I remember reading this as a child…it’s still good now, but I’m not the same person I was: less imagination, less able to be swept up in a story, and a more critical reader. Blyton (and her writing) have been harshly criticised over the years, but she will remain a bright spot in my childhood, and the enabler of escape into a fantasyland of mystery and magic.

If you like this book, there’s a whole series! There’s also a movie about Blyton’s life: fair warning, I found it broke the magic spell of who she was. Honestly, it was pretty harsh.

Get a copy from your local library, Book Depository, Amazon, Fishpond, or AbeBooks.
216 pages; ISBN 9781444930771; 1943.