With her vivid imagination providing adventures in forests or magical lands, reached by rowing boat or flying chair, Enid Blyton has long retained a place as one of the world’s most popular children’s authors. Extremely prolific, she wrote nursery-based tales for the very small, fantastical stories that enthral the young, and mysteries that captivate older children – all with great success. Over a century since her first publication, a collection of poems, her books continue to be international bestsellers and have been translated into 90 languages.
Here we’ve compiled an Enid Blyton books list, focusing on what are widely considered to be her best series for young readers and ranging from short stories for 6 year olds to chapter books for 10 year olds.
Ages 6–8
- The Magic Faraway Tree
- Joe, Beth and Frannie are amazed when they discover the Enchanted Wood and the magic Faraway Tree with its extraordinary inhabitants – Silky the fairy, Moon-Face and the Saucepan Man. Even more incredible are the lands above the tree’s uppermost branches, where there are narrow escapes from Dame Snap and the Land of Topsy Turvy as well as delights to be found in the Land of Goodies or The Land of Birthdays. The series presents a timeless ventures that is free of adult intervention and where the children have complete freedom to explore, experiencing joyful worlds while looking out for one another when things don’t go in their favour. Age 6+
- The Secret Seven
- With the Famous Five and Five Find-Outers already proving popular, Enid Blyton launched The Secret Seven for younger readers in 1948. The first novel in the series established elements such as the cosy meeting shed, badges and passwords that became familiar over the course of 15 books, each one following the junior sleuths as they unravel mysteries including supposedly abandoned buildings that are home to criminal activity and strings of thefts. Age 7+
Ages 8–10
- The Famous Five
- With 21 books, The Famous Five was Blyton’s largest series, and the mysteries that took place on Kirrin Island continue to captivate the imaginations of children, from 8 year olds and above. The three siblings Julian, Dick and Anne, cousin George and Timmy the dog have the freedom – and access to a boat! – that few children experience in real life and their thrilling adventures see them race against criminals on the hunt for missing treasure, investigate a network of tunnels where trains seem to vanish, and help an American girl hiding from kidnappers. Age 8+
- The Five Find-Outers
- The village of Peterswood seems to attract more than its fair share of shady characters and mysterious goings-on. Over the course of 15 books Fatty, Larry, Pip, Daisy and Bets use their ingenuity – and plenty of disguises – to beat the local policeman Mr Goon in uncovering a startling array of criminal activities including arson, theft and art forgery. Age 9+
- The Naughtiest Girl
- Spoiled and selfish, Elizabeth Allen is determined to get herself expelled from her new boarding school, but discovers that Whyteleafe is unusually progressive – her bad behaviour is judged by her fellow children, who are keen to see her change her ways. With the help of timid Joan Townsend, Elizabeth learns to think anew about friendship and being ‘the naughtiest girl’. Age 9+
Ages 9–11
- The Adventure Series
- The Isle of Gloom off the rugged Cornish coast is the first of eight exciting locations – including a Scottish castle, the Welsh mountains, a ship cruising the Greek Islands and even a circus touring the fictional country of Tauri Hessia – that featured in Enid Blyton’s Adventure series. The novels follow Jack and his sister Lucy-Ann, along with their friends Phillip and Dinah, as they solve one mystery after another, often stepping into dangerous adventures. Age 9+
- Malory Towers
- Perched on a clifftop, Malory Towers is thought to have been inspired by the boarding school Enid Blyton’s eldest daughter attended – it was sited in Kent but during the Second World War relocated to Newquay in Cornwall. There are also said to be similarities between Blyton’s daughter and the series’ protagonist, Darrell Rivers – prone to outbursts of temper and with a keen interest in acting and horses. In her first term at Malory Towers Darrell struggles to find her place before becoming best friends with Sally Hope; the series follows Darrell through each school year – playing tricks, facing exams and taking part in the pantomime before becoming Head Girl in an emotional and dramatic last term. Age 10+
