The new Famous Five: Five and the smuggler's code by Chris Smith

In the next exciting instalment of The New Famous Five the three siblings, who are grandchildren of Dick from the original adventurers, join up with George (do not call her Georgina!), also now much older, and pursue a mystery involving the old house on Smuggler’s Top. It seems that there are nefarious happenings going on above ground, and probably in the tunnels below the mysterious old building and its nearby town. Can the children thwart the local master criminal before it is too late and will they need to work on their own to rescue the adults as well? 

Mingling the Enid Blyton characters and their mysteries from the past with a new generation of children and their adventures is a winning combination. In this book in the series by Chris Smith, the past influences the present and the older generation adventurers again make cameo appearances. (Note: Timmy is not able to reappear, as a dog’s life span makes this an impossible request, but the children have their own dog - Gilbert, who serves as a capable replacement.) The delight of this series is this weaving of the generations, and readers who have already encountered the original Famous Five will be equally enthralled with the new stories. Congratulations to the author on this clever literary embroidery. The adventure in this story has moments of excitement and risk, but never enough to be too scary for a young audience aged 8 -12. As a shared story from a parent, grandparent or teacher it could also enthrall younger listeners, 7+. I would recommend this as a read-aloud gem! As the children demonstrate remarkable independence, intelligence and problem-solving capacity, this is a great story to foster these qualities. Perhaps they sometimes take risks that require an adult to assist, but as with the Blyton stories, the children are true adventurers. I have loved this series so far, reminding me of the pleasure of my own childhood reading journey, and can only delight that there is another book in the series to come!

Themes: Adventure, Smuggling, Mystery, Family, Problem-solving, Independence.

Carolyn Hull