Noel’s full name is Mary Noel Streatfeild
White Boots was published under the title Skating Shoes in the U.S.
Noel wrote Magic and the Magician, a biography of the children’s author E. Nesbit who was one of her favourite childhood authors
In 1939 Noel won the Carnegie gold medal for The Circus is Coming
The National Portrait Gallery, London, holds seventeen portraits of Noel Streatfeild. Go to www.npg.org.uk to view a selection of them
Noel also wrote several short stories that were about or included the characters from White Boots: The Skaters, Ordinary Me and Skating to the Stars
During World War One Noel Streatfield worked in a munitions factory at the Woolwich Arsenal
Noel first began writing for adults, and never intended to write children’s books
Noel volunteered as an air raid warden during World War Two
Noel Streatfeild’s books were a childhood favourite of J. K. Rowling and also Jacqueline Wilson
In 1983 Noel received the Order of the British Empire
Noel has six brothers and sisters