What Do I Read Next 2006: A Reader's Guide to Current Genre Fiction : Fantasy, Popular Fiction, Romance, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, HIstorical, INspirational, Western (What Do I Read Next)

Book Description

Enid Blyton is among the most enduring of children's authors, still enjoyed by young readers of all ages across the globe. These recently republished titles are a testament to her solid story-writing skills-they are as fresh and exciting as they were 50 years ago when they first appeared. In these captivating collections, meet the little girl who goes to the moon, the cackling goose that catches a burglar, the wizard whose hen lays chocolate eggs, a policeman who rescues a fairy, a stray dog that saves a little boy and finds a home, and many more. Each age-ranged story collection can be read as a whole book or as a story each night before bedtime. A most welcome reintroduction to this well-loved storyteller.

Customer Reviews:

Sure to please!.......2000-09-24

Hi! all,

I grew up with Enid Blyton and it's nice to see her again with my 5 year-old. These stories are a riot and my daughter absolutely loves them. They are also great reads for kids who are just beyond the picture book stage and are looking for big-kid "chapter" books. The book has the look of a chapter book with short stories.

A lot of fun and how much story in 3 pages each!

Enjoy!

Enid Blyton Lives up to his Billing.......2000-04-13

I read almost all of Blyton's books when I was a child. I amnow a father to a 5-year-old and I was very happy to see the same rushof excitement in my son when I read him this book. The stories contained fully prickle the interest of a 5 year old and Blyton's 30 year writing experience is clearly evident in this book. Make your 5 year old happy buy this book!

Average customer rating:

Go to the top of the class, Enid Blyton!
A jolly good read
Wonderful childhood memories of this book...

Five Go Off in a Caravan (Famous Five)
Enid Blyton
Manufacturer: Hodder Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0340796197

Customer Reviews:

Go to the top of the class, Enid Blyton!.......2005-08-03

A relatively unknown set of books here in the states, but unfortunately so. The Famous Five series tells of the adventures of Georgina (George), her dog, Timothy, and her cousins Julian, Dick, and Anne.

Five Go Off In A Caravan is one of the three that ties for my favorite Five book. I love them all, of course, but this one is just chock full of humor, good food, fun, and excitement! It's summer hols again, and the Five are traveling in a pair of caravans. They make camp in an area that is also occupied by a circus! They make friends with a circus boy named Nobby and his mischievous chimp, Pongo, who becomes a source of much hilarity. But something sinister is going on in the camp and the children are sure that it concerns Nobby's "Uncle" Dan and his unpleasant friend, Lou the acrobat. What are they hiding and can the children bring them to justice in time?

A jolly good read.......2005-01-07

One of the best in the series, and one of my personal favorites. This time, our five friends: Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy of course, set out on a holiday in caravans each drawn by a sturdy little horse. The trip starts off peacefully enough, but of course an adventure soon appears...this time from the circus camp located near where the five are staying. Why are Lou the acrobat and Dan the clown so eager to be rid of the five? Be prepared for the usual hair raising adventure filled with nasty tempered criminals, secret passageways and a lot of scrumptious sounding food. Pass the tomatos please! This book stands out thanks to the strange circus folk the five befriend along the way including a couple of circus dogs, a hilarious chimpanzee, and even an elephant who loves to play cricket!

Wonderful childhood memories of this book..........1999-01-07

I could only remember the word "caravan" from one of my favorite childhood book titles and after doing a search for this word was delighted to re-discover the titles of this and other "Famous Five" books. My grandmother must have picked these up for me when she was visiting the U.K. and I have such fond memories of reading these books that I plan on purchasing and re-reading them as an adult. Highly recommended!

Famous Five 4: Five Go to Smuggler's Top (Famous Five)

Average customer rating:

The best of a great serries
May be my second favorite
A different setting for the usual adventure
Very good!!!

