Audio Books

Richmal Crompton

WILLIAM & THE PRIZE CAT Richmal Crompton Martin Jarvis $3.15

WILLIAM’S BIRTHDAY Richmal Crompton Martin Jarvis pb $3.15

JUST WILLIAM – William The Cannibal by Richmal Crompton Paperback Book $4.74

JUST WILLIAM – William The Ancient Briton – by Richmal Crompton Paperback Book $6.32

Just William at Christmas: Ten Classic Stories, Richmal Crompton $4.32

William – The Conqueror by Richmal Crompton (1984) $6.01

The Woman Behind William: Life of Richmal Crompton,GOO $8.98

Richmal CROMPTON JUST WILLIAM 3 ALS Signed Letters RARE $749.99

(Just) William And The Tramp – Richmal Crompton – First Edition – 1952 – RARE $30.02

(Just) William The Bold – Richmal Crompton – First Edition – 1950 – RARE $22.11

(Just) William The Explorer – Richmal Crompton – First Edition – 1960 – RARE $30.02

Just William’s Luck: Richmal Crompton (1st ed 2nd impession 1950) $15.79

William the Dictator, Richmal Crompton, Acceptable Book $5.99

‘STILL WILLIAM’ RICHMAL CROMPTON. UCDJ HB 1964! $7.89

William – Richmal Crompton – Used; Good – Paperback $6.31

Just William Omnibus: No 2, Richmal Crompton $4.32

BOOK COLLECTOR 1998 RICHMAL CROMPTON ALISON UTTLEY LIZA CODY SUFFOLK FIELDING $4.73

Richmal Crompton More William HB w d/j 1953 $23.69

Just William’s Greatest Hits Crompton, Richmal $34.21

Family Roundabout by Richmal Crompton NEW B8 $31.72

William and Air Raid Precautions By Richmal Crompton $5.99

William Again by Richmal Crompton1956 33rd Impression $7.89

Richmal Crompton’s Just William 10 promo audio cd The Observer $1.56

William the Rebel (PBK), Richmal Crompton, Good Book $1.56

William – the Dictator, Crompton Richmal, Acceptable Book $83.45

‘LINDEN RISE’ BY RICHMAL CROMPTON. H/B. (1953) $15.81

‘THE RIDLEYS.’ BY RICHMAL CROMPTON. H/B. (1948) $12.65

WILLIAM’S TREASURE TROVE RICHMAL CROMPTON FIRST EDITION GREEN BOARDS HARDBACK $86.92

William the Bold HARDCOVER Richmal Crompton 1955 $20.00

Just William Boxed Set of 10 PB Books~Richmal Crompton~William The Outlaw+ $19.99

William the Hero (Armada S.), Richmal Crompton $2.07

William the Hero (Armada S.), Richmal Crompton $2.07

Richmal Crompton, Martin Jarvis William’s Wonderful Plan and Other Stories (Meet $4.09

More William – Richmal Crompton – Used; Good – Paperback $4.73

The Woman Behind William: Life of Richmal Crompton, Mary Cadogan, Good Book $2.28

William’s Wonderful Plan and Other Stories (Meet Just William), Richmal Crompton $1.56

JUST WILLIAM – William’s Treasure Trove by Richmal Crompton Paperback Book 1992 $15.81

JUST WILLIAM – William and the Space Animal by Richmal Crompton Paperback 1992 $6.32

JUST WILLIAM – Just William’s Luck by Richmal Crompton Paperback 1989 Book $7.90

JUST WILLIAM – William’s Crowded Hours by Richmal Crompton Hardback 1972 Book $5.53

William and the Evacuees-Richmal Crompton 1st HB 1940- Just William $118.54

William the superman-Richmal Crompton 1st HB 1968- Just William $79.02

JUST WILLIAM – Just-William by Richmal Crompton Paperback 1972 Book $2.37

JUST WILLIAM – William and the Witch by Richmal Crompton Paperback 1992 Book $5.53

William Again, Richmal Crompton, Good Book $1.56

RICHMAL CROMPTON: Frost at Morning.1st edition 1950. $7.89

Just William by Richmal Crompton $1.56

William and the Tramp Richmal Crompton Good $1.56

THE RIDLEYS * RICHMAL CROMPTON $34.55

Just Jimmy, Richmal Crompton $1.56

RICHMAL CROMPTON – William $6.97

RICHMAL CROMPTON – William – The Gangster $6.97

RICHMAL CROMPTON – William And The Space Animal $6.97

More William – TV tie-in edition (Just William TV Tie in), Richmal Crompton $4.32

