Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School; or, The Merry Doings of the Oakdale Freshmen Girls

The High School Girls Series #1

by Jessie Graham Flower

This delightful book tells about a group of smart youths who get up to some wonderful adventures together – and save one another from troubles. The unofficial leader of the group is Grace Harlowe, the title character. When Anne Pierson comes to the class at the beginning of the year, they decide to take her under their wing. Anne has a lot of troubles at home, but will true friends make her happy?

Genres: School Stories, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, School, Childrens, Juvenile

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1910

About the author

Believed to be a pseudonym for American author Josephine Chase (died 1931) penning the popular Grace Harlowe series of 27 books for girls, written between 1910 and 1924--many of them available through Project Gutenberg.

The books fall into four separate series, including a high school series, college series, Overseas series, and Overland Riders series. Grace is a role-model, already a "paragon when her story begins." Despite the popularity of these books and their continuing availability on the used market, there is almost no information available on-line about the author.

Josephine Chase was also known by other pseudonyms, including Pauline Lester (Marjorie Dean Series), Ames Thompson, Capt. Gordon Bates (Khaki Boys series, 1918-1920), and Dale Wilkins.











Josephine Chase (? -1931), also known as Capt. Gordon Bates; Jessie Graham Flower; Pauline Lester; Ames Thompson and Dale Wilkins, was an American prolific author who wrote with the pseudonym J. G. Flower Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School (1910), Grace Harlowe's Sophomore Year at High School (1911), Grace Harlowe's Junior Year at High School (1911), Grace Harlowe's Senior Year at High School (1912), Grace Harlowe's First Year at Overton College (1914), Grace Harlowe's Second Year at Overton College (1914), Grace Harlowe's Third Year at Overton College (1914), Grace Harlowe's Fourth Year at Overton College (1914), Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton Campus (1915), Grace Harlowe's Problem (1916), Grace Harlowe's Golden Summer (1917), Grace Harlowe Overseas (1920), Grace Harlowe with the Red Cross in France (1920), Grace Harlowe with the Marines at Chateau Thierry (1920), Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders on the Great American Desert (1921), Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders on the Old Apache Trail (1921), Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders Among the Kentucky Mountaineers (1921) and Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders in the Great North Woods (1921).

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

In an absolute ORGY of reading on Project Gutenberg, I have read the first TEN books about Grace Harlowe, the best girl ever. I feel like I have fallen into a timewarp and have been living in the nineteen-tens.

Grace is the best at everything. Well, that's not technically true, because other girls are smarter, or more artistic or creative. But Grace is the one that everyone else circles around. She's got flashing gray eyes, she's athletic and tomboyish, she is kind to stray waifs (and probably kittens and lost puppies), and she is always a straight shooter.
Even when bitchy Marian and the Sophomores (ptui!) are unfair to Grace and her chums, Grace never stoops to revenge or bad behavior. She just tries to do the right thing ALWAYS with the belief that in the end, things will come right.

Read my review of Grace Harlowe's Problem to read my more adult thoughts about the series. I don't want to be spoilery in this review, because for what this is, it was charming.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of the Betsy-Tacy high school books will probably like this. It's not as deep or thoughtful but it's plenty of fun.

This book was published in 1910. I liked it a little extra because I read it in a hotel built in 1913.

[Zeta T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, a book series about school days, but this particular series is written by a single person, and not a slew of writers using the same non de plume! Plus, it helps that I like the reader(s) at librivox to get me started on it.

The magic and mayhem is *exactly* what we ALL experienced during our freshman year at high school:

Evil teachers who purposely conspire with evil students to bring down the poor,

A picture perfect principal who demotes the evil teachers and their favouritism, who fights on for the honour of the institution,

Burning an effigy on All Hallows Eve,

The pelting of fruit at converging dangers,

Monocle’d dandies impersonating beloved long-distance relatives,

And the wolves of winter hunting one down during a frosty alfresco luncheon.

Those were the days, eh?

I shall continue to “re-live” these delightful times of my educational career with Grace Harlowe!

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this was written for young girls, I love this book, as well as all of the high school and college books. I have a treasured photo of my grandmother with her high school basketball team dressed much like the book describes. So many of the details in the books mirror things I've heard about the Granny I was never privileged to meet that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them all several times. The WWI Overseas series was a bit over the top and the Overland Riders series even more so.

[pearl]

Edwardian-era slice-of-life "shoujo" series? YES.

Also the beautiful and imperious (i.e. bitchy) Miriam (flashing her dark eyes at everyone and everything) is so great.

[Reading with Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of batshit crazy, super vintage-y goodness. But...ummm, wolves aren’t cannibals FWIW.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at a thrift store because I saw it was a reprint of a book originally published in 1910, which I thought would be interesting. It follows Grace Harlowe, a newly minted freshman, as she navigates the trials and triumphs of high school with her best friends and a few enemies. She's athletic, sensible, and kind, but doesn't excel at academics as much as her friends. The plot is fairly episodic, but with an overarching conflict that runs throughout the book.

The tone of this book reminded me of books like the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, or Tom Swift (minus the adventure elements of all those books). The main character has two or three good buddies and a sworn enemy, and everything is fairly black and white. This is a stark contrast with modern books, which tend very much towards shades of gray, with anti-heroes and all that comes along with that. So in some ways it was a refreshing change, in other ways it seemed a bit simplistic. But it was a pleasant read and an interesting look at the past!

[Pamela Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kicked off my reading of the entire Grace Harlowe series which I adored! These were written at a time when so much was changing for young women - first riding bikes, then driving cars. The independent young American woman of the 20th century was being launched. As the country lurches toward WWI in more or less real time you can see it unfold in these books. I devoted a post to this series (and tacked The Automobile Girls series on as well) which can be found at: https://pams-pictorama.com/2016/11/13... or by searching Pams-Pictorama.com. Hit Project Gutenberg and have yourself a fine time!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read a book that was written 114 years ago. Surprised to find out that girl's basketball was in high schools in 1910. I had thought Title Nine brought it to schools in the 70's. (Also read a book from 1933 that had girl's basketball.) Not sure why it went away from schools and when that happened. Although fiction, the book does give you some historical perspective.

[Brenda Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book. Good characters. I won this book through goodreads.

[Jennifer Antulov · Rating 3 out of 5]

😀 Dated, but enjoyable to read.

[Laurie Elliot]

Christine Blanchard, the narrator of the Librivox recording read rather fast but her articulation and expression was good.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written and set in 1910, this was often unintentionally hilarious (sometimes intentionally so). Lots and lots of drama! and hijinks! and wolves! A pretty fun companion to, say, the Betsy-Tacy books. House parties and freshman class songs and evil teachers, oh my! I've downloaded all of the high school and college years, although I'm not sure I will ever get through them.

[Fadilah · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one doesn't seems like an old writings. The classical story of high school students is never ends, and I will always love it. It will reminds you of Enid Blyton's St. Claire or Malory Towers stories.

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pretty good story in an interesting series, although I read them slightly out of order. This is the first book, and if you enjoy school stories, you will probably enjoy this one. The characters are a little perfect though,and I'd prefer more flaws and less harmony all over.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good look into what the idealized American youth was in the early 20th century

[Samantha Glasser]

Read this book for free through Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20472/...

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4

[Alyssa]

It was fun and cute! :)

[Ejayen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun, but some of the hijinks were a little extreme.