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!)

The racism and xenophobia was of its time but the bullying was a bit more problematic. It gave me some odd ideas as a child! That being said there are some nice moments there too.

I loved Trebizon as well.

This is niche, but I had a book called ‘Round the Year with Enid Blyton’, an educational non-fiction book all about nature and it had projects you could do, as an individual child or as a school class (obviously aimed at rural village schools). I regret not keeping it!

Old thread for anyone who fancies reading some SVH reminiscences…
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/3924657-Sweet-Valley-High?page=1

I'm 62 and I grew up on Enid Blyton books. My favourites were the 'Famous 5' series, and The Naughtiest Girl in the School series. I also liked the Mr. Galliano's Circus ones and the Mallory Towers series. Oh,and The Secret Seven series.

It was DD's favourite book. I must have read it to her three times at least. I will certainly want to see the film.

My favourites were the Famous Five books, the Secret Seven books, the St Clare's books and the Malory Towers books.

I loved most Enid Blyton books, from Naughty Amelia Jane and Mr Pinkwhistle though all the series and sets. But my absolute favourite was her Tales of Brave Adventure, a retelling of the King Arthur and Robin Hood legends. I knew that book off by heart.

I remember well the first time I was allowed to walk to the library alone and came back with a Famous Five. I started reading it on the way home and and became enthralled. It was a seminal moment in my life, when I became aware that fiction really could transport you to an exciting adventure. It is one of my most vivid memories.

Omg yes!!

I love EB and TFAT is amazing. I hope a film will be good but I don't know if it cam live up to how it is in my head. DD loves the yoto card

I did not realise VOA was set in Austria, for some reason I thought it was Argentina 🤣🤣. I love the adventure series.

The book where a child had previously fallen out of a window (ring o bells?) Really stayed with me and has given me a real complex with my own kids!

Ive Just seen the cast list for TFAT, it-'s going to be great!

I loved the Faraway Tree books and the Wishing Chair and Amelia Jane was my favourite

When I was about 8 some neighbours were moving away and gave me a box of about 70 or 80 EB books, the school ones, the adventure and mystery ones, the farm ones and the circus ones. It was the best thing ever, I just read and read and read them.

The criticisms are valid but they didn't prevent me from going on to study Eng Lit at university.

Is that scene with Jack from The Castle of Adventure? The line about hearing the kitchen pump in the empty castle has suddenly brought back memories!

I don’t think I made the connection with the valley in Austria with stolen treasure and WW2 that @DoubleYellows mentions, but I remember the description of the enemy's ‘crooked cross’ from The Adventurous Four.

I read the most of the Famous Five and the Secret Seven books, but the school books and the Adventure books were my favourites.

The Magic Faraway Tree is one of the few books that has stayed in my mind from childhood. I loved it.

Was it a really thick, old fashioned, bound book? I think I had that too. Very old even when I was tiny and I am 44 now.

@Cornflakegirl7 Yes, with a (faded) red cover.

The Christmas Book is my absolute favourite. My mother read it to me every Christmas holidays and now I read it to my children. As a child I wanted to be one of the find outers (although rereading as an adult I'm less enthusiastic). As a little girl who moved house and country regularly, Enid Blyton was my safe place

The Wishing Chair series got my son into books. My daughter still loves the Famous 5 and the Faraway Tree.

I really would not if they are by EB. It may shatter your happy memories!

Me.

I read them sohhh many times (unable to write soooooo after hearing Bill Bailey's rant; also anyone else not able to make a hot beverage these days without thinking of obsessive 'half a cup!!' sister?).

OK let's go - from the three books, your favourite:

Nice land
Adventure land
Scary land
Existential threat

Mine are probably.... Birthdays (because of Peronel and the fairy wings), Magic Medicines, Snowman, Red Goblins.

I’m still reading them! Got DD a box set of st Clare’s and she’s finished with them so now I’m reading them. Perfect reading for peri menopausal insomnia! Both of my DD loved the faraway tree and I’m a big fan of Simon farnaby and Andrew Garfield so this release date is going in my diary!

I liked The Adventurous Four, though I remember being baffled by bits about Andy the fisher boy wearing his father’s long trousers. My nine year old self wasn’t keen on all that ‘protect the girls’ nonsense, especially as Mary and Jill appeared to share a brain cell.

I so loved The Faraway Tree and The Naughtiest Girl as a child! I wanted to desperately be one of those children and also wanted to go to the Boarding School in the Naughtiest Girl. It didn't occur to me that the books were written in the 1940's/50's as a child, and were outdated then but I loved them!

I loved them. I bought a Faraway Tree omnibus when DS was little and read it to him and he was absolutely captivated. He loved the Secret Seven and Famous Five books as well.

I loved her books growing up. My favourites were the Adventure series, I think the Valley of Adventure was the one that really sparked my imagination. I also liked the secret series - the secret of moon castle.

I also read the school series and a lot of the short story collections. There is still one I remember about a dog that got into mischief either after his bath - or they needed to give him one after his escapades.

I was a massive famous 5 fan, the first books i can really remember getting lost in.

I was enchanted by the world of Malory Towers and the twins at St Clairs, felt i knew Darryl, Sally, Alicia etc...completely different class and world to me growing up on my council estate!