The Bell Family

The Bell Family

Summary

If you love Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes, you’ll adore The Bell Family.

'Well, little people, what's the news?’

Meet the big, happy Bell family who live in the vicarage at St Marks.

Father is a reverend; Mother is as kind as kind can be. Then there's all the children – practical Paul, dancing Jane, mischievous Ginnie, and finally the baby of the family, Angus, whose ambition is to own a private zoo (he has already begun with his six boxes of caterpillars). And not forgetting Esau, a surefire competitor for the most beautiful dog in Britain.

Follow their eventful lives from tense auditions to birthday treats; from troubled times to hilarious escapades. The perfect Christmas gift for ballet-loving children.

Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out which one of the Bell children you most resemble!

Reviews

  • Noel Streatfeild has that happy, skillful knack of turning her characters into real people – something which only really good novelists can do. A first-rate book
    BBC Children’s Hour

About the author

Noel Streatfeild

Noel Streatfeild was born in Sussex in 1895 and was one of three sisters. Although she was considered the plain one she ended up leading the most glamorous and exciting life! After working in munitions factories and canteens for the armed forces when WWI broke out, Noel followed her dream of being on stage and went to RADA where she became a professional actress.

She began writing children's books in 1931 and Ballet Shoes was published in 1936. She quickly became one of the most popular authors of her day. When she visited Puffin exhibitions, there were queues right out of the building and all the way down The Mall. She was one of the first winners of the Carnegie Medal and was awarded an OBE in 1983. Noel Streatfeild lived in London. She died in 1986.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more