Jennings Follows a Clue
Anthony Buckeridge
📚 Genre
Children's Fiction, Adventure, School Story
🏢 Publisher
Collins (London and Glasgow)
📅 Publication Year
1951 (Original publication year, this edition likely early 1950s)
🔢 ISBN
N/A (Pre-ISBN era; typical for this 1950s title)
About This Book
The third book in the Jennings series, following the humorous misadventures of schoolboys Jennings and Darbishire at Linbury Court Preparatory School. In this installment, Jennings attempts to apply detective logic to local mysteries. The frontispiece shows an illustration of boys in athletic gear with the caption 'Darbishire was in the lead.'
Book Details
Language
English
Pages
256 pages
Edition
Early Edition (Likely First or Second Printing, Hardcover)
Series
Jennings Series, Book 3 of 25
Target Audience
Children (Middle Grade), ages 8-12
Collector Information
Condition
Fair to Good. Significant foxing/brown staining along the right edge and bottom of the title page. Visible wear on the edges of the pages. The binding appears intact but the paper shows clear signs of acidic aging.
Estimated Value
$15-$40 (Value is significantly lowered by the heavy foxing/staining on the title page and lack of a dust jacket).
Rarity
Uncommon. While the series was mass-produced, early 1950s editions in collectible condition are becoming harder to find, though this specific copy is hampered by its condition issues.
Historical Significance
A quintessential example of the mid-20th-century British prep school story. The Jennings series was highly influential in UK children's literature and was famously adapted into a long-running BBC radio series.
Collector Notes
Collectibility for Buckeridge titles depends heavily on the presence of the original dust jacket. Collectors should look for 'First Published 1951' on the copyright page for true first editions. Preservation requires keeping it in a low-humidity environment to prevent further foxing spread. This copy's value is purely sentimental/reading-copy level due to the staining.
Similar Books
The Willans and Searle 'Molesworth' series, Enid Blyton's 'Malory Towers', Richmal Crompton's 'Just William' books.
Notable Features
Includes a full-color frontispiece by illustrator Mays (S. van Abbé signature visible on artwork). Classic Collins fountain logo on title page.