Toppsta - Childrens Books – Reviews

Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree series is one of the most beloved series of children’s books, for readers 5+.

The books tell the story of Joe, Beth and Frannie - three children who move to a new home and discover an Enchanted Wood on their doorstep. Climbing the Faraway Tree, they find a new world of magical adventures, with a new land at the top of the tree every day – the Land of Birthdays, the Land of Toys, the Land of Sweets and so many more.

The fantastical Faraway Tree characters, like Moonface, Saucepan Man, Silky and Dame Washalot make the books, with details like Silky’s pop cakes and Saucepan Man’s rhymes. The magical setting sparks young imaginations and the books are quoted by many children’s authors as some of the most influential books from their childhood.

A Faraway Tree film was announced in 2017 written by Simon Farnaby, the writer of Paddington 2 but has been delayed until at least 2022.

These are great first chapter books, either to read aloud or independently, and we also recommend the brilliant audiobooks, narrated by Kate Winslet. 

They can be read in any order but it’s best to start with book one: The Enchanted Wood.

You may also enjoy the new series of Magic Faraway Tree picture books inspired by the Enid Blyton stories and written by Jeanne Willis, with illustrations by Mark Beech. See all the picture books in order here.

All the Magic Faraway Tree Books in Order:

Book 1: The Enchanted Wood (1939)
Book 2: The Magic Faraway Tree (1943)
Book 3: The Folk of the Faraway Tree (1946)
Book 4: Up the Faraway Tree (1951)
Stand-alone: The Adventures of the Goblin Dog (1952)