Famous Five 4: Five Go to Smuggler's Top (Famous Five)
Enid Blyton
Manufacturer: Hodder Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0340796189

Customer Reviews:

The best of a great serries.......2007-02-06

An early entry to the Famous Five serries it was my favorite entry to my favorite childhood serries. Set in the Britain of the 1930's when children wear ties and go to boarding school it might be a little hard for soem children to relate to and the modern covers showing kids in contemporary cloths do it no favores but it is well worth the reward to those who can open it up.
In a serries full of burried treasures and secret passages this entry stands out- set in the mysterious town of Smugglers Top, a near island surrounded by a foggy marsh, with smugglers and hidden cpassages lining not just the houses but also the hills themselves.
As a child these were places I would have loved to have gone to, adventures I would have loved to have been a part of. and decades later, I'm wise enough to know I'd still love to go there. Luckily they are as close as my bookcase, as a near as a page.

May be my second favorite.......2007-01-20

I have read Enid Blyton as a child, and my children read her books now. They really enjoyed this book, although the part which suggests that Timmy the dog ate rats to stay alive in the tunnels was sort of squeamish to them.

A different setting for the usual adventure.......2005-01-07

This episode reunites the familiar five: Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timothy of course. This time, the group is forced by unexpected circumstances to leave Kirren cottage and go stay at Sooty LeNoir's home, a friend of the boys' from school. But Sooty's mysterious rambling house high above Smuggler's Top holds many secrets and the five plus Sooty and his little sister are soon deep within a hair raising adventure that includes smuglers, secret passageways, nasty tempered criminals and a mysterious marsh which would set anyone's spine atingle! This book is memorable for its unique setting and for Sooty's irreverent sense of humor. The "curtain" scene with Block alone make this book worth the read.

Very good!!!.......2004-11-17

Five go to smugglers top was da bomb! I liked it a lot, but I hated the part for Marybelle been so shy and quiet, but it was the best for Anne! I liked Sooty the most and his maid. that none forgiving Block was who I hated the most.
If you feel like reading an adventure book get this one!

I do wish Enid Blyton was alive and writing

Average customer rating:

Excellent Escapism
The Faraway Tree Stories
Great book for PreK-3 children
the age of political correctness
a bibliomaniac

The Faraway Tree Stories
Enid Blyton
Manufacturer: Egmont Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1405201711

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Escapism.......2007-09-24

I read this chapter book as a bed time story to my then 5 year old twins.
They really liked the different worlds at the top of the tree.
It was one of my favourites as a kid.

The Faraway Tree Stories.......2007-08-13

I agree with Veronika that it is a shame that the book was changed. I am a teacher and read the original to a class and every child wanted the book. I ordered them copies from Amazon in the UK and the children were very disappointed with the new names, etc. They loved the book, however, and most of them read their copy many times and/or their parents read it to them. The four stars is for this edition, not the original. If you can get a copy of the original (used) I highly recommend it. There are some things in the original that I would recommend discussing. An example of this is Dame Slap and why we, hopefully, wouldn't see her slapping a student today and why.

Great book for PreK-3 children.......2007-01-21

Short, self-contained, well-written chapters keep my children's attention. There are many characters for a young children's book, but the characters are very well described and each have their own special kirks. Great for reading aloud to young children.

the age of political correctness.......2006-11-21

I just received my copy of this book today.

I grew up with the Enid Blyton stories (in Australia) and adored the Faraway Tree collection.

My only problem with this collection is that it has been updated for "political correctness". No more Jo, Bessie and Fanny - it's Joe, Beth and Frannie. No [...] it's Rick. Saddest of all, no more Dame Slap. Nope, instead of slapping (from my quick glance at the book) she makes Rick put his hands on his head and stand in the corner. It's a bit of a shame we live in an age where people won't accept a classic story for what it is and need to change the author's own words for political correctness.
However, this being said. I think every child in America would benefit from these highly imaginitive stories from a wonderful author. To me, Enid Blyton is as good as J.K. Rowling (and I LOVE Harry Potter books too).
I'm sure my 3 daughters will love these stories as they get older, just as much as I did, and still do.

