Who grew up reading Enid Blyton books?

[OldFred]

Just seen that The Magic Faraway Tree movie is to be released in the UK on 27 March 2026 🙂

I will hold judgement until I've seen it on it compares to the books but as a child, I devoured EB books.
I loved them all but TMFT holds a special place in my heart so fingers crossed!

I know EB books rightly so have had their fair share of criticism but (immigrant) childhood me just took them at face value, and as an adult and parent, my enduring love for them remains.
The Mini Old Freds have inherited all my copies and love them too.

What are your favourite EB books?
(Hoping to come across some I've not heard of!)

Yes, I remember those: the choose your own adventure versions!

As you say, there was a die and a map; I think there was a torch (just a flat transparent plastic shape) and maybe some kind of code-breaker too?

Yes! I had a feeling there was some other sort of accessory with them.
I liked them, but I did prefer just reading the books. They were a bit too 'faffy'. I could walk around reading a book, I couldn't so much with these.

I'd have been about 8 years old I think (44 now).

https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book-details.php?id=2082

I enjoyed the idea of them, because they were exciting in a gimmicky kind of way; but as you say, I don't think they really added anything to the books.

Looking at it logically, they were Enid's characters, plots and ideas - so surely she would have a far better idea of where to take the story than me as a kid with a die and a bunch of plastic accessories would!

Definitely! Reading about them on that site has unlocked memories however! The torch kind of picking your codes...

Ah, only 'based on' - so not actually properly written by EB anyway?! Booooo!!!

I loved them. Smuggler Ben was my favourite. I did love The Magic Faraway Tree as well. She was a genius but not a great parent, from what I understand.

Mallory towers and famous five for me!!

I had the Smuggler's top version of that. My dc used to love it.

I loved school stories - I was allowed to read the Chalet school books by Elinor M Brent-Dyer, but as I said earlier in the thread, I wasn’t allowed any Enid Blyton, so never got to read Malory Towers. I have enjoyed watching the BBC adaptation, and might get myself the books - mum can’t stop me now!

I have just finished reading my old box set of St Clare’s which I picked up from my mum’s house over Christmas.
It was just like revisiting old friends 😄

I'm in the minority of seeing that one as the superior series. Most people seem to prefer Malory Towers.

I liked the headmistress better in this series. She knows her girls better and is not just intellectually intelligent but emotionally so - far more empathetic than the Malory Towers head. That one runs her place like a military correctional facility and is rarely seen unless she's expelling someone or giving her trite script to every newcomer about how to become a MT 'success' (identikit proto-wives and mothers whose individuality and spirit has been crushed out of them!).

Also, I thought Alison's adolescent crush on Miss Quentin (it's evidently sexual; the subtext is all there) was sensitively done: unusually so for Blyton. I was disappointed in her for allowing Alison to carry on down the same path instead of doing what she appears to do in this book - to take a serious lesson in dignity and being more careful as where you direct your emotions. But Alison is pretty - that's never a good thing in Blyton and those characters are fated to be disliked by their author.

My favourite character is rude Margery Fenworthy. And I love Zerelda in MT. Darrell and the O'Sullivan twins are boring!

Yep, loved them particularly Mallory Towers and St Claire's followed by famous five and secret seven.

Many thanks to the poster up thread who recommended World of books. Just received a job lot of some of my favourites from them.

Yes I loved the magic faraway series . They were my favourite.

@SerafinasGoose I’ve always preferred St Clares over Malory Towers.