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The Famous Five Books in Order

Explore all The Famous Five books in order, with quick summaries, character notes, series background, and clear advice on where to begin.

Last updated: July 20, 2026

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The Famous Five books in publication order

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21 books

Five on a Treasure Island

by Enid Blyton

1942

Julian, Dick, and Anne meet their headstrong cousin George and her dog Timmy at Kirrin Cottage. A storm, a shipwreck, and a map lead the new friends to Kirrin Island, where a lost treasure may not stay lost for long.

Five Go Adventuring Again

by Enid Blyton

1943

Christmas at Kirrin Cottage brings an unwanted tutor, an old map, and a secret passage. When Uncle Quentin's papers vanish, the Five must work out who is using the hidden route before the thieves get away.

Five Run Away Together

by Enid Blyton

1944

Left with an unpleasant temporary cook and her family, the Five escape to Kirrin Island for peace and freedom. But strange visitors soon make the island feel far less safe than their usual holiday hideout.

Five Go to Smuggler's Top

by Enid Blyton

1945

After storm damage forces them from Kirrin Cottage, the Five stay in a house full of secret passages near dangerous marshes. When Uncle Quentin disappears, old smuggling routes may hold the key to finding him.

Five Go Off in a Caravan

by Enid Blyton

1946

A chance meeting with a circus boy inspires the Five to take a caravan holiday near Merran Lake. Their carefree trip changes when two hostile circus men try hard to keep everyone away from a nearby hillside.

Five on Kirrin Island Again

by Enid Blyton

1947

Uncle Quentin borrows Kirrin Island for a secret scientific experiment, leaving George torn between pride and worry. When his nightly signal stops, the Five know they must reach the island and discover what has happened.

Five Go Off to Camp

by Enid Blyton

1948

Camping on a lonely moor sounds perfect until the Five hear tales of ghostly trains running through disused tunnels. With their new friend Jock, they investigate the railway mystery beneath the hills.

Five Get Into Trouble

by Enid Blyton

1949

During a cycling holiday, Dick is mistaken for another boy and kidnapped. Julian, Anne, George, Timmy, and the guilty Richard must track him to a remote house, where the rescue becomes a trap of its own.

Five Fall Into Adventure

by Enid Blyton

1950

A break-in at Kirrin Cottage is followed by the disappearance of George and Timmy. The others turn to the wary, quick-tempered Jo for help, but finding their friends means facing a dangerous gang near the coast.

Five on a Hike Together

by Enid Blyton

1951

A hiking trip across the moors goes wrong when Dick receives a secret message intended for someone else. The clue points the Five toward Gloomy Water, an escaped prisoner, and stolen jewels hidden beneath the lake.

Five Have a Wonderful Time

by Enid Blyton

1952

The Five are caravanning beside Faynights Castle when they meet a travelling fair troupe and hear that two scientists have vanished. A face at a forbidden tower window turns their holiday into a tense investigation.

Five Go Down to the Sea

by Enid Blyton

1953

At a coastal farm in Cornwall, the Five hear old stories of wreckers luring ships onto the rocks. When a mysterious light appears at night, they follow the dangerous secret way to uncover a modern crime.

Five Go to Mystery Moor

by Enid Blyton

1954

A holiday at a riding school introduces the Five to Henrietta, a bold new rival for George. On nearby Mystery Moor, hostile travellers and thick mist conceal a dangerous operation that puts George and Anne at risk.

Five Have Plenty of Fun

by Enid Blyton

1955

A scientist's daughter arrives at Kirrin Cottage disguised as a country girl to avoid kidnappers. When George is taken instead, the Five follow a trail through fairgrounds and caravans to bring her home.

Five on a Secret Trail

by Enid Blyton

1956

George and Anne's camping trip becomes unsettling when they see lights and hear voices at a ruined cottage. With Julian and Dick joining them, the Five uncover a gang searching for a valuable hidden document.

