Why did the Secret Seven not want Susie?

[Wolfgang]

If I remember correctly Janet and Peter don't go to the same class although they're going to the same school, so I guess there's an age gap between the two of them. Susie is in the same class as Janet (I'm not sure if that was mentioned in one of the continuation stories by Lallemand or established by EB herself).

[Anita Bensoussane]

Actually, I decided to check a couple of the books which have scenes set at school and I discovered that the boys and girls go to different schools. I was surprised because, for some reason, I'd got it into my head that they all attended the same one. It's high time I read the Secret Seven books again!

Chapter 3 of Secret Seven on the Trail begins, "School began for the boys next day, and they all trooped off with their satchels and bags. The girls went off the day after."

In Good Work Secret Seven, Chapter 6, Peter and Janet's father picks them up from their separate schools. Wolfgang, you're right about Susie being in the same class as Janet, Pam and Barbara. In Chapter 3 of Good Work Secret Seven Enid Blyton writes, "Susie was very annoying. She kept looking at Pam, Janet and Barbara, who were in her class, and giggling."

[db105]

So, if we accept the 1-year difference between Peter and Janet from At Seaside Cottage, then the girls, including Susie, are all a year younger than Peter.

We don't know about the other boys, but it would make sense that they are the same age as Peter, and then the Secret Seven are Peter and his same-age friends, and Janet and her same-age friends, with the two groups being linked by Peter and Janet being siblings and living in the same house where they have their headquarters.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Yes, that makes sense to me.

[Moonraker]

Any ages - or their actual ages - never entered my head as a 7-year-old reading these stories.

[Bertie]

Any ages - or their actual ages - never entered my head as a 7-year-old reading these stories.

I've seen you put similar about plenty of the discussions about all the different series.
Personally, I really did think about plenty of those things when I read them as a youngster. It's not just 're-evaluating as an adult'. Most of the things being discussed about the various Mystery / Adventure series were things I'd thought about and considered as a kid as well. As regards ages, Enid often has the characters discuss it in terms of age difference and who's the youngest / eldest, etc. So it's an interesting topic that Enid herself often addressed.

[db105]

She was vague about the actual ages, though. In the case of the Secret Seven, they are clearly younger than the characters from other series. You notice it in the way they depend on their parents. My guess would be about 10 or 11?

[Bertie]

I'm not too sure about SS, but she's not vague at all in the other main Mystery / Adventure series. In the very first chapter of the opening books of FF, Find-Outers, Adventure, Barney R's, she has a character say all the ages of the main characters so that we as readers are immediately clear on the age range.

[Anita Bensoussane]

As a child I used to try to keep track of the ages of the main characters as I read through the various mystery/adventure series, but I soon realised that they didn't tend to age at the normal rate!

Around 10-11 seems about right to me for the Secret Seven.

[Bertie]

Yeah, the aging of them as the series develops is tricky for those that last 15 or 21 books, as obviously they need to remain school
children but the adventures only occurring in the school holidays means the older kids would probably be beyond that if they really aged at a normal rate. So she understandably has to take some poetic licence / be vague about their ages as the series progresses. But she's very clear about their ages, and therefore the age gap between the characters, at the start of those series.

[Moonraker]

Just don't try to work out the ages of The Lone Pine Five! (Malcolm Saville)

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

It seems to me that in ALL the series the oldest child is a boy, who then takes the lead. In FFO it is Larry at the start, who is later replaced by Fatty.

The exception are the Family stories, Family at Red Roofs (Molly) and House at the Corner (Pam, and especially Lizzie), where the oldest and most responsible are girls 'who the world can lean on' and whose developing character and determination get the family through tricky times.

[Bertie]

I agree about the leader often being the eldest boy, Viv.

And I haven't read House at the Corner. But, having just read Family at Red Roofs, I wouldn't say Molly becomes the one they all lean on to help them through the tough times. I'd say both her and Peter, the eldest boy, share the most (equal) responsibility as regards the children - and that, if there is one who the family most lean on then it's the the old female helper, Jenny Wren. She's the one who takes the most control of things. While Molly and Peter are about next equal - both taking on grown up responsibilities and doing well, but also struggling a little with the physical / mental toil of so much responsibility so soon.

[Nair Snehalatha]

Susie was.as good as a boy-- and they could not be the Secret Eight- I think its better for Susie to be out of the secret seven than in it -- bcoz she wouldn't play tricks and be mischievous had she been.in.Yes- in m9st blyton books boys take the lead-- perhaps it was like that those days-- brothers took care of their sisters-- in.fact boys looked after.girls-- though I would say it still continues today to some extent - it's a caring gesture

[Debbie]

It seems to me that in ALL the series the oldest child is a boy, who then takes the lead. In FFO it is Larry at the start, who is later replaced by Fatty.

The exception are the Family stories, Family at Red Roofs (Molly) and House at the Corner (Pam, and especially Lizzie), where the oldest and most responsible are girls 'who the world can lean on' and whose developing character and determination get the family through tricky times.

In the Secret Series Peggy is the oldest of the Arnold children (although Mike always acts the oldest to me). I think Jack doesn't know his age. We could guess he's older than Peggy, but maybe he had to grow up quickly due to fending for himself.