CS 2+ Juliet of the Chalet School by Caroline German

Juliet was first published in 2006, and has never been reprinted. It is set in the autumn term of Year 3, and comes between Jane Berry’s Guides and Caroline’s own Deira (thus in between EBD’s Jo of and Princess).

   When Juliet hears that she is to be the Chalet School’s second Head Girl, she is filled with dismay. How can she ever take Gisela’s place? Will the girls respect her? Will she justify Madame’s faith in her? The girls themselves do nothing to boost her confidence but set out to challenge her at every turn.

   How Juliet rises to that challenge, learning by her mistakes and gradually coming to realise that, as Madame put it at the outset, ‘My dear girl, we don’t want another Gisela—we want you!’ is the story told in Juliet of the Chalet School.

   Caroline has successfully recreated the genuine Chalet atmosphere—you can almost smell the coffee and taste the cream cakes—and her story has all the ingredients we associate with Elinor Brent-Dyer at  her best: wicked middles, a bumptious prefect, a new mistress with much to learn … and two new girls who have something to hide.

Juliet of the Chalet School will be published in April / May.