Ballet Shoes meets Mallory Towers - courtesy of Lyn Gardner

When I was aged between 10 and 12, the book-gobbling habit, which has lasted all my life (so far), was already well established. By then I was on Pamela Brown’s series about children making theatre which began with The Swish of the Curtain. That was where I first heard of The Stage and plays such as Major Barbara and The Rivals, although it was many years before I read or saw them. I learned a lot from books such as Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes too. I also liked school stories from Enid Blyton to Eleanor M Brent-Dyer and Angela Brazil but, sadly (or happily) horses and ponies never did much for me.

So why mention all this here? Well I have always contended that fiction at all levels is an important education resource because the reader learns so much from the background. And I read large numbers of books written for children and young adults because I often review them - although not usually in The Stage.

Enter a hugely enjoyable, escapist, quite traditional series of children’s books from none other than Lyn Gardner, Guardian theatre critic and champion of theatre for young audiences.

Gardner has set her stories in a London stage school run by charismatic Alicia Swan. I don’t suppose she’s really modelled on Sylvia Young or Barbara Speake, but…