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Quiz about Authors of 20th Century Childrens Books
Quiz about Authors of 20th Century Childrens Books

Authors of 20th Century Children's Books. Quiz


This quiz is about authors of children's books in the 20th Century. Most of them are quite well known, but I have not included enormously famous "classic" authors like C.S. Lewis and L.M. Montgomery.

A multiple-choice quiz by Sallyo. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
Sallyo
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
127,158
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Avg Score
4 / 10
Plays
930
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. This author was born in England, but left that country as a child. Among her books are "Nicola Silver", "The Wonder Child" and "Judy and Punch". What is her name? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Mary Grant Bruce wrote a long series of books and some non-series books in the first half of the 20th Century. Some of her titles include "'Possum" and "Circus Ring", but what was the name of her famous series? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The Marlow books are the creation of Antonia Forest. They are highly regarded in many circles as school stories with a difference, but in fact only four of the books are set at Kingscote School. The books often focus on the youngest girls, who are twins. What are their names? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Patrick Pennington is one of the bad-boy heroes of the 1970s. A fighter and a swimmer, he is also a gifted pianist. A spell in prison and marriage to his girlfriend tames him a little, but he is never a very comfortable person to be around. It is a credit to his author that Penn is both believable and even - sometimes - likeable. Who created him? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. One of the most unexpected children's book heroes was Septimus Treloar, who appeared in four rousing detective novels including "Septimus and the Danedyke Mystery" and "Septimus and the Minster Ghost". These books were written by Stephen Chance. But - what was unusual about Septimus in three of the four books? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Carbonel is the black cat hero of a series of three books by Barbara Sleigh. His friend and mistress is called Rosemary Brown, but Rosemary obtains him from someone else. Who was Carbonel's original owner? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The Swallows and Amazons series comprises a dozen books written by Arthur Ransome. The Swallow and the Amazon were boats, crewed by children from the Walker and Blackett families. The children were named Nancy, John, Susan, Peggy, Titty and Roger. Which of these were known as "The Swallows"? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Monica Edwards was the author of two long-running series during the 1940s - 1960s. These are the Romney Marsh books and the Punchbowl Farm books. In which two counties did Mrs Edwards live and set her books? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. One of the best authors of children's historical novels was Geoffrey Trease. Some of his books include "Cue for Treason" and "The Hills of Varna". Trease also wrote a series of five books set in the 20th Century. What was the name of the series? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Margaret Mahy has had a long and successful career as an award-winning author. Name the two books of which the first was not published in the 20th Century, and the second was not a fantasy? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. This author was born in England, but left that country as a child. Among her books are "Nicola Silver", "The Wonder Child" and "Judy and Punch". What is her name?

Answer: Ethel Turner

Ethel Turner arrived in Australia with her family and grew up in Sydney. Her most famous book is "Seven Little Australians". Lilian was her sister, while L.T. Meade was an earlier writer of girls' stories. Elinor Brent-Dyer is, of course, the British writer of the Chalet series.
2. Mary Grant Bruce wrote a long series of books and some non-series books in the first half of the 20th Century. Some of her titles include "'Possum" and "Circus Ring", but what was the name of her famous series?

Answer: The Billabong Books

The Billabong series was highly successful in Australia, and at one time Mary Grant Bruce and Ethel Turner were the two best-known children's authors in the country. The Billabong Books are set on an outback station called "Billabong". The heroine is Norah Linton, who grows up during the series. Other characters include her father, David, her brother, Jim and Jim's friend, Wally, whom Norah marries.

The Flower Fairy Books are by Cicely Mary Baker, the Pookie Books by Ivy Wallace and the Springdale Books by Dorita Fairley Bruce, who also wrote the more famous Dimsie Series.
3. The Marlow books are the creation of Antonia Forest. They are highly regarded in many circles as school stories with a difference, but in fact only four of the books are set at Kingscote School. The books often focus on the youngest girls, who are twins. What are their names?

