Hi friends, today’s post is a booklist of read-a-like suggestions for fans of stories by Enid Blyton. If you are like me and grew up in the 1980’s then you most probably enjoyed these as a child I presume. Would you like to know about the modern equivalent to those stories you read? You would? Then this booklist is for you and your tween to enjoy…
My top recommendation is a series called Adventure Island by Helen Moss. The Mystery of the Whistling Caves (Orion Children’s Books; 2011) is the first in this delightful series. We meet brothers Scott, and Jack Carter as they spend the summer in Cornwall when they meet Emily Wild and her playful dog, Drift. Emily and Drift take the boys to see the amazing Whistling Caves – but the caves are strangely silent! Legend has it this means the castle will be attacked, and when priceless treasures are stolen from the castle museum it seems the legend is true! But how did the thief escape, and why did the caves stop whistling? This first installment took me back to my childhood favourite of Famous Five, except it had a bit more of the modern world instead… and in my favourite part of the world, Cornwall!! I truly loved the writing style here along with the different personalities of the Carter brothers and young Emily!!
My next one is The Children of Castle Rock by Natasha Farrant (Faber + Faber, 2018). When Alice Mistlethwaite is shipped off to boarding school in Scotland it’s nothing like she imagines. Run by the mysterious Major, there are no punishments and the students are more likely to be taught about body painting or extreme survival than maths or English! When Alice’s dad goes missing, she runs away to find him with the help of her new friends. So begins an epic quest across wild Scottish highlands and islands, where friendships will be made and broken, lies will be untangled and the children will face danger and excitement at every turn. Reading along the same vein of your average old-fashioned classic, this modern day boarding school story transported me to a world similar to the pages of Malory Towers. Farrant’s change in voice here in this book gives it a different quality. Despite falling in love with all of the characters, it was the awesome descriptions of the Scottish hills and seaside that captivated me the most. A really good adventure read mixed with boarding school humour!!
For another sample of boarding school, but this time set in Oxford you’d surely enjoy The Glass Bird Girl by Esme Kerr (Chicken House, 2014). Young Edie is sent to Knight’s Haddon to keep an eye on Anastasia, the daughter of a wealthy Russian prince. But what she discovers at the castle-like boarding school is that nobody is quite as they seem. And when a precious glass bird goes missing, only Edie sees the bigger mystery unfolding. This interesting mystery read will capture the imagination of any ardent fan of boarding school stories like me and offers so much for the ardent Anglophile with the amazing descriptions of the typical Oxford setting. A great read for tweens, especially girls!!
The next selection is the first of a trilogy set in New Zealand. The Ghosts of Young Nick’s Head by Sue Copsey (Pear Jam Books, 2011) is the first title. We are taken to a holiday at an isolated old house perched high on the cliffs of Young Nick’s Head where good friends Jo and Eddie are plunged into a deathly ghost story. Terrified but determined, the boys set out to crack a mystery that has remained unsolved for over one hundred years… read it at night if you dare. Haunted houses, ghosts both good and bad, mysterious secrets from the past and some good old fashioned adventure await any who dare read this! I really enjoyed this well written book with just the right amount of family relationships and friendship mixed in with some spooky adventures and heaps of historical mysteries!! Great read for boys and girls alike!!
And lastly, I’d like to talk to you about the Wolfe & Lamb mystery series by Lauren St. John. Kat Wolfe investigates, begins the story of young Kat Wolfe and her veterinarian mother as they settle in the Dorset village of Bluebell Bay. This first tale introduces readers to our young investigators Kat and her friend Harper Lamb as they unravel mysteries and find themselves in unexpected adventures. Animal loving readers will enjoy the supporting cast of animals and the hilarity they bring to the story while Anglophiles will enjoy the descriptions of the English countryside!! In the next few books you’ll find the duo cross the Atlantic and have to deal with animals in the North American continent and more mysteries to whet your appetite! Written in a style reminiscent of Blyton’s mystery novels, this series will definitely keep you entertained.
Well, there you have a selection of modern tales to keep you. I’m pretty sure there are more out there, I just haven’t found them!!
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 