The Magic Faraway Tree (novel)
The Magic Faraway Tree is a children's novel by Enid Blyton, first published in 1943. It is the second book in "The Faraway Tree" series of children's novels. Jo, Bessie and Fanny (renamed Joe, Beth and Frannie in later editions), the protagonists of the series, have their cousin Dick (renamed Rick in later editions) over to stay with them. They then introduce him to Silky, Moon-Face, Saucepan Man and all their other friends in the Magic Faraway Tree. In 2003, it was voted #66 in the BBC's Big Read poll to  find the UK's favourite book. The book is also heavily referenced in the graphic novel "V for Vendetta", in which the third book is called 'The Land of Do-as-you-please" and includes V reading "The Magic Faraway Tree" to Evey Hammond. This land is a peculiar place where everybody walks on their hands and everything is upside down. A policeman gets angry at Jo, so he puts a spell on Jo to turn him on his hands too. There are many witches and wizards with spells in this land and Jo gets put back right side up , by a friendly old witch. Here everything that happens is very dream-like and unreal. The characters get stuck in this land because the Sandman throws sand in the children's eyes to make them sleep. In this land, anybody can do what they want and the children have great fun. Jo gets to drive a train, and all of them get to wade in the ocean. Saucepan man accidentally thinks of this land to be The Land of Goodies, so he gets imprisoned for stealing candy. Jo and the others rescue him from jail. This land is filled with  free goodies such as cake and treacle pudding. Rick eats a knocker from one of the resident's houses, getting in trouble. Dame Washalot's friend, the old woman who lives in a shoe, comes down the faraway tree to live in Moonface's house. The children lure her back to her land, with Rick making up for his mistake in The Land of Goodies and saving his friends. The children's mother is ill, so the children visit this land to buy her medicine. In this land everyone has a bad temper and if anyone loses their temper here , they will have to stay in the land forever. A place full of presents, which the children go around picking up for each other and their parents. Modern alterations. The modern reprints have altered the names of the main characters. Jo is now Joe, Bessie is now Beth from the original Elizabeth. Dick and Fanny have been changed to Rick and Frannie, due to the modern sexual connotations of the original names. Film adaptation. In October 2014 it was announced there would be a big screen adaptation of "The Magic Faraway Tree", to be made by Sam Mendes' production company  Neal Street Productions. In November 2017, Simon Farnaby, who had previously written the screenplay for "Paddington 2", confirmed that he was working on the project, a collaboration between Neal Street Productions and StudioCanal UK.