First Term at Malory Towers

First Term at Malory Towers is the first Malory Towers book by Enid Blyton. The book introduces the main characters including Darrell Rivers, Sally Hope, Mary-Lou, Alicia Johns, Betty Hill, Jean and teachers such as Miss Potts and Miss Grayling.

The first book of 12 fictional tales of the adventures of school-girls at a boarding school called Malory Towers was written by Enid Blyton and later continued by Pamela Cox.

Darrell's off to her new school. But what has she packed?

1. Tennis Racket (Tick)

2. Pocket-Money? (Tick)

3. A lid for her temper? (Cross)

Oh dear! Malory Towers has a whole trunkload of trouble to come! There's mischief at Malory Towers!

The story starts with Darrell Rivers, a girl who is about to start her first term at a boarding school known as Malory Towers.When she arrives, she is sent to the head, Miss Grayling, with some other new girls, who tells them that Malory Towers considers its "successes" girls who become dependable, loving and prove to be women useful to society.Darrell soon learns the names of the girls in her dormy. Jean MacDonald is a sensible Scots girl. Irene is a scatter brain but loves music and maths. She is also very clumsy. Mary-Lou is a quiet and timid little girl, scared of 'almost' everything. Alicia Johns is a cunning, smart and funny girl, known for entertaining the first-formers with her pranks and sharp comments. Gwendoline Mary Lacey is a selfish,mean girl, boastful of her ways as she has been spoilt by her mother and mistress. Sally Hope is a closed up girl and keeps herself to herself, with no interests. Katherine is the head girl and is good at it. Emily Lake is a quiet girl whose only real interest is elaborate embroidery and sewing. Violet is another girl in the form and doesn't feature in the books much.Darrell herself was the tenth girl in the dormitory. Darrell wants to be a success, but is distracted by Alicia Johns, falling lower in her place in class and playing tricks on the staff. However, things are still going all right for Darrell, which is not the same story for the other new girls, Gwendoline Mary Lacey and Sally Hope. Gwen is spoilt and not liked, while Sally is withdrawn and unfriendly. Darrell tells Sally that their mothers know each other, and isn't Sally's new baby sister lovely? But strangely Sally angrily states she has no baby sister, and she wouldn't want one either. Gwen envies Darrell's improving steps as Darrell is considered as a proper first-former whereas Gwen is teased because of her ways.

A few chapters in we see Darrel's temper rise against Gwen.Gwen is not good at lessons or sports. Mary-Lou, a girl scared of everything, is held down in the water cruelly by Gwen, because Gwen, angry of being teased all the time, sees a moment of superiority in teasing her . Darrell seemingly 'rescues' Mary-Lou and gives Gwen a horrible shaking for teasing her.She even flares up at Katherine for not punishing people like Gwendoline and making sure that they learned their lesson.

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