Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Sourcebooks for blog posting and giveaway, purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it
We'll be checking out Sophie's new book in just a few minutes,
but first a great guest post from her!
We asked her-
What are your favorite schools in kids and YA literature and why?
1. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Harry Potter by JK Rowling
I remember being enchanted by Hogwarts from the moment our teacher read the first book to us in class. My friends and I spent hours riding imaginary broomsticks and making lists of magical books and potions that we’d take with us if we ever got our invitation to attend by owl post. The thing I love about Hogwarts is that it manages to be an awful lot of fun whilst still being (in places) dark, scary and full of secrets.
2. Deepdean School For Girls in Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens
Rookwood in my books is a particularly unpleasant 1930s boarding school, but for the jollier side of things you can’t beat Stevens’ Deepdean. It has all the classic ingredients – hockey sticks, bunbreaks and midnight feast – but with a side order of murder.
3. Bathory School in Monster by CJ Skuse
Monster is a fantastically scary book – a claustrophobic YA horror where the girls are trapped in their school over winter, stalked by the giant Beast of local legend. The school and grounds are so vivid and well realised, making it all the more frightening as characters are picked off one by one.
4. Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches in The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
Before Hogwarts, there was Miss Cackle’s, and it was an early favourite of mine. Like Hogwarts, it’s set in a castle surrounded by forest, and the young witches study such subjects as Chanting, Potions, Broomstick Flying and – because there’s no escaping it, even in fantasy – Gym. The kindly Miss Cackle is in charge, but there’s also the super-strict and sour faced Miss Hardbroom, who was a big inspiration for nasty headteacher Miss Fox in my books.
5. The boarding school in The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein
Another YA horror offering – the unnamed all-girls school in The Moth Diaries is nonetheless one that stuck with me and fueled my love of the creepy boarding school. Klein captures the oppressive atmosphere and feeling of confinement brilliantly.
6. Albert Einstein High School in The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
For a break from magic and murders – I always thought the New York high school that Princess Mia attends sounded very cool, and as quite a geek myself I’d have loved to hang out in their Gifted &
Talented class.
Stay tuned for our post on Scarlet & Ivy,
and a giveaway, later today!
About the Author:
Sophie Cleverly began writing Scarlet and Ivy in her second year at university, where she studied Creative Writing. She knew she had to finish telling the story, and when she heard that the university offered an MA in Writing For Young People she realized it was the perfect opportunity. She lives in Wiltshire, England. This is her debut. Visit hapfairy.co.uk for more info.
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