Answer: Nicola and Lawrence

The twins are Nicola and Lawrence, usually known as "Nick and Lawrie". These are family names, usually used in the forms "Nicholas and Lawrence". Next to the twins in age comes Peter, then Ginty (Virginia), Ann, Rowan, Karen and Giles.
4. Patrick Pennington is one of the bad-boy heroes of the 1970s. A fighter and a swimmer, he is also a gifted pianist. A spell in prison and marriage to his girlfriend tames him a little, but he is never a very comfortable person to be around. It is a credit to his author that Penn is both believable and even - sometimes - likeable. Who created him?

Answer: K.M. Peyton.

K.M. Peyton wrote the three Pennington books, plus some connected novels, as well as the better-known "Flambards" series. The Pennington titles are; "Pennington's Seventeenth Summer", "The Beethoven Medal" and "Pennington's Heir". Penn also appears in "Marion's Angels" (aka "Falling Angels"). S.E. Hinton and Lynne Reid Banks also wrote about boys from the wrong side of the tracks in "The Outsiders", and "My Darling Villain" respectively.
5. One of the most unexpected children's book heroes was Septimus Treloar, who appeared in four rousing detective novels including "Septimus and the Danedyke Mystery" and "Septimus and the Minster Ghost". These books were written by Stephen Chance. But - what was unusual about Septimus in three of the four books?

Answer: Septimus was an elderly policeman-turned-parson.

The Septimus books are great fun, but perhaps only an author of Stephen Chance's talent (and fame, under his real name) could have got away with making a children's book protagonist plain, elderly and a parson. In the fourth book (but the first chronologically) we go back to Septimus' Army years...
6. Carbonel is the black cat hero of a series of three books by Barbara Sleigh. His friend and mistress is called Rosemary Brown, but Rosemary obtains him from someone else. Who was Carbonel's original owner?

Answer: Mrs Cantrip

Mrs Cantrip owned Carbonel, and when she sold her broom and hat to Rosemary, Carbonel went along as part of the deal. The books include "Carbonel", "The Kingdom of Carbonel" and "Carbonel and Calidor".
7. The Swallows and Amazons series comprises a dozen books written by Arthur Ransome. The Swallow and the Amazon were boats, crewed by children from the Walker and Blackett families. The children were named Nancy, John, Susan, Peggy, Titty and Roger. Which of these were known as "The Swallows"?

Answer: John, Susan, Titty, Roger.

The four Walkers who crewed the Swallow were sometimes accompanied by their much younger sister, Bridget. Nancy and Peggy were the Blackett sisters, crew of the Amazon.
8. Monica Edwards was the author of two long-running series during the 1940s - 1960s. These are the Romney Marsh books and the Punchbowl Farm books. In which two counties did Mrs Edwards live and set her books?

Answer: Sussex and Surrey

Monica Edwards lived near Rye in Sussex as a child, and later she and her husband had a farm near Guildford in Surrey. She set her books in the places she knew well.
9. One of the best authors of children's historical novels was Geoffrey Trease. Some of his books include "Cue for Treason" and "The Hills of Varna". Trease also wrote a series of five books set in the 20th Century. What was the name of the series?

Answer: The Bannermere Books.

The Bannermere books begin with "No Boats on Bannermere", continue through "Under Black Banner", "Black Banner Players" and "Black Banner Abroad" and end with "The Gates of Bannerdale". The main character and narrator is Bill Melbury, a teenager who wants to be an author.

The Maythorne Books are also by Trease and set in the right period, but there are just two of these. The Lone Pine Books are by Malcolm Saville and the Fell Farm books by Marjorie Lloyd.
10. Margaret Mahy has had a long and successful career as an award-winning author. Name the two books of which the first was not published in the 20th Century, and the second was not a fantasy?

Answer: "Alchemy" and "The Catalogue of the Universe".

"Alchemy", a wonderful magical romance/thriller, was published in the 21st Century. The others are all 1980s or 1990s titles. Neither "The Catalogue of the Universe" nor "The Other Side of Silence" is a fantasy, while "Alchemy" and "The Changeover" both are.
Source: Author Sallyo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
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