Bodleian Library Books

What's on the Bodleian Library High Jinks Shelves?

On this page: Intro | FAQ | Stationery | List of Books

The Bodleian Library puts out numerous jigsaws, cards, journals and other stationery items that feature a selection of their beautiful late 19th and early 20th century children’s book titles. Richly illustrated covers in bright reds, blues and greens adorn rows of shelves, but sometimes you only see the spine, or the text is too small to read and it leaves you wondering which books is featured, and could you build your very own shelf just like this?

Never fear, I’ve done all the hard work for you, cross-referencing each of these titles agains the books held in the Bodleian Libraries so you can find the exact edition featured below. I will say, several of the specific volumes featured are pretty rare (a few I’ve never seen in person), but it’s a fun game to track them down.

As an aside, many of the titles are frequently repeated across the shelves – in the list below I have included each title the first time it appears, but not when it is duplicated – so if you are looking for a particular title on a shelf and it’s not listed there, just look back at the earlier shelves ’til you find it.

What is the Bodleian Library?
The Bodleian Library (Oxford, UK) is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. During his retirement Sir Thomas Bodley decided to open the library to public use and in 1598 refurnished it to house approximately 2,500 books. The doors first opened to scholars in 1602, and in 1610 Bodley agreed with the Stationers’ Company of London that a copy of every book published in England would be held in the library. Since then many extensions and buildings have been added and together the Bodleian Libraries now house over 12 million printed items.

Which books are included in this list?

This selection is known as the “High Jinks” collection – a selection of “light-hearted tales with brave female characters”. If people are interested, I also have the list of books in the Boys’ Adventure, Hobbies and Pastimes and Once Upon a Christmastime shelves as well that I can put up (just let me know in the comments if anyone else is as ridiculous as I am about needing to know exactly which titles are in these shelves, haha).

Can I buy the actual books on these shelves?

You sure can – these are all real books that were sold to the public at the turn of the century and they are still available 2nd hand today. They are usually pretty cheap too (if you live in England, anyway, the rest of the world has to wear postage which quickly adds to the cost). I’ve added links below to Abes and eBay which is where the titles often pop up, as well as Amazon if it’s available there as well. They are the sort of thing you are likely to find cheaply in a charity store too.

Some of the pretty stationery

Adult Jigsaw Puzzle

Bodleian Library High Jinks Shelves (Flame Tree Gifts)

➤ Find it at Amazon


Foiled Journals

Bodleian Library High Jinks Shelves (Flame Tree Notebooks). The journals come in various styles (blank, lined, pocket, etc.)

➤ Find it at Amazon


Greeting Cards

Bodleian Library High Jinks Cards, Pack of 6 (Flame Tree Gifts). 

➤ Find it at Amazon


Bookmarks

Bodleian Library High Jinks Bookmarks, Pack of 10 (Flame Tree Gifts). 

➤ Find it at Amazon


List of Books

Shelf 1

steuart modern daughters partridge sq

Modern Daughters

by Maria Steuart, S. W. Partridge, 1914

Check availability at Abes | eBay


griffith wilful girl pilgrim sq

A Wilful Girl

by Helen S. Griffith, Pilgrim Press, 1911

Check availability at Abes | eBay


brazil youngest girl in the fifth blackie sq

The Youngest Girl in the Fifth

by Angela Brazil, Blackie & Son, 1914

Check availability at Abes | eBay


laws girls of dorm ten cassell sq

The Girls of Dormitory Ten

by Betty Laws, Cassell, 1926

Check availability at Abes | eBay


marchant no ordinary girls blackie sq

No Ordinary Girl

by Bessie Marchant, Blackie & Son, 1908

Check availability at Abes | eBay


meade very naughty girl chambers sq

A Very Naughty Girl

by L.T. Meade, W & R Chambers, 1901

Check availability at Abes | eBay


brazil jolliest term blackie sq

The Jolliest Term on Record

by Angela Brazil, Blackie, 1915

Check availability at Abes | eBay


stronach newnham friendship talwyn morris sq

A Newnham Friendship

by Alice Stronach, Blackie, 1901 (Talwin Morris design)

