Tales Out of School: A Survey of Children’s Fiction by Geoffrey Trease
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Epochal at its time, this book sought to locate children’s fiction as an object of serious critique. It came during a powerful point in the history of British children’s literature, that mid-twentieth century that saw so many of the classics we refer to on a daily basis take their first breath in the world. Trease, now somewhat lost from popular knowledge, wrote powerful historical fiction for children which merged historical accuracy with characters designed to appeal to both sexes. He wrote for children – not just for boys or girls. Tales Out Of School sees him turn his hand towards theory, and attempt to deliver a critical survey of the last hundred years of children’s fiction, to figure out how it does what it does and why that matters.
It’s interesting to me how many of the books he references as totemic are now relative unknowns, and how some other titles have endured. I suspect that there’s a discussion yet to be had about the great patriarchies that dominate and construct classic British children’s literature, but let’s save that for a day when I’m feeling grumpier. What’s worth celebrating today is Trease’s attempt to rationalise children’s fiction not only to himself but to others. This is a book that looks outwards, incorporating feedback from readers, parents and educationalists. It does so a little stiffly at points, as Trease seeks to relocate his authority as ‘A Writer’ but in the whole, it’s an interesting piece. He’s arguing, essentially, for discussion and action; to try and locate the ‘best of one’s self’ within children’s books, and to write, promote and sell and read the books that do such.
On a side note, there’s a fabulous moment in his chapter about the school story (Chapter IX : Midnight In The Dorm) and forgive me for quoting it at length. He acknowledges a letter he received from the ‘joint-principals of a London school’ who write that “We have looked through several schoolgirls’ annuals… and find they give a very false view of school life. The fourth form seem to run the school – the head-mistress is generally a dignified but distant figure-head, and the assistant mistresses either young, very girlish and so popular, or middle-aged caricatures. In one a party of girls were allowed to go for a picnic some miles from the school without any mistress. Among them was a ‘Ruritanian princess with a gang of international crooks after her. She had been sent to the school for safety and was naturally kidnapped on the picnic.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I take two things from that. Firstly that book sounds an awfully lot like The Princess Of The Chalet School, and secondly those joint-principals sound amazing.
Daisy May Johnson 
Ha! Loved that quote!
I enjoyed a few Trease novels when I was of an age — I seem to remember Robin Hood featured in at least one — though later I preferred Henry Treece. These surveys are especially interesting in hindsight with what they rate and what actually survives. I still consult Roger Lancelyn Green’s Tellers of Tales: children’s books & their authors from 1800-1968 (Kaye & Ward 1969) and especially his chronological list of key children’s fiction over a century and a half. (And I prize my old Puffin copy of his King Arthur retellings, with those superb illustrations by Lotte Reiniger. )
It’s particularly interesting re fantasy. Took me ages to figure out what was “wrong”. Answer: this book came out before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I had simply not realised the degree to which the history of children’s fantasy was distorted by the impact of that book. I used Trease as a corrective in Children’s Fantasy Literature, an Introduction.
(I’m also about half way through a monograph on Trease. Fascinating man.)