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Quiz about Nostalgia for British Childrens Writers

Nostalgia for British Children's Writers Quiz

Prize-winners and popular series. What do you know of British children's writers and books of the twentieth century? Try this multi-choice quiz for yesterday's children (and today's).

A multiple-choice quiz by Philian. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
Philian

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
128,881

Updated
Jul 28 22

# Qns
25

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
13 / 25

Plays
1269

Last 3 plays: angostura (15/25), Guest 173 (8/25), Guest 71 (7/25).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 25

1. What is the name of the most famous character created by Captain W.E. Johns? Hint

The Flying Beetle

Worrals

Hunter Hawke

Biggles

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Question 2 of 25

2. All the books below are famous children's stories of the twentieth century but which one won the first ever prestigious Carnegie Medal? Hint

"The Family from One End Street" by Eve Garnett

"The Borrowers" by Mary Norton

"Ballet Shoes" by Noel Streatfeild

"Pigeon Post" by Arthur Ransome

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Question 3 of 25

3. Which author wrote the famous "William" books, a series that began with "Just William"? Hint

Elfrida Vipont

Richmal Crompton

Dodie Smith

Stephen Tring

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Question 4 of 25

4. Which author was born in South Shields and wrote the enormously popular "Chalet School" series? Hint

Josephine Elder

Katharine Oldmeadow

Enid Blyton

Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

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Question 5 of 25

5. Which of the following places was not a location for the Chalet School? Hint

Guernsey

Switzerland

Wales

Scotland

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Question 6 of 25

6. Which schoolboy hero attended Linbury Court Preparatory School? Hint

Molesworth

William

Jennings

Billy Bunter

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Question 7 of 25

7. The author Jane Shaw produced a series of books about the adventures that her heroine got into with her cousins Charlotte, Midge and Bill Carmichael. What was the name of her heroine? Hint

Sally

Sheila

Sara

Susan

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Question 8 of 25

8. What is the famous girls' series created by Elsie J. Oxenham? Hint

The "Springdale" series

The "Cliff House" series

The "Morecove" series

The "Abbey" series

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Question 9 of 25

9. Which author wrote the children's historical novel "Bows Against the Barons" which presented Robin Hood as a working-class hero for a change? Hint

Geoffrey Trease

Henry Treece

Ronald Welch

Rosemary Sutcliff

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Question 10 of 25

10. What is the surname of the three sisters who have each written lots of children's stories to do with horses and riding? Hint

Pullein-Thompson

Smythe-Rogers

Drummond-Hay

Broome-Fernyhough

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Question 11 of 25

11. In Elfrida Vipont's "Lark" books what is the vocation of the leading female character Kit? Hint

nursing

singing

riding

farming

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Question 12 of 25

12. Which of the following is not a "Famous Five" book written by Enid Blyton? Hint

Five Fall Into Adventure

Five on a Treasure Island

The Famous Five and the Stately Homes Gang

Five Go to Billycock Hill

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Question 13 of 25

13. In the "Lone Pine" books by Malcolm Saville, to whom does David finally become engaged? Hint

Kim

Penny

Jenny

Peter

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Question 14 of 25

14. Which author wrote a series of novels about the Marlow family including such titles as "Autumn Term" and "Peter's Room"? Hint

Mabel Esther Allan

Sybil Owsley

Phyllis Matthewman

Antonia Forest

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Question 15 of 25

15. For which sort of stories was the author Douglas V. Duff mostly renowned? Hint

detective stories

animal stories

school stories

sea stories

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Question 16 of 25

16. In Rosemary Sutcliff's "The Eagle of the Ninth" where did the hero Marcus have to go to try and reclaim the lost eagle of the ninth legion of the Roman Empire? Hint

north of the Roman Wall

over the sea to Iceland

over the sea to the Isle of Man

over the Pyrenees into Spain

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Question 17 of 25

17. In the "Romney Marsh" series by Monica Edwards what is the name of the girl that Meryon gradually falls in love with? Hint

Andrea

Rissa

Tamzin

Lindsey

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Question 18 of 25

18. In the famous "William" stories what is William's surname? Hint

Smith

Taylor

Jones

Brown

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Question 19 of 25

19. Who wrote the "Jinny" series of stories about Jennifer Manders and the wild circus-horse she rescues and looks after in the Highlands of Scotland? Hint

Ruby Ferguson

Jill Crewe

Pat Smythe

Patricia Leitch

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Question 20 of 25

20. Stephen Mogridge wrote a series about ponies and boats whose titles all were connected by the place in which the characters Patricia and Bill, Fiona and Frec lived. Where is this place? Hint