a bibliomaniac.......2005-11-17

I think the only reason I became an avid reader was because I was introduced to Enid Blyton books as a child. Born and raised in the tropics(part of the British Empire at one time), I found it hard to believe that I coudn't find them easily at bookstores here in the USA when I wanted to buy them for my daughter. I would say the first books I chose to pick up for her to read were the Wishing Chair series and the Faraway Tree series. I think they really represent what Enid Blyton's books are all about. Her books are not only imaginative and entertaining they contain good values and an appreciation of nature. For those children who are not ready for spine tinglers and chillers, her fairy tales create a warm, comforting setting with just the right touches of fun and humor to encourage even the most reluctant of readers to continue turning pages and asking for more. My daughter and I have since collected over 250 of her books. This year, I donated extra copies that I owned to her elementary school because I really believe that her books can reach out to any reluctant reader. My daughter said that she even found teachers reading them during their spare time. If you have spare copies of her books, please consider donating them to schools. Most school libraries are rarely able to obtain them.

Average customer rating:

Excellent childrens' adventures
My Favorite In This Series
The Famous Five!
Thee Best

Five Run Away Together (Famous Five)
Enid Blyton
Manufacturer: Hodder Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0340796170

Customer Reviews:

Excellent childrens' adventures.......2007-02-06

This was one of my favorites books in a serries that was a hall mark of my childhood. The children in Blyton's books have adventures that include burried treasure and secret rooms. They are gripping with nary a hint of magic wands or video games. In our world of internet and cell phones some of their problems will seem no challenge to modern children, but for those who can see these in the world in which they were set, they are wonderous.
In this adventure the children are forced to fend for themselves as their aunt is suddenly taken ill and forced to hospital, leaving them under the thumb of a venomus servant who has other plans herself.

My Favorite In This Series.......2006-02-25

"Five Run Away Together" was my favorite in Enid Blyton's "Famous Five" series, which I first read in the 1950s. How I envied George, Julian, Dick and Anne for their adventures! They were always pretty much adult-free, with lots of delicious meals and, best of all, Timmy the Dog. Julian sometimes got off a smart remark at an adult, and George wore boy's clothes. I'm pretty sure the thrill-factor of all these things would be lost on today's kids, unfortunately.

What won't be lost on them is the singular excitement of running away to George's very own island, the mysterious wreck which has been cast up on the rocks at Kirrin Island, the secret cave where the children hide and set up housekeeping, and the way they (yet again) outsmart the Bad Guys. Highly recommended.

The Famous Five!.......2005-08-03

The Famous Five is perhaps my favorite children's adventure series! Enid Blyton was a remarkably talented author, and this series goes to prove it. The Famous Five books tell the tales of George (Georgina), her cousins Julian, Dick, Anne, and her dog, Timothy, and the many adventures that they simply seem to fall into.

Five Run Away Together ties for my all-time favorite Famous Five book. In it, the children are back at George's home of Kirrin Cottage. Joanna the cook has fallen ill and in her place, George's mother has hired Mrs. Stick, a very unpleasant character, who brings along her husband, son, and pest of a dog. Aunt Fanny soon falls ill and she and her husband rush off to the hospital, leaving the children under the rule of the Sticks. Life becomes unbearable and they make their escape to their very own place, Kirrin Island. Glorious meals are had (and they always make my mouth water), a cave is discovered, and much bathing takes place. However, the children's good time is spoilt when they discover that someone is trespassing on their island! Everything seems to point to smugglers when a cry is heard one dark night...

If you haven't read the Famous Five before, and it sounds like it may be to your liking, read one of the books already!

Thee Best.......2004-11-20

Five run away together is fabulous! My friends told me it was the best book they had read in the famous five series but i liked Five fall into adventure the most! You simply must read it!!!
Someone has been on George's island! The guys discover a locked trunk on a ship wreck and find the strangest thing in their. Just when they think smugglers are to blame a chilling scream throws them of the scent. Get this book and find out more!!!

