Five Go Off To Camp - Enid Blyton

Published as an audiobook by Hodder Children's Books/Hachette Children's Books, 2013.
Narrated by Jan Francis.
Book 7 in the 'Famous Five' series. Preceded by 'Five on Kirrin Island Again.' Followed by 'Five Get Into Trouble.'
Originally published 1948.

Well, originally we thought this entry in the series was going to be set at a summer camp or something similar. However, in a far more straightforward interpretation of the title, book 7 of the Famous Five series has our heroes go off to pitch some tents and do some camping. The main adult in this story - only there to provide an excuse for four children going to a remote area for camping - is Mr Luffy, a 'master' from Julian and Dick's school, who is almost as absent-minded as George's father, but far more friendly. Mr Luffy, an avid insect-collector, has come to camp on a remote moorland in order to look for bugs, and has agreed that the children could come along and camp with him. Very early on we get the sense that Mr Luffy would love to spend time with the children, but they would prefer to do their own thing, and Mr Luffy tactfully allows them to do so.

The main mystery in this book comes in the form of 'spook trains.' There is a deserted railway yard nearby (for some reason still with a watchman), that has a growing reputation for 'spook trains', train-like apparitions that come out of the old tunnel at night, wait at the yard for twenty minutes, and then disappear back into the tunnel. Julian and Dick decide to investigate this mystery, roping in Jock, a farmboy from a neighbouring farm, but very intentionally excluding the girls, Anne and George. Julian says he is doing this because Anne will be too afraid to be part of this adventure (he is right) and that George needs to stay with her rather than coming along, but of course George is not impressed with this. Every now and then we encounter a reminder that this series was written in a different age and with different sensibilities, and this stubborn exclusion element is certain one of those moments. However, the exclusion does help the plot move forward in some very important moments, so I guess it was worth it??

Another fun mystery, with the villains being fairly obvious, the twists being not-too-twisty, and the tone being mostly light-hearted. As per the norm.

Completed, with Elise, 1 April 2025.



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