When the Siren Wailed

Noel Streatfeild (1895-1986) was born in Amberley, Sussex. Her father was Bishop of Lewes and her great-grandmother was the prison reformer, Elizabeth Fry. She was a mischievous child, often in trouble at home. While growing up, she and her sisters put on plays for parish causes and, after making munitions during World War I, she trained as an actress. Noel Streatfeild started by writing books for adults. Her first and best-loved children's book, BALLET SHOES, was published in 1936. She won the prestigious Carnegie Medal for children's literature in 1939. When World War II broke out, she worked in canteens for the armed forces and for those injured by bombs. She wrote over 80 books in her lifetime and lived in London till her death.