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This is the chapter-book icebreaker.
The one that turns “maybe later” into “next chapter… next chapter!” in a single week. If you only try one “first real chapter book,” make it The Enchanted Wood
The Enchanted Wood (the first blue book in that purple slipcase) is is the one.
The Enchanted Wood (the first blue book in that purple slipcase) is is the one.
It is the book.
The book that made my 3 and half year old twins fall head over heels in love with chapter books - together.
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| A classic Enid Blyton collection Seven magical stories in one Beloved fantasy worlds for children Brightly illustrated timeless adventures Perfect for independent early readers |
What kind of task are we talking about here, you ask?
It is a book of 248 pages and 32 chapters.
Length of chapters (I hear you murmuring) - don't worry, its perfect. Each chapter has around 7-8 pages.
The real deal to start a habit.
Previously we had read a couple of chapter books that they enjoyed immensely - Two Times the Fun and Three Tales of My Father's Dragon - but this was the one that closed the deal.
"Read, Dad, read!!!!"
"Next chapter... Next chapter!!!"
Well, it did happen.
When you chose an early read-aloud chapter book for your kids, leave this delicate job to a professional.
The real deal to start a habit.
Previously we had read a couple of chapter books that they enjoyed immensely - Two Times the Fun and Three Tales of My Father's Dragon - but this was the one that closed the deal.
The Enchanted Wood (the first of the three Faraway Tree books) steamrolled its way straight into the hearts of my two little pumpkins.
Although it didn't surprise me, I guess their mom was caught unprepared!
Three year olds running after me around the house, asking for one, two, three more chapters? More, more!!
"Next chapter... Next chapter!!!"
Well, it did happen.
When you chose an early read-aloud chapter book for your kids, leave this delicate job to a professional.
Enid Blyton.
My kids did not stand a chance.
Yes, I take my hat off to this lady.
Most kids who read Blytons - they never forgot the experience.
As 5xMom blogger pointed out in her "Will the Enid Blyton’s fans please stand up?" post:
"It is a pity that some parents do not introduce Enid Blyton’s stories to their kids anymore. They are now in all those educational stuffs and focused too much on IQ, EQ and all the blehs of modern times.
Many wants their children to read encyclopedias and stuffs like that to make their kids brighter and smarter, thus robbing off the magical world of childhood."
I couldn't agree more.
Flashback Moment
I still remember the summer of 19**, when I was 10 years old.
My 13-year old brother and I travelled together to England for a month-long summer school in Royal Leamington Spa.
Yep, our parents sent just us the two of us travelling overseas by airplane to a summer school. With no chaperone. Crazy.
It was possible.
Today authorities would probably take us aside at the airport thinking we were .... well, who knows what they would think.
Leamington Spa (I don't remember the "Royal" part was part of the town's name back then) was great, but what made it really memorable was the fact that we dragged home a suitcase full of Enid Blyton's paperbacks.
We spent all our pocket money on Blyton books and we were in a hurry back home .. to read them!
Crazy.
Our bounty consisted mostly of the the:
a. thrilling Famous Five stories (you can easily find a full 21-book Famous Five Complete Collection these days, written between 1942 and 1963, and based on the adventures of four children and their dog),
b. the Five Find-Outers and Dog stories, (15 novels, written between 1943–1961, where five kids regularly outwit the local police). The Five Find-Outers have been republished in the US as a 15-book collection named The Mystery Series. While I loved the Famous Five as an early elementary school reader, the books of the Mystery Series - had more staying power and more comedy. I still adore reading them as an adult!
c. The third full set we owned was Blyton's the Secret Seven stories (16 books, written from 1949 to 1963. This is a collection of books about a sort of secretive society of seven kids who and together to solve various mysteries. The full collection is still available today as The Secret Seven Collection). The Secret Seven stories are a bit simpler than the Famous Five ones.
c. The third full set we owned was Blyton's the Secret Seven stories (16 books, written from 1949 to 1963. This is a collection of books about a sort of secretive society of seven kids who and together to solve various mysteries. The full collection is still available today as The Secret Seven Collection). The Secret Seven stories are a bit simpler than the Famous Five ones.