Paperback. Richmal Crompton: William: Merlin 157511 $4.79

Paperback. Richmal Crompton: William and the Space Animal: Merlin 251448 $4.93

Paperback. Richmal Crompton: William and the Moon Rocket: Armada 947122 $4.79

Paperback. Richmal Crompton: William and the Pop Singers: Armada 947123 $7.98

Paperback. Richmal Crompton: William–The Gangster: Merlin 970614 $6.57

Paperback. Richmal Crompton: William–The Gangster: Merlin 976753 $9.98

Paperback. Richmal Crompton: William–The Rebel: Merlin 976754 $17.79

Just Williams Luck, Story of the Film In The Making,scarce 1948,Richmal Crompton $9.47

JUST WILLIAM – Still William by Richmal Crompton Hardback 1950 Book $9.88

JUST WILLIAM – William in Trouble by Richmal Crompton Hardback 1953 Book $9.09

JUST WILLIAM – William the Outlaw by Richmal Crompton Hardback 1953 Book $9.09

JUST WILLIAM – William’s Crowded Hours by Richmal Crompton Hardback 1932 Book $1.58

AudioBook : Just William No.2 : Richmal Crompton :BBC Audiobook $11.05

Vintage Richmal Crompton “Just William” JOHN CLARK BETTY BOWDEN UK Music 1946 $7.89

Still William – TV tie-in edition Crompton Richmal $7.37

RICHMAL CROMPTON William The Outlaw in dj $23.71

William’s Happy Days, Richmal Crompton $1.56

William – the Fourth, Richmal Crompton $48.67

More William, Richmal Crompton 5 audio CDs + 1 imageCD $18.95

William’s Haunted House and Other Stories (Meet Just William) Richmal Crompton $4.25

Richmal Crompton William’s Birthday and Other Stories (Meet Just William) Book $4.09

Richmal Crompton

The Basics of Writing for Children: One; Start With your Main Character

There is a huge variety of ways in which, so they tell us, writers start a work of fiction. Some say that they don’t write a single word until they’ve worked out the complete story in their head. Others will have a indistinct idea of the outlines of their story and will “discover” its complexities and finer details as they write. Still other writers start with a character and allow the storyline to grow around that character’s development. Others will begin with an incident and then find that other events follow naturally; or they may have found a pattern which may be repeated, with variations, to produce a book of short stories.

Often, by looking at the end product, we can guess which of these different methods was applied by a certain author; but often we have to rely on direct information from the writer themselves. It is probable that Richmal Crompton embarking upon her first story about “William”, A A Milne with Christopher Robin and Pooh and Dorothy Edwards with her “Naughty Little Sister” stories realised that they had hit on a recipe for enjoyable tales which when varied, could be used over and over with enormous success.

The successful formula or recipe in all of these examples depends upon a central character whose main characteristics dominate any scenario in which the author chooses to place him or her. William is the naughty schoolboy, manipulating his environment, when possible, to his own advantage; Pooh is a bear of very little brain, with a fat stomach and a large heart; and the little sister’s behaviour goes against the expectations of polite society. An extra bonus is that in Richmal Crompton’s and Dorothy Edwards’ tales the disruptive behaviour with which the child reader can easily identify, is presented as amusing rather than unacceptable.

Sometimes the idea of a clearly defined character can bring about not repetitive incidents but in a long narrative with a beginning, a middle and an end. Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote: “One day I had an idea. I will write a story about him, I said, I will put him in a world quite new to him and see what he will do.” It was a inspired idea and, because she was already an experienced storyteller, Cedric Errol, the character based on her charming small son, accumulates around him the other characters and events that make Little Lord Fauntleroy a fascinating, if now unfashionable read.

The above passage from Frances Burnett’s autobiography leads us to think that she was one of those authors who begin with a vague idea of the plot, but who have an idea of a situation which demands development. Without being aware of exactly how the narrative ends, the author must have thought of Sara Crewe, the generous little rich girl who is suddenly reduced to extreme poverty, but behaves throughout like “A Little Princess” or, in her best book, “The Secret Garden” of plain spoiled little girl Mary Lennox, transported from her luxurious existence in India to silence and a harsher reality in cold Yorkshire.

About the Author

Ellie Dixon lives in deepest rural Devon, England with her husband and two very large Newfoundland dogs. She is passionate about vintage illustrated children’s books and loves to restore and edit them for today’s kids to rediscover. Visit Scruffy’s Bookshop, Ellie’s main website for some great books, and Ellie also recommends How to Write a Great Children’s Book! for aspiring authors.

The Book That Changed My Life – Charlie James