The Secret Island - Enid Blyton

One of my favourtie Blytons.

A lot of Enid Blyton books have the same feel after you have read a few, but this one is very standalone. The characters go on to feature in further books, but they don't capture the atmosphere of this one.

Three children decide to escape from their oppressive guardians who are making them work like slaves. A friend of theirs knows of an island hidden in the middle of a lake where no one ever goes, and so begins a plan to start a life on the island.

The start of the book is concerned with plans and deciding what items will be essential for survival on the island. Later on tells the story of how the children make a home for themselves on the island, and how they deal with problems such as storms and unexpected visitors.

If you can go along with the idea that the children could pull all of this off without discovery, the book is a charming, sweet tale of friendships and making a better life from not very much. This is a more slowly paced tale than many of Blyton's books, but is all the better for it, and does not prevent one being drawn in and hooked by the story.