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The LibraryAfter his retirement, Eric Schonblom, an American engineering professor, decided to read Constance Savery's, "Emeralds for the King," a book which had been important to him as a child. The search for that book and the perusal of more Savery led him to her short stories and manuscripts, and before he had recovered his senses he had written a 200,000-word annotated bibliography, amassing a sizable collection of annuals and old magazines in the process. This article is an unplanned outcome of the original obsession.The Big Book of School Stories for Girls Among the many annuals published by the Oxford University Press (OUP) under the Humphrey Milford imprint in the nineteen thirties were the five volumes of “The Big Book of School Stories for Girls” . These were edited by George Herbert Ely and C. James L’Estrange under their pseudonym ‘Mrs. Herbert Strang.’
Identification Chronology
Constance Savery Other Contributors In 1952, Savery received a letter from J(ocelyn). T. Oliver under a Thomas Nelson and Sons letterhead with this paragraph: “ I have always admired your work very much indeed, and would like to publish it. There would be a pleasant continuity about the process: I was with Lutterworth a couple years ago, and set in motion a book of yours for them. And further back, there was a year when Gunby Hadath and I wrote nearly the whole of THE OXFORD ANNUAL FOR GIRLS between us, under an assortment of feminine pseudonyms: I think the only genuine woman contributor to the volume was Constance Savery.” If that were true for one set of girls’ annuals in the 1930s, it is probable that this series received similar pseudonymous contributions from male authors in addition to two from Hadath and four from Oliver. If this was a different Jocelyn Oliver, especially if she was your grandmother, please let me know. Savery’s letter is in the manuscript collection of the Knight Library at the University of Oregon. There are familiar names. Besides Savery, Hadath, and Oliver, a few of the more prominent are Winifred Darch with four stories, Evelyn Simms with four, Dorita Fairlie Bruce with two Dimsie stories and one other, Christine Chaundler with two, and Dorothea Moore with one. Popular illustrators include many who were regularly employed by the OUP at that time such as Edith E. Brier, M. D. Johnston, C. E. Brock, and Grace Lodge. Recurring Themes
Faint praise Eric Schonblom September 2007
The Annuals
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The books are commonly identified by the titles of their cover illustrations, by the title of their first story, or by the year in which the book was printed. These are, respectively: “The Captain” with “The Competition” by Evelyn Simms (1930), “After the Holidays” with “All Fool’s Day” by Dorita Fairlie Bruce (1931), “The Captain of the Boats” with “The Bach Prelude” by Evelyn Simms (1932), “The Summer Term” with “Outboard Motor” by Natalie Joan (1933), and “The Gym Captain” with “Be-Done-By-As-You-Did” by Evelyn Simms (1934). 
Inscriptions mentioned by bookshops since 2003 do not contradict this chronology. My 1933 volume carries an inscription for Christmas of 1933, so that at least once the annual became available in the year it was printed. “The Captain,” on the other hand, is frequently found with inscriptions for 1931 or 1932. The 1935 “Big Book for Girls” from OUP advertises “The Big Book of School Stories for Girls” along with twenty-six other ‘Big Books,’ but if there was a sixth volume published after “The Gym Captain,” I have not seen it for sale. Of these five volumes, “After the Holidays” is offered for sale frequently, while “The Gym Captain” is rare. With a little patience, one can acquire the first four annuals.
I have a particular interest in the work of Constance Savery (1897-1999), who had two stories in “The Gym Captain,” and a four-year search for that volume was responsible for my acquisition of the series. Prior to that, Eva Löfgren, whose 
For authors of children’s literature, the great advantage of the school story is that parents and guardians have been moved into the distance, where they are available when needed, but not in the way. At the same time, the various schools provide a useful and familiar background and only the peculiarities of a school and its mistresses require description. Certain themes recur. Juniors seek the attention of seniors. False accusations cannot be denied without implicating a friend. Talent, frequently deprecated by the holder, emerges at the critical moment to save the game, the concert, or the drama. Headmistresses resolve difficulties and show hidden reserves of compassion. Unpleasant girls are exposed or, repenting in time, forgiven. There are rescues from fires, precarious heights, incoming tides, and runaway horses or vehicles. No one–not even a mistress–gets pregnant.
As Sims and Claire have observed in “The Encyclopædia of Girls’ School Stories,” the central virtue is honour. Lies are contemptible, only forgiven if uttered to defend a friend and not acceptable then. Perpetrators of rags confess their sins and accept their lines or restrictions, often with the sudden realization that they have let down a team or the school. Steadiness is valued and triumphs over flashiness. There is no evangelism, and clergy are conspicuous by their absence. When tragedy occurs, comfort is provided by mistresses, prefects, and friends.
