Enid Blyton Famous Five series

[LNC]

I saw this series in paperback on Amazon. Are they well-written? Enjoyable? I'm ordering some fun summer reading to own along with all of our historical fiction schoolyear reading.

 

I have on my wish list L'engle, Edward Eager, Edith Nesbit, Eleanor Estes, and Elizabeth Enright. I'm not sure that Blyton is that caliber but she's not at the library to check out. Thanks for any recs - good or bad.

[pqr]

I loved them, but then again that was a while back and they were written for a different time.

They are an English series somewhat similar to the Hardy Boys, but I prefered Blyton. There are other series of a similar genre such as the Secret Seven.

[Laura Corin]

She's okay: pretty light. The writing is grammatical but not great. I suspect that there are some dated attitudes lurking in the books, but I haven't read them recently so can't recall. Both my boys went through short Blyton phases, before moving on to Nesbit and Ransome (Swallows and Amazons).

 

Laura

[Pixie]

I loved those as a child. I can't comment on how well written they are because I read them in French not in English. I had a HUGE collection, they were my favorite series.

[KS_]

My kids love her books - ds is past them as far as reading level, but he'll still go back and re-read his favorite ones. My dd says she's her favorite author.

[In The Great White North]

Yes, they're fun. Dc liked them. There is also a TV series based on them.

 

They're about the same reading level as the vintage Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys. The Secret Seven is easier, more like Magic Treehouse.

 

Enid Blyton wrote hundreds of books, including several series.

[mazakaal]

How old are your dc? My older boys loved the Famous Five series when they were about 7-9yo. They're good, light reads, enjoyable, but not challenging.

[LNC]

8 & 10 - but the just turned 8yo is a beginning chapter book reader.

[Mommy22alyns]

I've never read her Famous Five books, but she wrote two series on girls' boarding schools and I adore them. They're St. Clare's and Malory Towers and I can't even count how many times I've read them. My dad brought a 3-in-1 back from England when I was about 10 and I just devoured them. Light reading, but there are good character lessons in there too.

[StephanieF]

My 9 yr old ds is currently loving Malory towers lol!

He also loved the secret seven

Stephanie

[Lady Q]

I read tons of her books when I was a kid--Malory Towers, Famous Five, the Five Find-Outers, St. Clare's, Six Cousins, The Secret series. She was one prolific writer. :D

 

They are light fun reads, but some of her attitudes are very dated, especially regarding gender roles. Of the two girls in the books, one is very girly and timid and requires constant reassurance; the other is a complete tomboy who dresses like a boy, has her hair short, insists on being called George instead of Georgina, disdains anything feminine (like dresses) and wishes she were a boy because boys have more fun. Two ends of the spectrum, and something that bothers me more as a parent than it did as a kid. You might want to preview a book or two.

 

HTH

 

~Rabia

[TeacherZee]

I loved them when I was 8-10. They were some of the first chapter books I read. As others have said some of the issues may be a bit dated but no more so than Narnia.

[Ummto4]

I love Enid Blyton when I was around 3rd-6th grade. As a girl, I liked her boarding school series: Mallory Towers, St. Clare, and The Naughtiest Girl.

 

AS for detective stories, I read Secret Seven, Adventures and Famous Five. However, I love Five Find-Outers the most because it's more of 'who dunnit' type of thing. It's like Agatha Christie for kids.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

My son has devoured about 6 of the Famous Five books in the last couple weeks. He loves them!

[Alessandra]

I read hundreds (it seemed) of her books when I was little. I had no idea that they were available -- so thanks for posting. They may not be great literature, but the characters are so appealing & the plots just race along. BTW, you posted just as I was looking for a new series for ds, so off to Amazon it is!

[OrganicAnn]

I'd compare them to the Box Car Children's books. Lots good British values (like fairplay, telling the truth etc). The benefit for Americans is that it can expose your kids to some British English words and phrases as well as British food (Gingerbeer anyone?).

 

The downside is they are formulaic novels and have dated ideas or sterotypes (nothing too aweful).

 

She wrote books for younger children too. I looked once for a complete listing of her books and it was over 200 books including religious books for children and whole series that I've never heard or seen.

 

Many people see the seeds of the Harry Potter novels in Blyton's Mallory Towers (only no witchcraft just a boarding school with 4 towers).

[KristenS]

The Secret Seven has both British and American versions, for what that's worth. It does change the stories a bit. I'm trying to collect both versions in their complete sets. :)

 

Famous Five is okay ... fun light reading, but yes a few dated attitudes.

 

Haven't read the others yet but hope to some day. I didn't like the one I read of the "Adventure" series.