Even More like Annabel

by Alan Davidson

"There'll be a reign of terror," Annabel tells Kate and Sheena, when the horrible Julia Channing is made a Monitor. And she's right. So now it's going to be up to The Silent Three to step out of the pages of an old comic and try to give Julia the fright of her life. As long as they're not recognised, of course...?And in the second of these two delightful comedies, Annabel takes on the Town Council over a condemned tree and makes a very unexpected TV debut.Even more like Annabel!ALAN DAVIDSON is the author of five ANNABEL books. Other humour titles include ESCAPE FROM COLD DITCH [illustrated by John Richardson]. Also available in Kindle are his teen suspense novels THE BEWITCHING OF ALISON ALLBRIGHT, QUEEN RIDER and MARINA IN A GREEN DRESS.

114 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 1985

About the author

A British children's author whose work has been compared to that of Richmal Crompton, Alan Davidson is of Scots descent, and was born in Langholm. He was educated at Thorne Grammar School, and pursued a career in the Civil Service, before turning to editing and writing. His first children's novel was published in 1978, under the pseudonym A.D. Langholm, undoubtedly chosen to honor his birth-place. Currently, Davidson publishes under his own name, and later reprints of his earlier work reflect that change.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

More "School Daze" Than Other Annabel Collections

There are five Annabel story collections. In this book we have two long tales - the story of Annabel's efforts to prevent a reign of terror caused by Julia Channing's appointment as school Band Room monitor and then a recounting of Annabel's efforts to save an ancient oak from the chainsaw. While the second story is engaging it is short and predictable. The first tale is much more satisfying, is actually rather heavy in plot, and gives a deeper look into the operation of Annabel's slightly off-kilter mind.

Annabel is a bright, precocious, imaginative, dramatic 13 year old. She has a loyal best friend; she lives in a small village; she attends a quite normal school; she has a long suffering if supportive family. Annabel is so full of life, vinegar, sensitivity, feistiness, self-delusion, good humor and decency that you immediately take to her, even if in the flesh you might be a bit wary of her.

Annabel's best friend forever is Kate, a long suffering and perfectly aware foil who tempers Annabel's excesses and serves as a sort of Greek chorus to provide commentary on the action. Secondary characters are deftly sketched with a few lines and a bit of dialogue. This book features the school's Deputy Head as well as many of Annabel's classmates.

The quality of the writing is on a different level than that which one usually encounters in middle grade fiction. It is economical and restrained, but very generous and always exactly on point. While the writing is "sharp" the sentiments behind it are good humored and affectionate. The humor is sly but not mean; the wit is subtle but not obscure. The author clearly harbors great fondness for his characters and their foibles, and so there is always a spirit of generosity and a little bit of a wink and a giggle no matter how wayward the characters might be.

So, all in all a very nice find, and a good possibility for a younger reader with a taste for elegantly understated humor or bigger than life middle grade characters.

Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to the author or to the publisher of this book.