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Please put your hands together for a great children's author...Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton was born in London in 1897, the eldest of three children. She trained as a kindergarten teacher at Ipswich High School. Enid's first published item was a poem in 1917. She was a prolific writer of over 700 books and created Noddy, The Famous Five, The Secret Seven and Five Find-Outers, which generations of children have enjoyed. Sadly, she died in 1968.

Enid Blyton, wrote one of the best series of books for girls and boys, and I don't mean The Famous Five...or The Secret Seven but...The Five Find-Outers and Dog. They are Master Frederick Trotteville, Larry and Daisy Daykin, Philip and Elizabeth Hilton, known respectively as Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip and Bets. And most important, Buster, the little Scottie dog; owner, Fatty. They have the most wonderful adventures, fifteen in fact, starting with, The Mystery Of The Burnt Cottage.

Master Fredrick Trotterville is new to the Village of Peterswood. A quiet place, with the local policeman Mr Goon. Larry and Daisy witness a burning cottage and go to help. There they meet Fredrick for the first time, and it's not long before they set up the Five Find-Outers and dog with Larry, the eldest as the leader. All fans will know, Fatty takes over as leader in the third Mystery.

So lets review the third Mystery book...The Mystery Of The Secret Room.

Set in the quiet village of Peterswood, it is the Christmas break and the five Find-Outers and Dog are eager to find a new mystery to solve.

Fatty returns for the Christmas Holiday with new ideas on disguises and how to write in invisible ink. He decides to take a new role as leader from Larry, because as he boasts, 'he has more brains.'

This is where I believe the Mystery books really take off. The focus is more on Fatty as leader and his relationship with Mr Goon. Pip, trying to outwit old Clear-Orf, as the children call the local policeman Mr Goon, has to make a speedy escape and climbs a tree in a deserted garden and looks in to find a third floor room with metal bars on the window is fully furnished.

This starts the adventure for the Find-Outers as they try to find out who owns the mysterious old building. And they have to stop old Clear-Orf, from finding out their clues.

Fatty goes it alone and is caught by the villains, but manages to send a secret message in invisible ink. The rest of the Find-Outers, call in their friend, Inspector Jenks to rescue Fatty and capture the villains. Will Fatty be rescued in time? I better not tell you the end because I'm sure you will want to read this great book.

This is one of the best books in the series. The humour starts to develop between Fatty and Goon. Frederick's parents start to become more involved and Fatty takes centre stage as the leader, devising great disguises and ventriloquism and ways to get out of buildings and writing in invisible ink. If you haven't read it, get those shoes on, get out and BUY it. Great reading for children of all ages.

enid blyton, the five find-outers, fatty, buster, adventure, mr goon, ern.