Share:

Introduction Book: The Famous Five Author: Enid Blyton Illustrator: Laura Ellen Anderson Genre: Adventure Publication: Hodder Children’s Book Pages: 150

What is the book about? The book is about four children and a dog going on an adventure around a mysterious castle, which was owned by one of the children’s great-great-great-grandfather.

Characters

George, Julian, Dick, Anne, Timmy, Uncle, Quentin, Their aunt

Setting

Julian, Anne, and Dick’s house, Kirrin Island, Kirrin Bay, The Sea

Plot There are three siblings: Julian, Anne, and Dick. It was their holiday, but they had no idea where to go. So, their parents started to find a place where they could stay. They decided to send them to Uncle Quentin’s house, where their strange cousin lives. They went on the trip in their car, packing all the necessary items in the boot and trunk before starting their journey. Along the way, they saw a cow that scared Anne.

After a long drive, they finally reached their destination, Kirrin Bay. They met Uncle Quentin, a man with a permanent frown on his face. Soon after, they met Georgina, who prefers to be called George because she likes to be a boy, even though she’s a girl. They all got along, though George initially disliked Anne because she found her annoying and too talkative. George had a secret dog named Timmy.

George decided to take them to her island, Kirrin Island. It belonged to her because it had been her mother’s, but her mother gave it to her. They traveled there by boat, and when they arrived, they found the island to be full of ruins. They explored the area and found it fun.

The next day, they wanted to return to the island, but George was hesitant because the tides looked dangerous, a sign that a storm was coming. Despite this, they went anyway. Once on the island, a fierce storm hit, and they took shelter in a small room. They saw a ship land on the island and decided to explore it. They discovered it belonged to George’s great-great-great-grandfather. Inside the ship, they found a box. They took the box home and managed to open it. Inside was a map showing where a large amount of gold ingots was hidden. They were amazed and made a copy of the map.

However, their father took the map and sold it. The next day, they returned to the castle to search for the treasure. A man and his accomplices captured two of the children and made them prisoners. The children cleverly sent a "fake letter" to alert the other two, who then helped them escape. They rowed back home as fast as they could.

Upon reaching home, they told George’s parents, who contacted the police. The police saved the day, and the children were able to keep all the gold, silver, and other valuable ores they found.

Critical Analysis This book is suitable for readers from grades 5 to 7 due to the slightly advanced vocabulary used. It presents a mix of emotions but lacks illustrations, which is why I would rate it 4.2 BPA out of 5 BPA (Book Points Average).

BPA is a term I created to show how interesting a book is.