I really don't get the obsession with Enid Blyton's racism, sexism and now homophobia. She was a product of her time. Many of her contemporaries included racist and sexist attitudes in their works which simply reflected the views of many people 50 years ago. Do we ban Agatha Christie, Neville Shute,...

Hi, I think this sounds like a John Buchan novel called Huntingtower. It's set in lowland Scotland and features Dickson McCunn, a retired Glasgow grocer and a group of kids called the Gorbals Diehards. There is a Russian Princess who is imprisoned in an old manor house/castle and lots of minor chara...

I've noticed a few references throughout the forums to a 1950s film of Five on a Treasure Island. I have just noticed that a full version of the film is available on youtube. Just go on youtube and search for Five on aTreasure Island. Iv'e only watched a bit and it certainly doesn't adhere to the bo...

I seem to remember when I first read Five go off to Camp, that there was a reference to rationing when they first go to the farm to buy food which has disappeared from modern editions. I a can only think of 3 books which directly mention the war. The Adventurous Four, Smuggler Ben and the Children o...

I have a vague memory of reading a book called the Turbulent Twins which I think was by Enid Blyton although I'm not 100% sure. It was really old and tatty (this was in the mid sixties), so I'm guessing it was from the 40's or even 30's. I've looked for it over the years but I've never found a copy ...

I'M an avid fan of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and I also really like the spin off Lord John series. I was amazed to discover that Diana Gabaldon wasn't Scottish because her mastery of Scottish dialect is superb ! The whole concept is a bit crazy but it works. I love the combination of hi...

Hi Chrissie, It,s a long shot but I wonder if you are thinking of the "Susan" books by Jane Shaw. I think they were published in the 50s and early 60s. They were about a Scottish girl called Susan (can,t remember her surname). Her parents go to Africa to build a dam or bridge and she goes ...