book cover

Five on a Treasure Island

by Enid Blyton

Interest age: 7+
Reading age: 9+

Published by Hodder Children's Books, 2012

  • Adventure
  • Classics

About this book

Meet Enid Blyton's most famous characters - Julian, Dick, Anne, George and of course the ever-loyal Timmy the dog - for the first time in this, the first book in the classic Famous Five series.

Julian, Dick and Anne are excited about spending their holidays at Kirrin Bay, and meeting their cousin Georgina for the first time. Meanwhile, George is determined not to make friends with her cousins, but in spite of her initial reluctance she soon finds herself drawn into an exciting adventure, when an old shipwreck off Kirrin Island leads to the discovery of long-forgotten treasure.

Complete with a ruined castle, secret caves and of course, plenty of seaside picnics, this has all the ingredients of a nostalgic Famous Five adventure, and is sure to be enjoyed by young readers discovering Blyton for the first time, as well as existing fans.

This new 70th anniversary edition of Blyton's much-loved adventure story has a new cover illustrated by Quentin Blake, and is in support of the House of Illustration.

About the author

Enid Blyton is one of the most-loved authors in children's publishing. With over 700 titles published, Enid Blyton's stories remain timeless classics, adored by children throughout the world.

Soon after Enid Blyton was born in 1897. Throughout the 40 and 50s, Enid wrote books at a colossal pace: adventure stories, mysteries, magical stories, farming stories, stories for younger children, best-selling series like The Famous Five and Noddy...her writing knew no bounds!

Apart from breaks to play golf and spend time with her children, Enid's working week was consumed with writing new stories, correcting proofs and answering the hundreds of letters she was, by now, receiving weekly. She explained that her characters evolved organically and her stories seemed to naturally form, she described herself as "merely a sightseer, a reporter, and interpreter."

Enid fell ill with Alzheimer's disease in her old age (a disease that affects people's memory) and she died in 1963. Her spirit lives on in her books and she is remembered as one of the most-loved and celebrated children's authors.

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