy of Terry Nation.
The Last Rose of Summer
by Steve Gallagher (Corgi, 1978)
Gallagher’s first novel—an adaptation of his own radio series—is a ropey SF piece that displays none of the writerly craft or voice so evident in later works. The grim societal pessimism is there but even this element lacks for subtlety.