Five on a Hike Together

This story is a very exciting adventure for the Famous Five that unfolds quite by accident when Dick is mistaken for a different Dick by an escaped prisoner. In parts of the book, the change of culture and behavior from the time when the book was first published to today are illustrated clearly. For example, Julian does not allow Anne to sleep in the barn with the boys, but she has to spend the night in the farmhouse because girls need looking after. Nevertheless, this just shows how culture has evolved and does not take away from the story at all.

I really should have grown out of children's books by now, but not so! The Famous Five series deals with Georgina (George), her cousins Julian, Dick, and Anne, and of course, her beloved dog, Timothy. The five share many hair-raising adventures during their hols, all while eating delumptious (one of Blyton's words) meals, exploring, and enjoying themselves in general. In Five on a Hike Together, the children and Timmy have set off on a hike through the country. Anne and Dick get sidetracked however, and end up spending the night in an abhorrent farmhouse, with Dick sleeping in the barn. A message meant for someone else is delivered to him in the dead of night, and the Five are once more launched into an adventure. They make for marshland that the message says holds a treasure--but the children aren't the only ones who want to get their hands on the stolen goods...