Five Find-outers – #AtoZChallenge 2019

I’ve read most of the series of children’s books by Enid Blyton, I think. In my school days, I would borrow them two or three at a time from the library and devour them. They were interesting, had children as the starring characters and had adventures that took place in the neighborhood. Yes, there were similarities in the characters. Both Famous Five and Five Find-outers had 4 or 5 children as the heroes, and a handsome pooch to help them. I think what set Five Find-outers apart from the others were the mysteries that they solved, some a bit dangerous. And not necessarily mysteries that children would think of solving.

The Five Find-outers are Pip, Larry, Daisy, Fatty and Bets, with Fatty’s dog Buster as an honorary unsaid sixth perhaps. They are kids who stumble on mysteries that at times break the calm in their neighborhood and take it upon themselves to find clues and solve them. Of the group, the former three share less of the spotlight. They come up with ideas that are important at times, but I love the latter trio more. Then there are some recurring characters like Goon, the local policeman who is often outwitted by the smart children and Ern, Goon’s nephew, who loves his “portry”.

Why I love Fatty, Bets and Buster….

Fatty (Frederick Algernon Trotteville) is kind, has a talent for disguises and often uses good judgment when he’s in trouble. It’s the former quality that I admire a lot, because of the group, he appreciates the inputs of Bets the most. He is generous with his pocket money, of which he receives plenty and loves oration and poetry. At times he is also boastful. Bets, being the youngest of the group, is at times quick to say things and Larry, Daisy and her brother Pip don’t often take her seriously. I like her quietness and that’s appealing to the big Inspector Jenks too. She’s wise and observant and at times brings out the turning point in the mysteries. The term “Find-outers” is her coinage, and it feels right, because they aren’t detectives really, just kids who “find out” things.

Fun for readers of any age…

I read one of the Enid Blyton series for the first time recently and quite enjoyed it. It showed me that Blyton’s books aren’t necessarily to be read by a particular age. It can be fun for anyone. I will be re-reading Five Find-outers soon, but I can assuredly say that that too has no age bars. They can be read as standalone books, but I’d recommend going in order from the first book The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage, to the last one The Mystery of Banshee Towers. My favorite three from the series are the first book, The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters (#4) and The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat (#7). This is a series I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone!

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This is the 10th year of the #AtoZChallenge and my tenth year attempting it. My theme this year is Books – Read and Loved. As evident by the theme, I am going to write on books I’ve read and loved.

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Liked this? Read some of my earlier posts written about Books.

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Vinay Leo R.
06. 04. 2019