Enid Blyton – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Enid Blyton

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book1992

72%

WISE Score

Ginger beer, secret islands, and kids who actually solve crimes—Blyton is the ultimate literary comfort food, if you can ignore the 1950s dust.

Enid Blyton

book

1992

72%

WISE Score

Ginger beer, secret islands, and kids who actually solve crimes—Blyton is the ultimate literary comfort food, if you can ignore the 1950s dust.

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Screenwise Verdict

Enid Blyton is the literary equivalent of a plain ham sandwich. It’s reliable, it’s nostalgic, and it gets the job done, but it’s definitely not 'spicy.'

For a kid in 2026, these books can feel like a slow-motion relic. However, if you have a child who loves a good 'kids vs. bad guys' trope or wants to disappear into a world where the biggest worry is whether there's enough cake for tea, Blyton is a win.

Just be ready to explain why the characters talk like they’re in a black-and-white movie and why the girls are constantly being told to wash the dishes.

Age Fit

Great for ages 6 to 11. Start with the fantasy stuff (Wishing Chair) for the littles and move to the 'Famous Five' mysteries as they hit 3rd or 4th grade.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It's the gold standard for 'cozy' adventure. Think ginger beer, picnics, and solving mysteries before dinner. The tone is overwhelmingly positive about friendship and teamwork.

Imaginative

Between the Magic Faraway Tree and the Wishing Chair, Blyton's fantasy work is top-tier world-building for the younger set. Even the mysteries encourage kids to look for clues in the real world.

Safe

While the stories are 'safe' in terms of violence/gore, the historical baggage is real. Older editions (including some from the 90s) carry outdated views on gender and race that require a parental filter.

Enriching

Excellent for 'reading miles.' The prose is simple and repetitive, which is perfect for building confidence in reluctant readers, even if it's not 'high art.'

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

The 'Famous Five' and 'Secret Seven' series give kids a sense of independence and agency that's rare in modern helicopter-parented fiction.
The Faraway Tree series is a psychedelic masterpiece for the 6-year-old brain, featuring lands that change at the top of a giant tree.
Perfect for building reading stamina; the chapters are short, the cliffhangers are predictable, and the vocabulary is accessible.

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What to Watch For

The gender roles are stuck in a time machine—Anne usually stays back to make the sandwiches while the boys go adventuring.
Modern reprints have scrubbed the most offensive bits, but 1992 versions might still have some 'stranger danger' or xenophobic undertones that feel weird today.
The pacing is 'vintage.' If your kid is used to the breakneck speed of Percy Jackson, they might find a 20-page description of a moor a bit of a slog.

Conversation Starters

"Why does George (Georgina) want to be treated like a boy? Do you think those 'rules' for girls still exist today?"
"If you had to solve a mystery in our neighborhood without using a phone or Google, how would you do it?"
"Which land at the top of the Faraway Tree would you want to visit, and which one would be a total nightmare?"

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