In terms of age, I would rank them:
First start with The Enchanted Wood and The Magic Faraway Tree books for the youngest listeners and readers.
Then follow up with The Secret Seven collection. When you go through all 16 Secret Seven books, move on to the Famous Five set.
Then - go for the Five Find-outers and dog, now also known as The Mystery Series.
Of course, I know that I am skipping a lot of Blyton's here.
And I mean a lot.
If you really want to start at an early age, even before the Enchanted Wood books - you should really read the Noddy Goes to Toyland books (if you click on it it will lead you to my review).
Also before the Enchanted Wood books - but after the Noddy books - you should go for Blyton's amazing short story books (that's also a link to one of my reviews of one of them). There are so many short stories that were all "packed" into books - and there are dozens of them.
Finally, after reading The Enchanted Wood and The Magic Faraway Tree books, you can also read Blyton's Adventure series of books. The Adventure series got me hooked on reading when I was a kid. If you want to read more about the start of my own reading adventures, here is my review of Enid Blyton's The Island of Adventure.
If you get bitten by the Blyton bug, do not worry. There are many more Blyton gems to explore that I also read as a kid or that we also read partially. Like the 9-book St Clare's twin Collection and the Malory Towers 12-book Complete Collection.
Finally, one of my absolute favorites was Blyton's The Naughtiest Girl at School 10-book series. Reading them felt like being there.
I've got good news for my twins, I saved all my Enid Blyton's. Yep, my babies - you still don't know about this treasure that is waiting for you!
More than a hundred Blytons are currently waiting in a bookcase in the garage, until someone comes to pick them up. I'm going to make that trip soon!
And should I admit to you now that I already bought some four dozen new Blytons for my home library? Better not. We are reading them already.
Oh those Blyton books. They were like an addiction.
It's not just me, I'm not the only one who is fondly remembering Enid.
Blyton certainly is one of the most successful children's storytellers of the twentieth century.
Lets just check what does the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) say about Enid Blyton?
More specifically the UNESCO Translationum database on most translated authors in the world:
Ooops. That's one mighty lady.
A research, commissioned to mark the 2008 Costa Book Awards in the UK, asked 2,000 adults to name their favourite authors.
Enid Blyton was named the most loved author of all time.
Only two contemporary writers - Rowling and Stephen King - made it into the top ten.
Jane Austen was fourth, William Shakespeare fifth, Charles Dickens sixth and J.R.R. Tolkien seventh.
Her persona is admittedly controversial and her books were allegedly not the favorites of many English librarians, but that's another story for another day.
I had decided a long time ago that The Enchanted Wood was going to be the "chapter book ice breaker" for my twins, but I was waiting for the right moment.
Not only did I not set a date when I would start reading chapter books, but I also eased them into it with books that contained shorter stories that could be read over
several days. So, we already introduced read-alouds that could be "broken up" into several days.
One day, I simply knew they were ready.
What I wasn't ready for - is how The Enchanted Wood swooped me up into the story too, as I never read it before.
As one reviewer somewhere said: "This is an underated book, just because Enid Blyton is considered out of fashion". I couldn't agree more.
Underrated.
So, don't miss it.
Since we finished reading The Enchanted Wood and its fantastic sequels The Magic Faraway Tree and The Folk of The Faraway Tree, I've been bombarded by requests from my twins to re-read them.
I'm saving this trio of books them as a treat. Maybe for a birthday? I don't know.
In The Enchanted Wood, the three children Jo, Bessie and Fanny (or Joe, Beth and Frannie - in the new politically corrected version of the book that was published recently) move to live in the countryside.
Their incredible adventure start when they start exploring The Enchanted Wood and discover the Faraway Tree, which is inhabited by fairy folk.
