The Fortunes of Philippa

Philippa lives happily in South America with her father but her father decides she needs a different sort of education and sends her to England to go to school. She is sent to a boarding school where she learns languages and manners and the art of conversation and music. Her experiences are mixed; she quickly befriends Cathy, but also makes an enemy in Ernestine, and she loves most of her teachers but one teacher seems to constantly berate her. It's a nice little picture of what life must have been like for affluent girls in the early 1900s.

A 1001 Children's Book You Must Read Before You Grow Up.

Free on Librivox and Project Gutenberg.

I've been meaning to try Brazil's work for a few years now and this one was a cute introduction to her work. It's a typical English girls' school story and a pleasant little tale about a young girl leaving all she's ever known behind to cross the ocean for her education. Her new best friend, Kathy, is a pleasant girl and the two of them have a number of pleasant adventures together.

Best for middle school ages.