The Land of Far Beyond (Enid Blyton, Religious Stories)

Average customer rating:

Great! But a bit scary!
The Land of Far-Beyond
The Land of Far Beyond
The Land of Far Beyond
The Land of Far Beyond

The Land of Far Beyond (Enid Blyton, Religious Stories)
Enid Blyton , and John Bunyan
Manufacturer: Element Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1901881229

Customer Reviews:

Great! But a bit scary!.......2006-08-30

This is all about a dirty, mean, rude and selfish village. One day they were torturing a dog and then suddenly a stranger came his name was : Wanderer. And then he said some words and made burdens appear on their backs they were heavy beacause they were really bad, they wanted to take them off now but he said they could not. And could only do that in The land of Far beyond. What happens next? Buy it to find out!

The Land of Far-Beyond.......2003-02-02

The Land of Far-Beyond is a great book!!If you are looking for a good Christian book, this is for you!!Parents, this is a great gift!!

P.S. Really!!!!

The Land of Far Beyond.......2002-02-02

The story starts in the City of Turmoil where Peter,Anna and Patience lived. It is a great noisy,dirty places where all the people are cruel,greedy and selfish.Sometime later, they see a stranger.They are fascinated because they have never meet someone so beautiful kind who has the smiling face and eyes. So,begins the journey of a small companions who must face all the danger along the way.Along the journey they meet very nice people as well as very nasty ones.And the nice ones more than make up for the nasty ones.Eventually they reach the Land of Far Beyond, only to discover they can't enter the City of Happiness because no-one wearing a burden may enter.For anyone carrying a load of badness can't be truly happy,and so has no place in the city.They're saved by meeting a stranger who has the kindest and wisest face that they had ever seen. The Stranger is Prince of Peace who carries the burdens of the whole world.The Prince is pity and understanding enough.....,enough faith and love to save the whole world.

The Land of Far Beyond.......2001-10-30

The story starts in the City of Turmoil where Peter,Anna and Patience lived. It is a great noisy,dirty places where all the people are cruel,greedy and selfish.Sometime later, they see a stranger.They are fascinated because they have never meet someone so beautiful kind who has the smiling face and eyes. So,begins the journey of a small companions who must face all the danger along the way.Along the journey they meet very nice people as well as very nasty ones.And the nice ones more than make up for the nasty ones.Eventually the reach the Land of Far Beyond, only to discover they can't enter the City of Happiness because no-one wearing a burden may enter.For anyone carrying a load of badness can't be truly happy,and so has no place in the city.They're saved by meeting a stranger who has the kindest nad wisest face that they had ever seen. The Stranger is Prince of Peace who carries the burdens of the whole world.The Prince is pity and understanding enough.....,enough faith and love to save the whole world.

The Land of Far Beyond.......2001-08-09

My earliest childhood memories are of reading every Enid Blyton book I could get hold of. Secret 7 and Mallory Towers were prime favourites. I think I was about 7 or 8 when I stumbled upon "The land of Far Beyond" and initially thought it a very strange departure from the usual adventure stuff. The story is about some children who meet a stranger and then depart on a long journey, on route having to contend with certain challenges,some seemingly insurmountable. However as I read I got more absorbed into this fairly dark tale of a long ardous journey involving some lovable and some not-so loveable characters.The end I shouldn't reveal but will promise to please all. I would like to say that this story so amazingly written moves the reader either young or old between incredible depths of despair, hope and joy and at the same time giving valuable insight into our attempts to achieve moral character as we grow older. EB is a true genius - she makes the reader feel every single human emotion created,the only fault being that the book has an end.Anybody with a ounce of curiousity regarding the why and how of good vs evil should have a go at this. Enough said.

The Beautiful Cricket Ball & The Little Toy Stove (Enid Blyton Two-By-Two Stories)

Average customer rating:

The Beautiful Cricket Ball & The Little Toy Stove (Enid Blyton Two-By-Two Stories)
Enid Blyton
Manufacturer: Mercury Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Bedtime & Dreaming | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Charming stories about animals, fairies, toys, pixies and children, these Enid Blyton classics are sure to become a favorite in everyone's home and library. Just the right length for reading at bedtime or quiet moment, each book contains two stories in an attractive and child-friendly padded hardcover volume. The stories are filled with magic and adventure to capture the imagination of young and old alike.

A little boy learns that a good deed will be rewarded in The Beautiful Cricket Ball.
In The Little Toy Stove, a little girl helps an elf whose stove is broken.

