Only a tiny number of children actually attend boarding schools, but we all love to read about them. It’s fun to imagine life away from our families, and stories about these experiences are always exciting. For those considering boarding school, or perhaps transitioning to university accommodation, these books also prepare us for what to expect.

 

There are books set at boarding schools for readers of all ages. The earliest reads allow young children to explore mischief and consequences in a way that helps them understand responsibility. At the young adult stage, readers love exploring the darker side of being away from their families, with academy novels often having an adventurous, supernatural twist. This parallels their own experiences of growing up and needing to make difficult choices.

 

Take a look at the list of our favourite boarding school books below, and make sure to read on to the end to find out how you can experience a real-life British boarding school with i-Learner.

 

Getting started with boarding school books:

 

The Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton

 

The Naughtiest Girl series by Enid Blyton

 

The Worst Witch series by Jill Murphy

 

The Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs

 

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

 

The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart

Moving up to YA books:

At this level, books range between fun adventures and very dark, adult themes. Publishers tend to label books as Young Adult when they have a teenage protagonist. However, the content of the books may not be ideal for someone of this age.

Readers will be ready and interested in different types of books at different times. We will recommend a couple of books at this level while also advising anyone shopping for books labelled Young Adult to check that they’re what you’re looking for.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Looking for Alaska by John Green

 

Reading boarding school and university books as you get older:

 

Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 

 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

 

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

 

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

 

The Poppy War by RF Kuang

 

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

 

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

 

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

 

Real experiences with boarding schools:

 

Boarding schools have a long history, which started in England at The King’s School, Canterbury around 597 AD, over 1,400 years ago! Now they can be found all over the world. 

 

We have a few opportunities to attend boarding schools in Hong Kong. In fact, there are a range of different boarding options, with schools such as DBS, Harrow and Li Po Chun United World College welcoming students to live on campus.

 

However, many students are still eager to experience a traditional British boarding school. Now, you can enjoy a taste of it with i-Learner, by joining our summer study tour. Find out more and apply here: https://www.i-learner.edu.hk/uk-study-tours/british-boarding-school-study-programme/