A charming children's story which also appeals to adults. Has something more of a fairytale feel than some of Streatfeild's other work, such as Ballet Shoes. We follow the fate of the feisty orphan Margaret Thursday as she escapes from a harsh orphanage and goes out into the world to seek adventure.

I loved Noel Streatfeild's books as a child, and I vaguely remembered having read this one, though had no recollection of what happened in it.

Margaret Thursday - named after the day she was found as a baby on the church steps, in a basket with three of everything of the very best quality - finds, aged nearly eleven, that for various reasons she can no longer stay with the people who have raised her thus far. With no other options, she's packed off to an orphanage which the local rector believes, inaccurately, to be a nice place.

Margaret is a confident, resourceful and outspoken girl with a talent for getting into trouble and an inability to keep her mouth shut, and she's the awful orphanage Matron's worst nightmare. Befriending fellow orphan Lavinia and her two younger brothers leads them all into various adventures.

Needless to say I ate all this up as a child and it's still a very good read, with an engaging and unusual heroine in the forceful Margaret.

We never do find out the mystery of Margaret's origins, but I'd forgotten there was a sequel, Far to Go, and I might just have to read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

This is a DNF for me. I started it back in April, and thought it was just okay... but now 5 months later I still haven’t been inclined to pick it up again, and to be honest don’t think I will. There was just nothing in the first 20% that hooked me.

I’ve somehow never heard of Noel Streatfeild before but I feel I’ve certainly been missing out! What a beautifully written “rags to riches” style story set in turn-of-the-century Britain - just my type! I absolutely love Margaret Thursday and her steadfast personality; an inspiration for girls everywhere. The repetition of “found on a Thursday on the church steps, with three of everything, all of the very best quality” is probably my favourite aspect of this story and I loved how it carried on throughout. My only issue was with how quickly and easily the orphanage business was wrapped up, but I suppose it wasn’t tantamount to the main story at that point. Brilliantly written characters (even matron!) and settings that capture the imagination, I look forward to reading more of Margaret Thursday’s adventures.

Thursday’s Child was an enjoyable read. It was an enjoyable and unpredictable story. Margaret is a fabulous protagonist: loyal, courageous and daring. I loved following her audacious adventures.

The book is a piece of historical fiction, set at the turn of the century and centres around Margaret, a child sent to an orphanage when her fortunes take a turn for the worst.

It was an easy read and I think it would be enjoyed by some of my Year 5 pupils. I will be recommending it to fans of Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather.

I read this as a child many years ago, but it wasn't one of my favourite Streatfeild books. Because of that, I didn't remember anything about the story at all as I came back to it, so everything felt new which was nice. Margaret is one of those insufferable children who overdramatises everything, and yet at the same time you know she is an abandoned orphan and so you have sympathy for her. And whilst she's sometimes a pain, she's also incredibly loyal, and her willingness to take punishment to protect other children in the orphanage is lovely. Margaret isn't the whole focus to the book, however, and I also really like the other three children who feature.

It's very much a story of its time, and it depicts a world where social class is hugely important, and has a massive impact on people's lives, which must seem strange to children reading now. But it really captures this era, and how life was in a large house with staff. My favourite parts, however, are those on the canal. That part of the story is funny, and also absolutely fascinating. I love the talk of the children being leggers, and all the different things you learn about canal life.

This still isn't in the league of Ballet Shoes, but Noel Streatfeild writes really, really engaging stories that are very readable and more-ish.

I loved this book as a child, and still adored it now! Recommend to anyone old or young. Thank you it is a real treasure.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.

Noel Streatfield is the author of such beloved classics as Ballet Shoes, one of my all time favourites. I love the way thwt the abandoned babies in her books seem to end up on the doorstep of kind, yet slightly muddled adults which allows rhe child/ren to develop great depth of character anf sense of self.. Thursday's Child features yet another baby abandoned on a doorstep. Margaret Thursday (named after the day she was found) was found in a basket with 3 of the best of everything and a an annual payment of 52 pounds a year delivered mysteriously in the form of a bag of gold coins. All is well in Margaret Thursday's life, until suddenly it isn't. The money stops coming and Margaret is sent off to a terrible orphanage. Of course,she is plucky and resilient and resourceful, all of the traits which make for a great children's heroine that all readers will fall in love with..

The new cover art is fresh and engaging and makes this title irresistible..

I read a number of Noel Streatfeild’s books when I was a child (and enjoyed them). I can’t remember if I read Thursday’s Child. It is the story of Margaret Thursday, who is sent to an orphanage at the tender age of 11.

I liked Margaret a lot. She stood up for what she thought was right, and looked after her friends. I enjoyed the story, it was entertaining and the happy ending was satisfying. The story is, of course, slightly old fashioned, having been written some time ago. However, it is charming and well worth a read, and I would think that a lot of children would enjoy it.

I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Margaret Thursday has no plans to be “anybody”. She will not be forgotten and throughout the entire story, it is unlikely that she will be forgotten, or considered just anybody. She is fiesty, formidable but entirely honest and endearing. She is a child that, being left on the church steps on a Thursday, has far to go!
Facing up to the fact that she is being sent away to an orphanage, she expects the best due to having been left “three of everything, all of the very best quality”. She cannot possibly be ready to meet Matron and learn quickly that she will be disliked instantly. Life for poor Margaret is troubled by her inability to stay out of the way of Matron.

Matron may not like Margaret but the other children in the orphanage and school adore her and her stories. A born storyteller, she regales everyone during the most tedious tasks, to keep hopes up. Punishments are doled to Margaret but she faces them defiantly, much to Matron’s horror.

Margaret Thursday, and her best friends, Peter and Horatio form an alliance and spend much of the book together, running away from the orphanage and managing to find their way to a theatre in London. Horatio and Peter’s sister, Lavinia is trying to solve the mystery of where they are. Her employers are trying to solve the mystery of who Lavinia’s family are.

This is a completely wonderful book by the infamous Noel Streatfeild. Her books are delightful and world renowned. I hadn’t come across Margaret Thursday before but I cannot wait for the next instalment of Margaret’s story.

These newly covered classics are worth adding to bookshelves at home and at school.

A beautiful and action-packed adventure which will delight fans of Noel Streatfeilds works no matter their ages. Relatable and well-written characters and an exciting plot make this the perfect bedtime read for younger children.

As a child I adored Streatfield's Ballet Shoes and read it over and over, but her 1970 novel Thursday's Child had totally passed me by. The book follows spirited heroine Margaret Thursday, abandoned as a baby and subsequently sent to an orphanage straight out of Dickens, and the three Beresford siblings she meets at said orphanage. It's a delightful, undemanding and heartwarming read, and exactly what I needed in the current circumstances. It will appeal to readers aged 8-12, especially fans of Emma Carroll's historic adventures.