Shropshire

Dartmoor

The New Forest

The Lake District

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Question 21 of 25

21. Which writer from the north-east of England won the Carnegie Medal for children's literature with "Skellig" in 1998? Hint

Anne Fine

Tim Bowler

Berlie Doherty

David Almond

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Question 22 of 25

22. Which writer won the Carnegie Medal twice with both "The Machine-Gunners" and "The Scarecrows" coming out on top? Hint

Robert Westall

Peter Dickinson

Jan Mark

Robert Swindells

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Question 23 of 25

23. K.M. Peyton won the Carnegie Medal in 1969 but which one of her famous "Flambards" series was actually awarded the prize? Hint

The Edge of the Cloud

Flambards in Summer

Flambards

Flambards Divided

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Question 24 of 25

24. Ronald Welch wrote a series of historical novels for children about the fortunes of one particular family through the centuries. What was the name of the family? Hint

Johnson

De Mainville

Willard

Carey

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Question 25 of 25

25. What is the name of the story by Philippa Pearce in which a boy meets up with Hatty in a garden when he goes to stay with his aunt and uncle after his brother catches measles? Hint

Appointment at Midnight

Moon-dial

Tom's Midnight Garden

The Secret Garden

Most Recent Scores

Nov 12 2024 : angostura: 15/25
Oct 22 2024 : Guest 173: 8/25
Oct 19 2024 : Guest 71: 7/25

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What is the name of the most famous character created by Captain W.E. Johns?

Answer: Biggles

There were over ninety "Biggles" books and the name of this pilot is now associated in Britain with any daring flying escapade. "The Flying Beetle" was the creation of George E. Rochester. The "Hunter Hawke" stories were written by Eric Leyland. "Worrals" is another set of stories by Johns but they are all about a female pilot.

2. All the books below are famous children's stories of the twentieth century but which one won the first ever prestigious Carnegie Medal?

Answer: "Pigeon Post" by Arthur Ransome

Arthur Ransome's "Swallows and Amazons" stories were already justly popular by the time he wrote "Pigeon Post" which is the sixth in the series. The Borrowers" won in 1952 and Noel Streatfeild won in 1938 with "The Circus is Coming".

3. Which author wrote the famous "William" books, a series that began with "Just William"?

Answer: Richmal Crompton

The other three authors in the wrong answers section were also very popular. Dodie Smith is perhaps most famous for "101 Dalmatians".

4. Which author was born in South Shields and wrote the enormously popular "Chalet School" series?

Answer: Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

Even today the "Chalet School" books are tremendously popular in Britain and other parts of the world. There are "Chalet School" clubs and a tremendous network of "old girls" who discuss endlessly the faults and virtues of Jo Bettany.

5. Which of the following places was not a location for the Chalet School?

Answer: Scotland

The four locations were Austria, Switzerland, Guernsey and Wales. At least one of the moves was caused by World War Two.

6. Which schoolboy hero attended Linbury Court Preparatory School?

Answer: Jennings

The "Jennings" series of books were written by Anthony Buckeridge. In "Jennings' Diary" the eleven year old gets into trouble and hilarious situations by inventing his own secret code which merely consists of writing every word backwards.

7. The author Jane Shaw produced a series of books about the adventures that her heroine got into with her cousins Charlotte, Midge and Bill Carmichael. What was the name of her heroine?

Answer: Susan

Susan is a very Scottish heroine and many of the unfortunate things that happen to her are accompanied by some amusing dialect expressions. The first story is called "Susan Pulls the Strings" but the funniest is probably "Susan's Trying Term".

8. What is the famous girls' series created by Elsie J. Oxenham?

Answer: The "Abbey" series

There is a tremendous network of "Abbey" characters and heroines in one story are very often there in the background in others. Just like the "Chalet School" series, there are also clubs and societies that treasure and celebrate the "Abbey" books by this prolific author.

9. Which author wrote the children's historical novel "Bows Against the Barons" which presented Robin Hood as a working-class hero for a change?

Answer: Geoffrey Trease

All four authors mentioned here wrote historical novels for children but it was Geoffrey Trease who was the first to take the more realistic approach. He was always concerned with writing stories that would involve both boys and girls in the plot.

10. What is the surname of the three sisters who have each written lots of children's stories to do with horses and riding?

Answer: Pullein-Thompson

The three sisters are Josephine, Christine and Diana. After a while you will notice that they each have a slightly different style. They have even written an autobiography with each of them taking it in turns to give their version of their childhood.

11. In Elfrida Vipont's "Lark" books what is the vocation of the leading female character Kit?

Answer: singing

"The Lark in the Morn" and "The Lark on the Wing" are the two books referred to here. Some of the same characters appear in later Vipont books.

