Enid Blyton has been delighting generations of children with her short stories and novels since the first half of the 20th century. Most of us have grown up reading the adventures of the Famous Five, spent hours uncovering the mysteries of the Enchanted Wood and dreamt of countless picnics in the English countryside. We’ve pined for our very own wishing chair and some of us may have even pestered our parents to send us off to boarding school just so we could learn French, play lacrosse and partake in midnight feasts.
There is no doubt Enid Blyton was a prolific author, but even the biggest Blyton fan may not have read some of her lesser-known works. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Whether you are looking to discover books you may have missed out on during your childhood or for the perfect gift to give a child who loves Blyton’s books, you are sure to find something on this list.
01
Mr Pink-Whistle
Meet Mr Pink-Whistle. He is half-brownie, half-human, has the power to turn himself invisible and can communicate with animals. He is also on a mission to help people and fix what is wrong in the world. In The Adventures Of Mr Pink-Whistle, he entertains an injured young boy who’s missing out on a conjuring show by performing magic tricks for him, and helps a young girl whose precious doll has broken. Similarly, in Mr Pink-Whistle Interferes, he exposes Tom Twisty’s cheating ways and teaches the Jones family how to treat their cat. The three books that make up the Mr Pink-Whistle series are full of stories that teach both adults and children the error of their ways and the value of bringing joy to those who need and deserve it the most.
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02
Mr Twiddle
Mr Twiddle is an absent-minded, bumbling old man who manages to make a mess of things despite the best of intentions. Unfortunately, his wife is left to fix his mistakes. In Hello Mr Twiddle!, he mixes up the daffodil bulbs with onions, mucks up a task as simple as fetching his brother-in-law’s cow and tries to stand in for Mrs Twiddle as she nurses her twisted ankle. In Well, Really, Mr Twiddle, he even forgets his new year’s resolution to not forget anything! This delightful and hilarious series consists of three books that are sure to make you laugh out loud as you read about Mr Twiddle muddling through life.
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03
The Adventure Series
This lesser-known series by Enid Blyton is often overshadowed by The Famous Five and features Jack, Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann, and Jack’s parrot Kiki. Their adventures take them all over the world from Greece to the Middle East and find them facing off against forgers, Nazis, thieves, and scientists. In The Island Of Adventure, the first book in the series, the children find themselves investigating abandoned copper mines on an island in an adventure that is both dangerous and thrilling. The second book, The Castle Of Adventure, sees the children imprisoned in a castle that is being used by a gang of spies. This series of eight books is sure to delight anyone who enjoyed The Famous Five or The Five Find-Outers.
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04
The Circus Series
Jimmy Brown is excited when he hears that there’s a circus in town. Unfortunately, his family cannot afford to pay for the ticket. However, through a series of events, his father gets a job as a carpenter for the circus, and soon Jimmy becomes part of the troupe. Along the way, he makes friends with some of the other circus folk like Lotta, Oona and Sticky Stanley, the clown. In the three books in this series, we follow Jimmy as he makes his own place in the circus and also get a wonderful look at the inner workings of what it’s like behind-the-scenes at a circus. The books also have important lessons on treating animals with kindness and on the value of friendship.
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05
The Barney Series
When Roger and Diana Lynton and their cousin, Peter (a.k.a. Snubby), befriend Barney, a circus-boy, and his monkey, Miranda, little do they know what adventures lie in wait for them. In The Rockingdown Mystery, the foursome investigate an old mansion when Barney hears strange noises in the middle of the night, and even begin to suspect that their tutor may be involved in the goings-on down at the mansion. In the second book in the series, they solve the mystery of the seemingly impossible theft of valuable papers from various buildings. Comparatively darker than most of Blyton’s works, the author herself recommended that this series of six books be read by readers aged 11 or more. This is perfect for adults looking to revisit their childhood and take another gander at Blyton’s writing.
Buy it here.
06
Amelia Jane
Amelia Jane is a naughty rag doll who is always up to some mischief or the other. While she may be quite the trickster, she is also brave and willing to help the other toys when they are in trouble. The four books in this series consist of various stories which perfectly showcase both Amelia’s mischievous nature and her bravery. They serve as a great introduction to young children who are sure to get a laugh out of her antics while learning valuable lessons on how to ensure that you don’t hurt others through your mischief.
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07
The Secret Series
The Secret Island, the first book in this series of five, was Blyton’s first adventure novel. Peggy and her siblings, Mike and Nora are sent to live with their relatives when their parents disappear and end up having to earn their keep as unpaid servants. When they meet Jack, they plot to escape from their relatives and go live on an island. The rest of the story unfolds as a survival story as the children learn to fend for themselves by building a makeshift house and even weave baskets to sell at the market. In the second book, the children end up rescuing a foreign prince, who later joins them on the rest of their adventures in this series. This series sets the stage for many of Blyton’s later works in this genre.
Buy it here.
Devanshi has been reading ever since she can remember. What started off as an obsession with Enid Blyton, slowly morphed into a love for mystery and fantasy. Even her choice of career as a lawyer was heavily influenced by the works of Erle Stanley Gardner and John Grisham. After quitting law, and while backpacking around India, she read books on entrepreneurship, taught herself web design and delved into social media marketing. She doesn’t go anywhere without a book.
She is the founding editor of The Curious Reader. Read her articles here.
