Tansy Peter’s father was headmaster at her school, and it took her time to make friends, then when a new young teacher Miss Chandler was picked on, Tansy defended her. Because of this Tansy came close to losing all her hard-won friends.
Paula Green had just joined Dixon Street Comprehensive, and had made no friends there. Through a pen-pal magazine, she had written to a girl called Tina. By a strange coincidence, Tina’s cousin Jess was was games captain at Dixon Street, she did not make herself popular with her classmates when she get on the netball team for an important match, as they thought she only got the spot as she knew Jess’s cousin.
Best friends Kate Williams and Penny Dorsett were both keen on gymnastics. However since the arrival of new girl, Nancy Trent, who was confined to a wheelchair after an unknown girl who had caused her to have a serious fall, Kate began acting strangely and began missing gymnastic events.
Josie Phillips was very unhappy as a new girl at Highmeadow Boarding School until she heard a mysterious whispering voice from behind a wall in the school library. The voice had promised to help Josie and soon after the bullies who had picked on her were expelled. Josie believed the voice belonged to the ghost who was supposed to haunt the old tower next to the library.
Anna Simons was very stuck up and hated her new school Park Street Comprehensive, which she felt was beneath her. When news broke that a foreign princess was secretly attending a school in the area, some girls in Anna’s class became convinced that Anna was the princess. Anna decided life might be more fun if she kept up the deception.
Jane Watt had recently qualified as a vet and had joined Duncan McDermott’s practice in Willowtown. Duncan took great delight in making Jane’s life as difficult as possible but this made Jane more determined to show him that she was capable of doing the job.
Orphan Mary Chalmers was to have sailed to Ireland to become a servant girl, while her brother, Eric, attended Ruborn Nautical School. Hearing sinister tales about the school, Mary got a job there instead under a false name, so she could investigate and look out for her brother.
Although forbidden to ride since her sister Jess had been paralyzed in a riding accident, Sue Osbourne had been training Star, a pony considered too dangerous to ride. Sue and Jess were secretly working to cure Star of bucking, and taught him to jump. When their parents found out the gave Star to a dealer to sell.
Unknown to the pupils and staff of Clerkenwell College, an enemy was in their midst. Julie Dean’s father, the former janitor, had been driving to an interview for a new job, following a row with Miss Kane, the headmistress when his car crashed. Julie’s parents were killed and Julie blamed the school for their deaths.
Shelley Davies, an orphan, had been given a home by Lady Patricia Vernon, a distance relative. Anthea, Lady Vernon’s spoilt daughter, was unwelcoming to Shelley, but Shelley stayed because of her interest in Firebrand a neglected pony once owned by Anthea. With help from Mr Jackson,the gardener, Shelley was making progress with Firebrand’s training.