The three kids become best friends with the inhabitants of the Faraway Tree - Moonface, Saucepan Man and Silky the fairy, with whom they discover new lands at the top of the
Faraway Tree.
The lands keep changing and in almost every chapter a new land comes, such magical lands as the Land of Spells, the Land of Treats, the Land of Do-As-You-
Please, the Land of Birthdays, Land of Toys and Dame Slap's school!
These are funny, exciting, magical adventures that will delight children again and again.
Any kind of land can arrive at the top of the tree and some lands are truly incredible. Just let your fantasy fly and imagine the Land of Do-As-You-Please, the Land-Of-Take-
What-You-Want or the Land of Goodies.
Even in these good lands our protagonists still face adversities and challenges that they overcome with the help of their friends from the Faraway Tree.
In addition to the heroic Moon-Face (who is like the best friend you could imagine), charming fairy Silky (a gentle soul that is the very image of goodness), funny and half-deaf Saucepanman (who carries saucepans and pots hanging around him), there is a wide range of colorful characters in this book that will capture the imagination of your listeners.
From the Angry Pixie to Dame Wash-a-lot, Dame Slap to Mr Watzisname!
My son was fascinated with the tasty Pop Biscuits (Pop Cakes in the new version) and Google Buns and Toffee Shocks - I will not reveal their secret powers!
Finally, inside the Faraway Tree - Moon-Face operates an incredible spiral slide that goes from the top to the bottom. The Slippery Slip!
Try to find a kid that will not get all excited about a ride on the Slippery Slip! I dare you!
Blyton world is a magic world of children's adventures outside the watchful eye of adults.
It is a world of complete freedom and possibilities.
A world that your kids deserve to experience as soon as possible.
Let them taste this sort of freedom even in the hyper-regulated 21 century, if nothing else - through a book.
More than a hundred Blytons are currently waiting in a bookcase in the garage, until someone comes to pick them up. I'm going to make that trip soon!
And should I admit to you now that I already bought some four dozen new Blytons for my home library? Better not. We are reading them already.
 |
| Enid Blyton |
It's not just me, I'm not the only one who is fondly remembering Enid.
Blyton certainly is one of the most successful children's storytellers of the twentieth century.
Lets just check what does the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) say about Enid Blyton?
More specifically the UNESCO Translationum database on most translated authors in the world:
- DISNEY (WALT) PRODUCTIONS 9425
- CHRISTIE, AGATHA 6589
- VERNE, JULES 4223
- SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM 3674
- BLYTON, ENID 3544
- LENIN, VLADIMIR IL'IC 3517
- CARTLAND, BARBARA 3406
- STEEL, DANIELLE 2942
- ANDERSEN, HANS CHRISTIAN 2877
- KING, STEPHEN 2732
- GRIMM, JAKOB 2518
- GRIMM, WILHELM 2508
- BIBLIA, N. T. 2292
Ooops. That's one mighty lady.
Blyton wrote more than 700 stories over a 40-year career and her books have sold more than 500million copies.
Oh yes, if you need any more proof:
Enid Blyton was named the most loved author of all time.
Only two contemporary writers - Rowling and Stephen King - made it into the top ten.
Jane Austen was fourth, William Shakespeare fifth, Charles Dickens sixth and J.R.R. Tolkien seventh.
Her persona is admittedly controversial and her books were allegedly not the favorites of many English librarians, but that's another story for another day.
I had decided a long time ago that The Enchanted Wood was going to be the "chapter book ice breaker" for my twins, but I was waiting for the right moment.
several days. So, we already introduced read-alouds that could be "broken up" into several days.
One day, I simply knew they were ready.
What I wasn't ready for - is how The Enchanted Wood swooped me up into the story too, as I never read it before.
There were once three children,
called Jo, Bessie and Fanny.
All their lives they had lived in a town,
but now their father had a job in the country,
so they were all to move as soon as they possibly could.
As one reviewer somewhere said: "This is an underated book, just because Enid Blyton is considered out of fashion". I couldn't agree more.
