If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Which other authors do you enjoy? Discuss them here.
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Moonraker
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Moonraker »

Katharine wrote:but have heard of Dead Man's Cove. I haven't read that book yet, but I did start reading a book by the same author a week or so ago... I can't say I particularly liked the first chapter or so that I did read. So far the story involved a 3 legged dog, a girl living with her uncle, and her best friend who was described as Asian (I think). My first thoughts were 'here we go, let's make sure we cover as many social issues as we can in the first few pages' :roll: I really should give the rest of the book a chance though.
It is important to read this series in order, Katharine. I have read them all and the first is the best, in my opinion. I can't see anything to raise one's eyebrows at a girl having a friend from Bangladesh and I don't think it has anything to do with covering social issues. I'm sure you will love Dead Man's Cove, Katharine.
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I'm sure you'll like Dead Man's Cove, Katharine. I read it because it is set in St Ives Cornwall, and I know the places the author mentions. I have read the second in the series too, but wasn't as keen, so I didn't bother to buy the third.

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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Katharine »

Nigel, thanks for the tip, I'll see if I can read the books in order.

As for raising my eyebrows, I don't think there's anything wrong with having a friend from Bangladesh, or indeed any other part of the world, but I just couldn't see the reason for having to mention it in the book. Maybe it does have some bearing on the plot later, if so, far enough, otherwise I don't see the need to mention someone's racial background all the time. If I talk about my friends, I don't mention that they are French, Spanish, Polish, Irish or any of the other nationalities I know, unless I am making a point that is relevant about their nationality. My daughter has loads of friends who are of different racial backgrounds, but on the whole, she's blissfully unaware of the fact, she doesn't feel the need to identify her friends according to their skin colour/place of birth. The only time it's really come up recently is when one of her class mates moved to India a couple of weeks ago, as that was where his parents came from. Up until that point, I don't think she'd have particularly been aware of the fact that he was Indian. She certainly didn't go around referring to him as her 'Indian friend'.

That's what I meant about it being a 'social issue'. Why bring the child's nationality into the story? Was it just to keep the PC brigade happy that the story included someone from an ethnic minority? I've just re-read the chapter, and there's no mention of what nationality Laura is, so why say that her best friend is a Bengali boy?
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

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I know I said I'd be reading the books in order, but I read more of 'The Midnight Picnic'. Can't say I'm warming to the author. Now we've been introduced to a girl from a 'Hippie' family. As my mother used to keep chickens, has 3 children and grows practically all her own vegetables I guess that makes me half a hippie too?? Best I avoid wearing purple or I'll complete the stereotype. :evil: Why should someone who wishes to provide for their family by growing their own vegetables have to be given a label? What's the significance of having 3 children? Does Lauren St. John think that anyone who doesn't stick to the average 2.5 kids has to be singled out as not being 'normal'? Really not sure I can bring myself to read any more of this book, let alone go to the effort of going to the library to get the first in the series.

Think I'll stick with Swallows and Amazons if I want a change from the Famous Five.
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Moonraker »

I've always thought of you as a bit of a latter-age hippie, Katharine. That probably explains Francis' attraction to you.... :wink:
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Katharine »

Oh Nigel, you do say the sweetest things. :wink:
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Eddie Muir »

Thank you for a most interesting post, Poppy. :D

I have read all the books on the list with the exception of The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd. They are all excellent books, especially Tom's Midnight Garden, which is outstanding and one of the best children's books ever written. If you haven't already read it, I urge you to do so. You'll be in for a treat. I also like The Railway Children, a delightful classic, and Charlotte Sometimes. I read the latter on Anita's recommendation and it is a super book. I must check out The London Eye Mystery.
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Courtenay »

I hadn't heard of Lauren St John or this series by her, but it does sound a bit OTT, Katharine. I was intrigued by Julie's mention that the first book is set in Cornwall, which is a place I love, so I looked up Dead Man's Cove on Amazon. Going by the blurb, it sounds just as overdone as Katharine's description of the one she's reading:
When orphaned Laura Marlin moves from a children's home to live with her uncle in Cornwall, she longs for a life of excitement just like the characters in her favourite detective novels.

A real life adventure is on hand as she is deposited at her uncle's spooky house . . . Why does her uncle, Calvin Redfern, forbid her to go to Dead Man's Cove? What's the truth about Tariq, the silent Indian boy who lives with the flamboyant Mukthars? Who is J? Who has left the message in a bottle for Laura to discover? Mysteries abound and who better to solve them than Laura Marlin, ace detective?

