The Famous Five
The Famous Five are among Enid Blyton's best-loved creations and countless children have gone adventuring with them since the publication of Five on a Treasure Island in 1942, the first of twenty-one full-length adventures and numerous short stories.
Armed with maps, torches, packets of sandwiches and a plentiful supply of ginger-beer, Julian, Dick, Anne, their tomboy cousin George (Georgina by rights) and Timmy the dog like nothing better than to spend their holidays hiking and biking, camping and exploring by themselves, invariably falling into adventure.
Friends like Jo the gypsy girl, young Tinker Hayling, Sooty Lenoir, and even George's scientist father (Uncle Quentin to the others), often get caught up in the strange goings-on too.
And what thrilling places they visit and discover — Kirrin Island, Smuggler's Top, Owl's Dene, the lighthouse at Demon's Rocks and farms, castles, caves and secret passages galore.
Whether they're outwitting thieves, smugglers or kidnappers, seeking hidden treasure or encountering spook trains, the Five's courage and determination always wins through!
Enid Blyton's original books were charmingly illustrated by Eileen Soper but there have been numerous interpretations and adaptations of the Famous Five over the years including continuation novels written by French author Claude Voilier, cinema films, stage plays, two television series and, more recently, a Disney cartoon series featuring the children of the Famous Five.
However, the twenty-one original books have never been out of print and remain popular with readers worldwide. Long live the Famous Five!
Famous Five Books, Stories and Games
- Original Famous Five Novels by Enid Blyton
- Famous Five Short Stories by Enid Blyton
- Famous Five Omnibus Editions
- Famous Five TV Annuals
- Famous Five Continuation Novels by Claude Voilier
- Famous Five and You Continuation Novels by Mary Danby
- Just George Spin-off Novels
- Hodder 2004 Collection Editions
- Famous Five Specials
- Disney's "Famous 5 on the Case" Cartoon Series
- Famous 5 Adventure Game Books by Stephen Thraves
- Famous Five Games and Puzzles
Famous Five
There are 21 original Famous Five books by Enid Blyton written between 1942 and 1963...
First Published in 1942 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 1 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson & Matt Tompkins |
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First Published in 1943 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 2 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1944 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 3 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1945 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 4 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1946 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 5 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1947 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 6 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1948 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 7 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1949 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 8 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1950 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 9 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1951 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 10 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1952 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 11 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1953 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 12 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1954 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 13 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1955 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 14 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1956 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 15 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1957 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 16 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1958 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 17 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1960 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 18 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1961 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 19 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1962 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 20 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 1963 by Hodder & Stoughton Book 21 of 22 in this category See review by Terry Gustafson |
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First Published in 2011 by Hodder Children's Books Book 22 of 22 in this category |
Famous Five
Over the years, a number of Famous Five short stories appeared in Enid Blyton's Magazine Annuals, Princess Gift Books and Comic, and a Weeties strip book. In 1999 a compilation book was published featuring all of the 8 short stories...
First Published in 1995 by Red Fox Book 1 of 1 in this category |
Famous Five Omnibuses
There were also four Omnibus Books, each featuring three original full length Famous Five novels...
Famous Five 70s TV Annuals
From 1977 to 1985 the Famous Five were all the rage and, along with the Granada TV series, a series of TV Annuals was produced...
One-off Annuals
A similar TV Annual was produced based on the 1990s TV series...
Famous Five Sequels
In 1981 the bookshops began to fill up with French author Claude Voilier's Famous Five continuation novels, translated into English by Anthea Bell. Voilier began writing these in the 1970s and there are 24 books in the series, but only 18 were translated into English...
The Famous Five and You
Mary Danby wrote six Famous Five continuation books between 1987 and 1989...
Just George [Famous Five]
In 2000, Hodder Children's Books produced six "Just George" novels written by Sue Welford...
Hodder 2004 Collection Editions
In 2004, Hodder Children's Books published a set of six Collection editions. Three of these featured the Famous Five...
Miscellaneous Famous Five (by various authors)
There have been a number of miscellaneous Famous Five specials...
Famous Five On the Case
In 2008, Disney commissioned a series of TV cartoons featuring the children of the Famous Five. These modern characters bear little resemblance to Blyton's except that they go by the title "Famous 5" and occasionally make references to original adventures or characters...
Famous 5 Adventure Game Books
From 1984, Stephen Thraves wrote eight Famous 5 Adventure Game Books series...
Games and Puzzles...
There have been a number of Famous Five board games, jigsaw puzzles and card games over the years, including the jigsaw puzzles produced by BeStime as part of their numbered series throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and those by Whitman in the 1970s...
BeStime Numbered Jigsaws
Whitman Famous Five Jigsaws
Whitman Famous Five TV Jigsaws
Enid Blyton Board Games
First Published in 1978 by Whitman Book 12 of 12 in this category |
Enid Blyton Card Games
First Published in 1951 by Pepys Book 2 of 8 in this category |
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First Published in 1978 by Pepys Book 8 of 8 in this category |