Underrated.
So, don't miss it.
I'm saving this trio of books them as a treat. Maybe for a birthday? I don't know.
In The Enchanted Wood, the three children Jo, Bessie and Fanny (or Joe, Beth and Frannie - in the new politically corrected version of the book that was published recently) move to live in the countryside.
Their incredible adventure start when they start exploring The Enchanted Wood and discover the Faraway Tree, which is inhabited by fairy folk.
The three kids become best friends with the inhabitants of the Faraway Tree - Moonface, Saucepan Man and Silky the fairy, with whom they discover new lands at the top of the
Faraway Tree.
The lands keep changing and in almost every chapter a new land comes, such magical lands as the Land of Spells, the Land of Treats, the Land of Do-As-You-
Please, the Land of Birthdays, Land of Toys and Dame Slap's school!
These are funny, exciting, magical adventures that will delight children again and again.
Any kind of land can arrive at the top of the tree and some lands are truly incredible. Just let your fantasy fly and imagine the Land of Do-As-You-Please, the Land-Of-Take-
What-You-Want or the Land of Goodies.
Even in these good lands our protagonists still face adversities and challenges that they overcome with the help of their friends from the Faraway Tree.
In addition to the heroic Moon-Face (who is like the best friend you could imagine), charming fairy Silky (a gentle soul that is the very image of goodness), funny and half-deaf Saucepanman (who carries saucepans and pots hanging around him), there is a wide range of colorful characters in this book that will capture the imagination of your listeners.
From the Angry Pixie to Dame Wash-a-lot, Dame Slap to Mr Watzisname!
My son was fascinated with the tasty Pop Biscuits (Pop Cakes in the new version) and Google Buns and Toffee Shocks - I will not reveal their secret powers!
Finally, inside the Faraway Tree - Moon-Face operates an incredible spiral slide that goes from the top to the bottom. The Slippery Slip!
Try to find a kid that will not get all excited about a ride on the Slippery Slip! I dare you!
It is a world of complete freedom and possibilities.
A world that your kids deserve to experience as soon as possible.
Let them taste this sort of freedom even in the hyper-regulated 21 century, if nothing else - through a book.
Oh and Don't forget to check out Audible audio editions of The Enchanted Wood books (read marvelously by Kate Winslet).
Have you read Enid Blyton? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I mention the audio versions on purpose because we listened to them over and over again in the car on our holidays. Don't forget that reading aloud is "chore" that is best shared with other voices, other accents and other energies.
You should make sure that your kids learn other types of vocalizations, other styles of reading and new ways of expressing emotions with voices. These are soft skills that can only be learned through exposure to such experiences with other read aloud adults.
Of course, we don't want to invite strangers into our homes to read aloud. That is why audio books exist. We have a way of inviting strangers - in a safe and contained environment, thus maximizing the read aloud experiences that our beloved ones can enjoy.
My twins simply loved Kate Winslet's reading of the Enchanted Wood trilogy - so I can't give you a higher recommendation than that!
Happy reading,
Read Aloud Dad
Where to buy
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Tip: for box sets, check the listing details to confirm which volumes/editions are included.
Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):
- World of Blyton – “The Magic of the Faraway Tree” (series overview): A clear, affectionate walk-through of what makes the Faraway Tree books tick (lands, structure, recurring characters)
- Greenish Bookshelf – “The Magic Faraway Tree” series review (read-aloud perspective): A modern parent read-aloud take on the whole trilogy, with practical notes on why kids get hooked
- A Thoughtful Spot to Rest – review of The Enchanted Wood: Thoughtful discussion of the book’s atmosphere, humor, and the “what land will it be next?” momentum
- Jen Loves Books – rereading The Enchanted Wood as an adult: A warm “memory lane” review that also touches the modern reprint edits without turning it into a lecture
- Kirsty’s Reviews – audiobook review (Kate Winslet narration; series context): Useful if audio is part of family life—plus a quick sense of how book two builds on The Enchanted Wood
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