Accompanied by her trusty companion, Skye, a three-legged husky, the dog she's always wanted, Laura's adventures begin in this first captivating mystery, winner of the 2011 Blue Peter Book of the Year Award.
:shock: :? :roll: At least the Famous Five are relatively believable by comparison!!
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Katharine »

Actually, that blub has made me more willing to read the rest of the series. Maybe the fact that Tariq is Indian does have an influence on the story. Perhaps like Prince Paul in the Secret series? Not quite sure why the dog has to only have 3 legs, but maybe that's relevant as well? Guess I need to visit the library soon.
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Poppy »

I popped into Waterstones, again, today, and I had a look at The London Eye Mystery and Dead Man's Cove, and I found both promise to be very good reads. Dead Man's Cove grabbed me the most and I found myself reading several pages. If anyone else is interested, you can look inside on Amazon. I was interested to see on this issue's front cover - the caption from The Times: Dead Man's Cove Will Delight Fans of Enid Blyton.

Inside, there are many comments referring to Enid Blyton.
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Moonraker »

Katharine wrote:Oh Nigel, you do say the sweetest things. :wink:
Jump into my car, and you'll get a mystery tour every time! Francis - eat your heart out! :D
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Rebeccadanielle »

I've read Emil and the Detectives, The Railway Children, Swallows and Amazons, Charlotte Sometimes, and Tom's Midnight Garden. I really liked Charlotte Sometimes, I've always thought it was a little bit like Twice Upon a Time by John Pinkney which I read as a kid. :D
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Katharine wrote:I haven't heard of 2 of the other books listed, but have heard of Dead Man's Cove. I haven't read that book yet, but I did start reading a book by the same author a week or so ago. My daughter got a free short story as part of the World Book Day event. I can't say I particularly liked the first chapter or so that I did read. So far the story involved a 3 legged dog, a girl living with her uncle, and her best friend who was described as Asian (I think). My first thoughts were 'here we go, let's make sure we cover as many social issues as we can in the first few pages' :roll:
Courtenay wrote:I hadn't heard of Lauren St John or this series by her, but it does sound a bit OTT, Katharine. I was intrigued by Julie's mention that the first book is set in Cornwall, which is a place I love, so I looked up Dead Man's Cove on Amazon. Going by the blurb, it sounds just as overdone as Katharine's description of the one she's reading:
When orphaned Laura Marlin moves from a children's home to live with her uncle in Cornwall, she longs for a life of excitement just like the characters in her favourite detective novels.

A real life adventure is on hand as she is deposited at her uncle's spooky house . . . Why does her uncle, Calvin Redfern, forbid her to go to Dead Man's Cove? What's the truth about Tariq, the silent Indian boy who lives with the flamboyant Mukthars? Who is J? Who has left the message in a bottle for Laura to discover? Mysteries abound and who better to solve them than Laura Marlin, ace detective?

Accompanied by her trusty companion, Skye, a three-legged husky, the dog she's always wanted, Laura's adventures begin in this first captivating mystery, winner of the 2011 Blue Peter Book of the Year Award.
:shock: :? :roll: At least the Famous Five are relatively believable by comparison!!
Several Enid Blyton books have similar ingredients, though. For example The Island of Adventure is set in Cornwall (actually I'm not sure whether Cornwall is mentioned, but it has always seemed like Cornwall to me), features two siblings who live with their Uncle Geoffrey, another two siblings who live with their Uncle Jocelyn and Aunt Polly, a widowed working mother who is so busy she can barely spend any time with her children even in their school holidays, a black servant who is "full of queer beliefs and stories", a strange loner on the beach who tries to befriend the children but is clearly not all he seems, a spooky-sounding island to which the children are forbidden to go, a quite remarkable parrot and a supposed sighting of an extinct bird.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Katharine »

Good point Anita. Maybe it is because The Midnight Picnic is a short book, but I just felt that all the hard facts were thrust in my face in literally the first 3 pages. Whereas in something like The Island of Adventure information such as Jack and Lucy-Ann being orphans is introduced among a much richer background.

The biggest difference I would say about the comparison about the two books, is that Jo-Jo is no longer allowed to be a black person, whereas it's fine for Laura's best friend to be Bengali. Presumably because Jo-Jo was a nasty character and Tariq is nice.

I think I'm most curious to find out why Skye is missing a leg.
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Re: If You Love The Famous Five, You Will Like...

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Katharine wrote:Good point Anita. Maybe it is because The Midnight Picnic is a short book, but I just felt that all the hard facts were thrust in my face in literally the first 3 pages.
As this was written specially for World Book Day after the series of four books, the author had to assume that there were people like you reading it who might not have read the main series. For this reason a brief resume of the characters was essential.
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