Five Get Into Trouble - Enid Blyton

Published as an audiobook by Hodder Children's Books/Hachette Children's Books, 2013.
Narrated by Jan Francis.
Book 8 in the 'Famous Five' series. Preceded by 'Five Go Off To Camp.' Followed by 'Five Fall Into Adventure.'
Originally published 1949.

In this entry, set in Spring (my favourite season), the four children and Timmy get permission to go on a cycling trip on their own, when Uncle Quentin has mistakenly double-booked himself elsewhere. They are only given permission because Timmy is 'such a good guard dog', but of course, the 1940s were a different time, when this sort of thing was probably seen as a little safer than now-a-days??

Of course, very quickly the five get caught up in a mystery, this time through association with a strange boy they encounter, named Richard. When I first heard Richard's name, I laughed to myself and wondered whether Enid Blyton had run out of names, seeing as how Dick (one of our main four characters) is a shortened version of Richard. However, this double-up of names features in the plot, when Dick finds himself abducted on suspicion of being Richard!

Now the remaining children, with the cowardly Richard in their midst, must try and figure out where Dick has been taken, and retrieve him.

As the plot progresses, once again we are reminded that the 1940s were a different time than today, especially when our protagonists end up walking straight into the hideout of the villains, telling themselves that once the bad guys realise they have the wrong boy, they will simply let everyone go without causing a fuss. Even if that happened today, I don't think children would assume it would happen - we've had far too many instances of bad guys doing bad things to cover their tracks to think that simply 'letting them go' would ever occur as an option.

But, putting that aside, we get another book in which there are clear villains, secret passages, a bit of mystery, and even a redemption arc for Richard, who starts the book as a fairly unliked and unlikable character. This entry even gives an example of how being kind to people can pay off, and that is a nice lesson to include in a children's book.

Completed with Elise, 7 September 2025.



(Elise Books)

Previous Book ~ Next Book


(2025 Reading Challenge - "Favourite Season")



(Famous Five Series)

Previous Book ~ Next Book

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