Check availability at Abes | eBay


oxenham go ahead schoolgirl chambers sq

A Go-Ahead School-Girl

by Elsie Oxenham, Chambers, 1919

Check availability at Abes | eBay


oxenham abbey girls collins sq

The Abbey Girls Go Back to School

by Elsie J. Oxenham, Collins, 1922

Check availability at Abes | eBay


irvine worst girl in school partridge sq

The Worst Girl in the School

by A. M. Irvine (Anne Mary), S. W. Partridge, 1912

Check availability at Amazon | Abes | eBay


marchant girl of distinction blackie sq

A Girl of Distinction

by Bessie Marchant, Blackie & Son Ltd, 1912

Check availability at Abes | eBay


tyack girl who lost things partridge

The Girl Who Lost Things

by L. Tyack (Lena), Partridge Press, 1913

Check availability at Amazon | Abes | eBay


warne topall book for girls sq

Warne's "Top-All" Book for Girls

by Mary England (ed), Frederick Warne, 1943

Check availability at Abes | eBay


tiddeman winning waiting pilgrim sq3

Winning and Waiting

by L. E. Tiddeman (Lizzie Ellen), Pilgrim Press, 1910

Check availability at Abes | eBay


Shelf 2

meade girl of high adventure sq

A Girl of High Adventure

by L. T. Meade, Chambers, 1914

Check availability at Abes | eBay


marchant courageous girl blackie sq

A Courageous Girl (A Story of Uruguay)

by Bessie Marchant, Blackie & Son, 1914

Check availability at Abes | eBay


coming soon scroll

Eight Girls and their Adventures

by Isabel Suart Robson, Partridge Press, 1916

Check availability at Abes | eBay


brazil queen of the dormitory sq

Queen of the Dormitory

by Angela Brazil, Cassell, 1926

Check availability at Abes | eBay


brazil madcap of the school blackie sq

The Madcap of the School

by Angela Brazil, Blackie & Son

Check availability at Abes | eBay


bisntead gals gossip sands sq

Gal's Gossip

by Arthur M. Binstead, Sands & Co

Check availability at Abes | eBay


cowper two girls secret spek sq

Two Girls and a Secret

by E. E. Cowper (Edith Elise), SPCK, 1913

Check availability at Abes | eBay


legh incorrigble girl RTS sq

An Incorrigible Girl

by M. H. Cornwall Legh (Mary Helena), Religious Tract Society, 1899

Check availability at Abes | eBay


Shelf 3

coming soon scroll

A Beautiful Possibility

by Edith Ferguson Black, Religious Tract Society, 1907

Check availability at Abes | eBay


jackson little miss sunshine jarrold sq

Little Miss Sunshine

by Gabrielle E. Jackson, Jarrold & Sons, 1903

Check availability at Amazon | Abes  | eBay


seymour girls kingdom blackie sq

A Girl's Kingdom

by Mary Corbet-Seymour, Blackie, 1897

Check availability at Abes | eBay


coming soon scroll

Girl Comrades

by Ethel P. Heddle, 1914

Check availability at Abes | eBay


tyler bunty of dormitory b sharp sq2

Bunty of Dormitory B

by F. Mary Tyler, Sharp, 1929

Check availability at Abes | eBay


Shelf 4

baldwin ripping yarn sq

A Ripping Girl

by May Baldwin, W. & R. Chambers, 1914

Check availability at Abes | eBay


Shelf 5

All titles are duplicates from previous shelves.

Shelf 6

All titles are duplicates from previous shelves.

2 Comments

BeeReads · 4 July 2024 at 8:23 am

I can’t believe you did this!
This is amazing!
Thank you so much!

    Daisy · 12 July 2024 at 8:32 am

    Ah, so glad you enjoyed the list 💕

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