12. Which of the following is not a "Famous Five" book written by Enid Blyton?

Answer: The Famous Five and the Stately Homes Gang

"The Famous Five and The Stately Homes Gang" was written by Claude Voilier in French and translated into English by Anthea Bell. There are other non-Enid Blyton "Five" books such as "The Famous Five and Golden Galleon" and "The Famous Five and the Cavalier's Treasure".

13. In the "Lone Pine" books by Malcolm Saville, to whom does David finally become engaged?

Answer: Peter

Peter is short for Petronella. There's obviously something very special between the two of them from the very first book of the twenty. The other two "romantic partnerships" that develop are between Jenny and Tom and between Penny and Jonathan.

14. Which author wrote a series of novels about the Marlow family including such titles as "Autumn Term" and "Peter's Room"?

Answer: Antonia Forest

The stories of this author are all highly individualised and do not really conform to any particular genre. She sometimes makes use of the expectations of the conventional school story but turns each book into a study of character, particularly the study of Nicola, the most appealing of the Marlow girls.

15. For which sort of stories was the author Douglas V. Duff mostly renowned?

Answer: sea stories

Douglas Duff's own background was in the Royal Navy in both World War One and World War Two. Two of his series heroes Adam MacAdam and Bill Berenger had many adventures at sea. Duff also had a detailed and sympathetic understanding of the countries in the Middle East.

16. In Rosemary Sutcliff's "The Eagle of the Ninth" where did the hero Marcus have to go to try and reclaim the lost eagle of the ninth legion of the Roman Empire?

Answer: north of the Roman Wall

The ninth legion marched north from York, crossed the Roman Wall and was never seen again. Rosemary Sutcliff produced a wonderful story about how the wounded Marcus with his friend Esca set out to reclaim the lost "eagle" and thus remove the stain on the reputation of Marcus' father.

17. In the "Romney Marsh" series by Monica Edwards what is the name of the girl that Meryon gradually falls in love with?

Answer: Tamzin

Monica Edwards takes on the interesting challenge of actually dealing with how young people at the centre of a series of children's stories react to the attraction of the opposite sex. The turning point comes in "No Going Back" where Tamzin realises that the friendship she has shared with Meryon, Rissa and Roger has begun to change.

18. In the famous "William" stories what is William's surname?

Answer: Brown

William has a brother called Robert and a sister called Ethel. Both are older than William and many of the short stories are concerned with the way he interferes in their lives.

19. Who wrote the "Jinny" series of stories about Jennifer Manders and the wild circus-horse she rescues and looks after in the Highlands of Scotland?

Answer: Patricia Leitch

In fact Ruby Ferguson wrote a series of nine pony stories about her heroine Jill Crewe. Pat Smythe was a famous showjumper who also wrote a series about the three "J's".

20. Stephen Mogridge wrote a series about ponies and boats whose titles all were connected by the place in which the characters Patricia and Bill, Fiona and Frec lived. Where is this place?

Answer: The New Forest

"New Forest Adventure" was followed by "New Forest Mystery" and many others. The children in this series proved very sucessful in outwitting a whole regiment of crooks.

21. Which writer from the north-east of England won the Carnegie Medal for children's literature with "Skellig" in 1998?

Answer: David Almond

The other three writers in the wrong answers have also won the Carnegie Medal. Tim Bowler won with "River Boy". Anne Fine won with "Flour Babies" and Berlie Doherty won with "Granny was a Buffer Girl" and "Dear Nobody".

22. Which writer won the Carnegie Medal twice with both "The Machine-Gunners" and "The Scarecrows" coming out on top?

Answer: Robert Westall

"The Machine-Gunners" is set in Tynemouth during World War Two and was written by Robert Westall for his son Christopher so that he could understand what it was really like to live under the German bombs.

23. K.M. Peyton won the Carnegie Medal in 1969 but which one of her famous "Flambards" series was actually awarded the prize?

Answer: The Edge of the Cloud

The series of books is all about Christina Parsons and her involvements with Mark, Will and Dick. It was later turned into a television series by Yorkshire television.

24. Ronald Welch wrote a series of historical novels for children about the fortunes of one particular family through the centuries. What was the name of the family?

Answer: Carey

Amonst the titles in the series are "Knight Crusader", "Captain of Dargoons", "Captain of Foot", "Escape from France" and "Nicholas Carey".

25. What is the name of the story by Philippa Pearce in which a boy meets up with Hatty in a garden when he goes to stay with his aunt and uncle after his brother catches measles?

Answer: Tom's Midnight Garden

This is another Carnegie Medal winner. The end of the book brings the unexpected truth about who Hatty really is.

Source: Author Philian

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