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British author Enid Blyton was active in writing children's books for more than 40 years. Her most famous creations were the Noddy books about the animated little boy, her adventure stories about the Famous Five and the Secret Seven, and her boarding school stories in the Malory Towers series. She wrote more than 600 books in total in the period from 1922, when her first book was published, until her death in 1968. She was one of the most prolific fiction writers of the 20th century and her books remain best-sellers today, 50 years after her death. In 2008 and 2009, Blyton was the 13th most-borrowed author in British libraries, and global sales of her books have reached more than £500 million to date. Despite accusations from critics that her books were elitist (and even racist and sexist) based on the norms of today's more liberal society, they have continued to delight generations of children. Written between 1942 and 1962, The Famous Five books were revamped in 2010 in a major project to modernise the dialogue. The aim was to make sure today's children would fully understand what the four youngsters, accompanied by Timmy the dog, were chatting about while on their crime-fighting adventures. Early years Born in 1897, in East Dulwich, London, the author was the daughter of cutlery salesman Thomas Blyton and his wife, Theresa. The oldest of three siblings, she attributed her love of nature to her father. Many of her books involved youngsters having adventures outdoors, in some of the most beautiful areas of Britain. In adulthood, she spoke of her father with great love and affection, describing how he adored wildlife, including flowers, animals and birds, adding that he "knew more about them than anyone" she had ever met. She always enjoyed writing and while a pupil at St Christopher's School in Beckenham between 1907 and 1915, she excelled at tennis and lacrosse, but took little interest in academic subjects, except for writing. In 1911, Blyton entered a poetry competition run by Arthur Mee - a writer, journalist and educator, who published The Children's Newspaper. He loved her verses so much that he offered to publish them, encouraging her to carry on writing. First book After leaving school, she began training as a teacher at Ipswich High School, enrolling in a National Froebel Union teacher training course in September 1916, when she was 19. She realised she had an affinity with children after meeting the pupils at the nursery school. She had been writing in her spare time, but her manuscripts had been rejected many times. This made her all the more determined to succeed. In a later interview, she said the constant struggle gave her "determination, character and self-reliance". After completing her training, Blyton took her first job teaching boys at the independent Bickley Park School in Kent, continuing to write in her spare time. Magazines began to take an interest in her short stories. Finally, her first book, Child Whispers - a collection of poetry, illustrated by her school friend, Phyllis Chase - was published in 1922. She began writing non-fiction educational books, including The Teacher's Treasury in 1926 and Modern Teaching in 1928, which were influential in their day. Famous Five Her first major series of commercially-successful children's books was the Old Thatch series, the first of which was published in 1934. Called The Talking Teapot and Other Tales, it launched a series of 28 books. All of her early books were fantasy tales of children being transported to magical lands, where they met fairies, elves, goblins, pixies and other mythical creatures. Perhaps her most famous series of books, The Famous Five was launched in 1942 with Five on a Treasure Island. It was the first in a series of 21 books revolving around four young friends and relatives, who always stumbled upon an exciting adventure during the school holidays, including apprehending smugglers and other criminals. Initially, the books went under the banner, The Fives Books, until 1951, by which time nine books had been published by Hodder and Stoughton. It was the publisher who first devised the name "Famous Five" in recognition of the long-running series. Characters The main characters were four children. This included Julian, the oldest, who was intelligent, caring, kind and responsible. He was 12 at the start of the books, but matured into a young adult throughout the series. Dick, Julian's younger brother, was 11, with a cheeky sense of humour, but also kind and dependable. Anne, younger sister to Julian and Dick, was brave and resourceful. She liked planning and organising things when the children were on holiday. Georgina was a tomboy who preferred to be known by her nickname, George. She was cousin to the other children. She was headstrong and courageous, with a fiery temper. In later interviews, Blyton said the character was based on her own personality. The fifth member was George's faithful dog, Timmy, who accompanied them on all of their adventures. He was very loyal and clever, often providing them with physical protection against the villains they met during their daring adventures. All of the children aged slightly throughout the series, but only into young adulthood. However, this was acceptable, since the books were written over 20 years, until 1962, so having a realistic timeline wouldn't have been feasible, as they would all have been in their 30s by the time of the final book. JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, has been critical of Blyton's style of writing (known as having a "floating timeline"), when the characters remain young for many years after they should have grown to adulthood. She said she had deliberately allowed her characters to age naturally to avoid "unnatural ageing" in her books. She reportedly said she had never wanted Potter to remain in a pre-pubescent state "like poor Julian in The Famous Five". However, as Blyton was revealed as Britain's best-loved author of all time, beating JK Rowling in a nationwide public poll published by the Telegraph newspaper, there is perhaps something to be said for her writing style after all! Plots In many ways, The Famous Five series of novels were moral tales, as good behaviour, dedication and determination always triumphed in the end and the bad guys were always caught. The children always took part in many healthy, outdoor pursuits on their holidays, leading to their amazing adventures. There was no sitting about indoors doing nothing! The books featured fast, pacey, dialogue-driven plots, with each chapter often ending on a cliffhanger, which further added to the appeal. In the first book of the series, Five on a Treasure Island, the children and Timmy the dog visit Kirrin Island while on their school holiday, passing a historic shipwreck on the way. Legend has it that the ship, captained by George's great-great-great grandfather, was carrying gold, which had never been found. However, a huge storm dislodges the ship, leaving it stuck on the shores of Kirrin Island. Soon, thieves begin spiriting away some of the historic treasures found on the ship, which belonged to George's ancestor. It becomes a race against time whether the children can outwit the bad guys intent on making a fortune from their ill-gotten gains. This set the tone for the remainder of the series, with the Famous Five coming up against plenty of criminals and always outwitting them - which is one thing that children loved about the series. Modern era The 21st century project (by publisher Hodder) to modernise The Famous Five books to make them more contemporary has included changing some of the expressions in the dialogue, such as replacing old-fashioned exclamations like, "Golly!" and "Awfully nice!" with modern equivalents. The children call their parents "mum and dad" rather than "mother and daddy" and they don't go "bathing", they go "swimming". They don't wear "jerseys" any more, they wear "jumpers", while the earlier book covers (illustrated drawings by Eileen Soper) have been replaced by modern photos of actors playing the characters to give the series more "realism". The original editions are still available for those who prefer the traditional writing style. Hodder says The Famous Five books appeal as much to parents and grandparents as they do to children, as the older generations recapture a little of their own childhood by reading them again. If you're looking for outdoor clothing that's perfect for the modern-day young adventurer, look no further - Griggs offers a selection of high-quality garments for boys and girls. For more information on our range of children's branded apparel, please contact us on 01726 65656.