Enid Blyton Bedtime Stories (Bright Light)

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Enid Blyton Bedtime Stories (Bright Light)
Enid Blyton
Manufacturer: Mercury Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Bedtime & Dreaming | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1904668976

Book Description

This title contains lots of fun and imaginative stories from the Enid Blyton library; just the right length for reading at bedtime with the added built-in light which makes it fun to read in the dark.

With charming stories about animals, fairies, toys, pixies and children, the book is filled with magic and adventure to capture the imagination of all young children.

Average customer rating:

The Vagabond inspired me to become a writer
Colette breaks free of Willy in great triumph!
Penetrating and Original
Way ahead of her time
Perhaps Colette's greatest . . .

The Vagabond
Colette
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0374528047

Book Description

Thirty-three years-old and recently divorced, Renée Néré has begun a new life on her own, supporting herself as a music-hall artist. Maxime, a rich and idle bachelor, intrudes on her independent existence and offers his love and the comforts of marriage. A provincial tour puts distance between them and enables Renée, in a moving series of leters and meditations, to resolve alone the struggle between her need to be loved and her need to have a life and work of her own.

Customer Reviews:

The Vagabond inspired me to become a writer.......2005-08-14

The Vagabond was my first delicious introduction to Colette, and the first book to make me weep openly. I related strongly to Renée, a professional woman who clung desperately to her independence while falling hopelessly for a man who relentlessly tugged at her vulnerability. Renée's confusion about whether love and happiness could coexist kept me captive in suspense until the very last (and infinitely satisfying) page.

Colette breaks free of Willy in great triumph!.......2005-02-21

Colette's beginning as a writer is one of the strangest in literature. In her early 20s, she married a no-talent hack named "Willy" (that was how he signed his pieces) and wrote a series of novels about a young girl named Claudine. Willy took these pieces and published them under his pen name, giving his young wife no credit.

In her early to mid 30s, Colette grew weary of Willy, and turned her back on him to embark on a career as a dance hall performer. This is the setting for THE VAGABOND, Colette's first post-Willy novel, and the first to bear her own name.

The main character, Renee Nere, has been touring for 3 years, and although she's sometimes lonely, is enjoying her freedom and self-sufficiency. She's also suffering from what we'd refer to nowadays as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Her marriage to her philandering and abusive husband was so wretched, that when she meets another man who loves her, the slighest familiar gesture or word will trigger memories that incite revulsion.

THE VAGABOND is a gem of a novel that beautifully shows off Colette's gift for prose as well as her wonderful descriptions of life backstage as part of a touring group. If that isn't enough, she is also very gifted at revealing the psychological insights of her character. The introduction by Judith Thurman is well-done, and both the introduction and the novel left me wanting more Colette.

Penetrating and Original.......2003-08-15

This was my first reading of Colette. What a poetic, beautiful, and amazing writer she was. In this novel, we meet a woman who is definitely revolutionary for her time and ours. Colette is aware of the sorrow and happiness that are intertwined in life. The main character's life follows a path that has much loneliness and doubt, but she, most importantly, has her will. This is truly a feminist classic. What I admire most is the courage to write such a work and to write it so well. The language is intoxicating.

Way ahead of her time.......2000-02-16

Colette's Renee Nere is complex, her name alone tells us that (the last name is the first name spelled backwards, not to mentioned that Renee means "reborn"). This female protagonist would certainly fit in with the modern notion of being female, and in the early 20th century, this was not only rare, but not very-well understood. I adore this book because of the way it encourages women (by example) to carve out their own existence and not to rely upon men for security. It is also wonderfully written. However, you'll be in for a shocker if you read the sequel, "The Shackle".

Perhaps Colette's greatest . . ........1999-12-17

Gigi may be the best known of her works, but 'The Vagabond' stands out in pure beauty from the rest. The plot (an actress on the stage who faces public scorn and problems in love) seems to be most autobiographical, and narrator and main character, Renee Nere, is a delight. Both beautiful and painful in spots, this book deserves to be read, as well as its sequel, 'The Shackle.'

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