 In "The Singing Roads", Mallory identifies "Leith and Friends" as having been 'hailed in England as the best school story for many years'(p. 60).Elder's influence on Mallory's writing can also be seen in "The League of the Smallest" which is thematically linked to Elder's 1927 school story "Thomasina Toddy".Brenda Page was another influence on Mallory's writing.