Five Get Into a Fix

Much like The Famous Five in this book, I was at home ill when I first read this novel. I remember though that despite having a slight fever and feeling in the worst state, that I was simply unable to put this book down, which should be no surprise since it is a very good read. Perhaps it's that strong impression that this novel had on me. Or it's startling resemblance in style and content to three of the Blyton Adventure novels (love those) - "Castle of Adventure," "Island of Adventure" and "Mountain of Adventure." But this, the seventeenth in the series, is my all-time favorite of the series. After a couple of disappointing books, this adventure seems to breathe new life into the series. Indeed it reads much more similar to the Adventure series of novels. There's also a change in locale for the book opens not in the familiar Kirrin, but instead towards the end of the Christmas holidays in the home of Julian, Dick and Anne. Soon though the group are sent to stay with the gardener's aunt (a Mrs. Jones) who rents rooms in Magga Glen in the Welsh mountain's in the hopes that the fresh sir will do the children good. Persuading Mrs. Jones to let them stay in a mountainside chalet rather than at her farm, the Five begin to experience strange goings-on. There are underground rumblings and an eerie shimmering in the air. They also meet a young rascal of a girl in Aily (who bares a remarkable likeness to Tassie from "Castle of Adventure") and her dog Dai and lamb Fany. Of course, one staple element in the Famous Five novels is complete without the presence of some secret tunnels and this novel is no exception. Aily shows them the passageways into a mysterious house with a tower (more shades of "Castle of Adventure") and also gives them a note she found that reveals that the woman they saw earlier in a window of the tower is being held prisoner. That begins an entertaining series of adventures into the house and deep underground which will keep the reader engrossed. The novel itself, as with all the Famous Five adventures, is very "kid-safe" and easy to recommend. The Famous Five novels by Enid Blyton are a British institution in the United Kingdom and occupy a place in the bookshelves of nearly every self-respecting pre-teen. When I was growing up in the UK I devoured all the Blyton books I could get a hold of and then went onto her Secret Seven and (my all-time favorite) Adventure series. The format for the books is essentially the same - a band of children (on this case the Famous Five - Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and her dog Tim) get into a series of adventures thwarting criminals and solving mysteries. It's like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, but imbued with that classic British idiom and that fast-paced, expertly crafted Blyton style that give it an edge over her American counterparts. The success of the formula is perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that the majority of the Blyton books I read were handed down to me from my mother who had

Enid Blyton books are always a pleasure to read. When I was a child, I could never get enough of them to read. As an adult now, I confess, I have still not got over the magic. I come from India where there are very few books available in the market for kids(as compared to the US)and Enid Blyton is undoubtedly the most popular children's books author there. Come to think of it, there is something truly magical about her stories. They are filled with all sorts of characters. She has written schools stores(St.Clares series, Malory towers series), adventure stories(famous five, mystery,secret seven etc), stories with elves, goblins,fairies etc. Practically every topic that could fascinate a kid(as well as an adult)is covered. The famous five series is an adventure series that relates the adventures of Julian, Dick, Anne and their cousin Georgiana(read George since she hates to be called by her actual name) and their dog Timmy. If you are an avid fan of mysteries and are not in the Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys groove yet, this is the best bet. One of the best features of this book is that it is thoroughly clean and ideal for kids. As a child I loved it and my parents never had a problem letting me read this stuff because it was clean! The adventures are exciting and will thrill any 8 or 9 year old. The five children always fall into one adventure or the other. They camp out, do exciting things, eat healthy food(something that kids today have a problem doing)and show good manners(another problem with most kids today). One of the reasons why these books were so popular with my parents was because of the way they depicted good manners, healthy habits and good values without the sermons on the same. The storyline is also well developed and the five children often end up catching smugglers, thieves and other bad elements with the usual share of treasure hunting. I remember spending many an afternoon with a famous five book and enjoying the pleasures of reading. Hope you get to do the same. A must read on all accounts.