but prejudice is still rife today, so talking to our kids about it, instead of brushing it under the carpet, while teaching compassion and understanding, can only help.

Was mich aber sehr überraschte, die fünf Kinder und Timmy gingen für eine Woche auf die Felseninsel zurück? Of course things work out well for our heroes, they get to the bottom of the Sticks’ secret, naturally and all on a full stomach! Along with her equally awful husband, son and dog, they are hellbent on making life as unpleasant as possible for the five. It's slightly darker than the first two books but nothing young children won't be able to cope with and enjoy. And the children get to witness the final denouement via the incredibly flexible device of "Access to Kirrin Island" which drives the plot of several books in the series.

Fantastic new cover art by Laura Ellen Anderson will draw young readers into this accessible timeless classic.

According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare. She wrote over 700 books and 2,000 short stories, including favourites such as The Famous Five, The Secret Seven , The Magic Faraway Tree and Malory Towers. Born in London in 1897, Enid lived much of her life in Buckinghamshire and adored dogs, gardening and the countryside. This is possibly something to do with the fact that Blyton would have been writing during the height of rationing (the first edition was published in August 1944) and these were foods that were probably being missed from the war time diet.The parts I skip if I can is where they meet new friends (not in this particular book I’m reviewing) whose parents have died (hence they have a mean uncle/guardian who is up to no good and the F5 have to solve the mystery). He takes a lot of control around the Sticks and begins to really take control and organise the Five in a way we haven’t seen before, as they’ve always had the steadying guide of Aunt Fanny in the background. with a little bit of everyone in each of them - something that children have obviously known for decades. Well it does and these play their roles in the uncovering and subsequent foiling of a kidnap involving the child of very wealthy parents. This is probably also the novel where Julian’s pompous nature (loved by some [me] and hated by most) starts to really develop.

I remain convinced Enid Blyton secretly wanted to be a food critic, as food was as much a character as anyone. Mrs Stick repeatedly tries to poison George's dog Timmy, prompting George to hatch a secret plan to run away to Kirrin Island. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Personally, I could not allow my characters over a series of books to remain trapped in a form of endless youth, but then we will see if I ever get to that point.She is also the author of other favourites including The Secret Seven, The Magic Faraway Tree, Malory Towers and Noddy.