Toppsta - Childrens Books – Reviews

Generations of children have grown up in the company of the Famous Five - one of the best-selling children’s book series of all time. The Five’s adventures, solving mysteries with the help of lashings of ginger beer, have enthralled youngsters since the 1940s and continue to be reinvented with new illustrations and numerous TV and film adaptations. Toppsta's founder Georgina grew up on the Famous Five books, devouring them under the covers with a torch and still treasures her Famous Five collection to this day.
 
Enid Blyton’s first Famous Five book Five On a Treasure Island was published in 1942; the series quickly became a smash hit and she would go on to write twenty more between 1942 and 1963. More than two million copies of the books are still sold every year and Enid Blyton's books are firm favourites with people of all ages with the series was even voted British adults’ favourite childhood books of all time in 2010.
 
The Famous Five characters - adventure-seeker siblings Julian, Dick and Anne, their tomboy cousin George and Timmy the dog - spend their summer holidays together camping, hiking, swimming and picnicking. Somehow though, wherever they are, every holiday seems to produce a mystery to solve and a wild adventure to be had. Thanks to their courage, determination and loyalty, the band of friends find themselves outsmarting thieves and smugglers, finding hidden treasure, navigating dark caves and secret passages and cracking crimes.
 
Parents love these books for their old-fashioned charm but for children the key is the thrilling stories, the secrets that are uncovered and the sense of adventure. Boys and girls aged 7 and over will be totally absorbed by the Five’s daring exploits and will love trying to solve the mysteries themselves. The books are well suited to independent readers although they can also be read aloud. You can start anywhere so why not try the first book Five On a Treasure Island where the children find a shipwreck off Kirrin Island or the ever popular Five Go to Smuggler’s Top where the children discover underground tunnels and secret signalling out to sea.

All the Famous Five books in order:-

Book 1: Five On A Treasure Island (1942)
Book 2: Five Go Adventuring Again (1943)
Book 3: Five Run Away Together (1944)
Book 4: Five Go To Smuggler's Top (1945)
Book 5: Five Go Off In A Caravan (1946)
Book 6: Five On Kirrin Island Again (1947)
Book 7: Five Go Off To Camp (1948)
Book 8: Five Get Into Trouble (1949)
Book 9: Five Fall Into Adventure (1950)
Book 10: Five On A Hike Together (1951)
Book 11: Five Have A Wonderful Time (1952)
Book 12: Five Go Down To The Sea (1953)
Book 13: Five Go To Mystery Moor (1954)
Book 14: Five Have Plenty Of Fun (1955)
Book 15: Five On A Secret Trail (1956)
Book 16: Five Go To Billycock Hill (1957)
Book 17: Five Get Into A Fix (1958)
Book 18: Five On Finniston Farm (1960)
Book 19: Five Go To Demon's Rocks (1961)
Book 20: Five Have A Mystery To Solve (1962)
Book 21: Five Are Together Again (1963)