Noel trained as an actress, and spent 10 years in the business, working for various theatre companies. So she got a good grounding in the world of the stage. In 1936, she wrote Ballet Shoes which was a children's story about 3 children who are left badly off by a neglectful old guardian, and who go on the stage to make money. The novel was very popular and was illustrated by Noel's sister. She went on to write other "showbusiness" novels for children while also writing some romances under a different name. Her children's books are the most popular and many were adapted for film and TV.
She wrote about circus children, and also about skating.. and since she knew a good deal about the life of the professional theatre, and how children worked in it, they were very popular. She emphasised the need for stage children to have grit and determination and also to be disciplined and work hard. She criticised her characters who allowed success in the world of performance to make them spoiled and selfish. In later life she wrote the Gemma books which were about Gemma Bow, who had had success as a child actress in films but then found that she was too old for children's parts. Gemma has to live for a couple of years with her cousins, the Robinsons who are all talented amateurs, who spend a lot of time, performing in charity and school productions. Gemma finds that in an ordinary school, she does not do well, as her education on movie sets was sketchy and she learns to adapt to "normal" life.. becoming less selfish and realising that her cousins are also talented..
Noel never married, and died in 1986.
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