Five Go to Billycock Hill

by Enid Blyton

1957

While camping near Billycock Hill, the Five learn that their friend Toby's pilot cousin has vanished after an apparent betrayal. Convinced he has been framed, they investigate a secret airfield and a suspicious local mystery.

Five Get Into A Fix

by Enid Blyton

1958

Sent to a Welsh mountain farm to recover from coughs, the Five discover strange lights and rumblings near Old Towers. A message from its imprisoned owner draws them into a hidden operation beneath the hillside.

Five on Finniston Farm

by Enid Blyton

1959

The Five spend their holiday at Finniston Farm, where an old castle site may hide a royal treasure. Rival guests want the find for themselves, so the children race through tunnels and ruins to uncover the truth.

Five Go to Demon's Rocks

by Enid Blyton

1960

Tinker invites the Five to stay at his lighthouse on Demon's Rocks, where tales of wreckers and missing gold linger. Caves, a rising tide, and ruthless treasure hunters soon leave the children in real danger.

Five Have a Mystery to Solve

by Enid Blyton

1960

Near the coast, the Five befriend Wilfrid, a boy with a special way with animals, and visit Whispering Island. Rumours of stolen treasure prove true when they become stranded among thieves and secret cellars.

Five Are Together Again

by Enid Blyton

1963

Staying with Tinker and his scientist father, the Five discover that top-secret papers have gone missing. A nearby circus, a clever animal, and a trip to Kirrin Island complicate their final full-length adventure.

Where to start with The Famous Five

Start with the original adventure: Five on a Treasure IslandFive Go Adventuring AgainFive Run Away Together
For secret passages and smugglers: Five Go to Smuggler's TopFive Go Off in a CaravanFive on Kirrin Island Again
For moorland mysteries: Five Go Off to CampFive on a Hike TogetherFive Go to Mystery Moor
For later standalone adventures: Five on Finniston FarmFive Go to Demon's RocksFive Have a Mystery to Solve

Author bio

Enid Blyton was born in East Dulwich, south London, on August 11, 1897, and spent most of her childhood in Beckenham, Kent. She had two younger brothers, loved the outdoors, and was a keen, energetic schoolgirl. At school, she and two friends made a magazine called Dab, for which Blyton wrote stories.

Writing was already part of her everyday life, but it was not her first career plan. A talented pianist, she turned down a place at the Guildhall School of Music in 1916 and trained instead as a teacher. After qualifying in 1918, she taught at a boys' preparatory school in Kent, then worked as a governess for four boys in Surbiton.

Those jobs gave her a close view of the games, worries, arguments, and big imaginations of children. They also gave her material. When the day's work was done, she wrote poems, stories, plays, and practical pieces for young readers and teachers.

Her first book, the poetry collection Child Whispers, appeared in 1922. During the 1920s, she became a regular contributor to Teachers World and built a busy career writing educational books and children's stories. She also began editing a magazine that developed into the weekly Sunny Stories.

She was remarkably productive.

Blyton's longer adventure fiction took off with The Secret Island in 1938. Five on a Treasure Island, published in 1942, introduced Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and Timmy the dog, and launched the 21-book Famous Five run. The books gave children room to roam, make plans, get into trouble, and solve problems before the adults catch up.

That sense of freedom appears across much of her work. In the Famous Five stories, it means coast paths, old houses, ruined castles, hidden tunnels, and picnics that turn into investigations. In the school stories, such as Malory Towers and St Clare's, it means friendships, rivalries, midnight feasts, and the everyday dramas of boarding-school life.

Her range was wide. Noddy was written for younger children, while The Secret Seven followed another group of young detectives, and the Faraway Tree books leaned into fantasy, odd characters, and places that change when nobody is looking. Readers often come to Blyton for the quick chapters, capable young characters, and the reassuring feeling that a mystery can be tackled with nerve, teamwork, and a good map.

Blyton had two daughters, Gillian and Imogen, and spent many years at Green Hedges in Beaconsfield. She also encouraged young readers to raise money for charities through her clubs. She died in November 1968, aged 71, after writing around 700 books, thousands of short stories, poems, and magazine pieces.

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