Category Archives: Book reviews

Reading the Secret Island to Brodie

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Fiona

This one we read from October 26th to November 9th, 2024. I’m catching up, slightly! I had to double check my dates as two weeks seemed rather quick for The Secret Island, but they are correct. You can just make … Continue reading →

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Reading The River of Adventure to Brodie

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Fiona

We read this from October 10th to 24th, 2024 so I’m nearly a year behind in reporting on it! I also didn’t take notes at the time so these are my best recollections. (I’m learning from my mistakes and have … Continue reading →

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Reading the Circus of Adventure to Brodie

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Fiona

I keep getting further and further behind on these – we read The Circus of Adventure between September 9th and October 9th 2024. At this point I’m not sure how many of his comments I’m going to be able to … Continue reading →

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If you like Blyton: The Challenge of Palores Point by Zöe Billings

Posted on June 15, 2025 by Fiona

Following on from The Mystery of Tully Hall and The Secret of Flittermouse Cliffs, The Challenge of Palores Point is the third book in the Great Friends at Grey Owls series by Zöe Billings. I read this from September to … Continue reading →

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If you like Blyton: Cherry Ames by Helen Wells

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Fiona

I have had two of the Cherry Ames books sitting on my bookshelf for years. I’m not sure how many years exactly, but here they are (sixth and seventh from the right) back in 2019 when I did my series … Continue reading →

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Famous Five and the Forgotten Treasure part 2

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Fiona

Last time I ran out of time to finish the review let alone scan any of the illustrations or the map, but hopefully I can put that right this time. Last time I got a far as the Five having … Continue reading →

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The New Famous Five: Five and the Forgotten Treasure

Posted on May 18, 2025 by Fiona

Having taken this out weeks ago I then procrastinated over actually reading it. What if it was really, really bad? First thoughts My very first thought was that I still did not like the cover, but I did appreciate the … Continue reading →

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Tell-A-Story Books

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Fiona

I was just checking to see if I had written about all the Blyton birthday/Christmas presents and as it turns out, no I haven’t. So let’s remedy that. Tell-A-Story Books I had to look these up as – not generally … Continue reading →

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Wildings: The Secret Garden of Eileen Soper by Duff Hart-Davis

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Fiona

I bought this late last year and it sat in my to read pile. My metaphorical to read pile, as it was “shelved” on the floor under a table along with a host of other books a bit too large … Continue reading →

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Five Go to Smuggler’s Top: The graphic novel

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Fiona

So far we’ve had two decent adaptations and one pretty poor one. Which way will this one go? Sacrilege from page one What could be worse, I ask you, than an adaptation of Five Go Adventuring Again that takes place … Continue reading →

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Five Run Away Together: The graphic novel

Posted on March 23, 2025 by Fiona

The graphic novel version of Five on a Treasure Island was fairly good, while Five Go Adventuring Again was rather poor. What will I make of Five Run Away Together? Let’s find out. An unrecognisable beginning We start off with … Continue reading →

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Five Go Adventuring Again: The graphic novel

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Fiona

I found the first graphic novel adaptation to be surprisingly good. Heavily abridged to fit the format, of course, but cleverly done. There were a couple of things added which didn’t seem necessary (George meeting the man on the beach, … Continue reading →

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Reading The Ship of Adventure to Brodie

Posted on January 18, 2025 by Fiona

We read this from the 30th of August to the 19th of September so my memories of conversations are a bit hazier than usual – just one reason why I shouldn’t let myself get so behind on these posts! Anyway, … Continue reading →

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Five on a Treasure Island: The graphic novel

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Fiona

Ages ago I intended to write a review of the two Famous Five graphic novels that I have. Instead I wrote a lengthy post covering what had been published in different languages – and even more have come out since … Continue reading →

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Collins Children’s Annual 1958 part 2

Posted on December 7, 2024 by Fiona

Part one of the annual can be found here. PLEASE TO REMEMBER! A rather frightening-looking guy in this illustration for the Guy Fawkes night-themed poem. I didn’t guess that’s what the poem would be about though remember is a fairly good … Continue reading →

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Collins Children’s Annual 1958

Posted on November 30, 2024 by Fiona

I had this out last year while I was working on Enid Blyton’s Christmas Stories then and now. That series took me longer than expected, so I didn’t get around to reviewing the annual. I did take a photo of … Continue reading →

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Reading The Mountain of Adventure to Brodie

Posted on September 29, 2024 by Fiona

I actually got confused today (it really doesn’t take much!) as I was idly trying to work out what part of Mountain we had got to, but couldn’t remember. We’re actually reading Circus at the moment, but as I’ve spent this … Continue reading →

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Reading the Sea of Adventure to Brodie

Posted on September 20, 2024 by Fiona

I’m a bit behind on these reviews – we’re actually on Ship at the moment. But better late than never, we read Sea from 17 July to to 5 August. Some things never change People accuse Blyton of being repetitive … Continue reading →

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Lifting the flap on two new “Enid Blyton” books

Posted on September 14, 2024 by Fiona

While in the children’s department of the library a few weeks ago a new delivery of books came in and amongst them were two books I’d never seen – or even heard of – before with the name Enid Blyton … Continue reading →

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If you like Blyton: Six in a Caravan by Bridget Mackenzie

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Fiona

I bought this as it appealed on two counts: a Blytonian title, and illustrations by Eileen Soper. The Six and the Caravan The title is more accurate than Five Go Off in a Caravan (in which they, of course, use … Continue reading →

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