Enid Blyton - The Secret Seven In Defence of the Secret Seven Article by Hari Menon (September 11, 2006) Secret Seven! The name evokes disdain or contempt among many readers who are otherwise ardent fans of Enid Blyton. What did this ragtag band of four boys, three girls and one dog do to arouse such revulsion? Okay, maybe I exaggerated. But for most of us the Secret Seven happens to be the least revered series in Blyton's canon. Is this because the books were written for a younger set of readers? Could it be the smaller format? The perpetual scowl on the face of their highhanded leader, perhaps? I expect all these factors do contribute to the—undeserved, if you ask me—negative reputation the Secret Seven has among many Blyton fans. And is it mere coincidence that the letters 'SS' have historical connotations that are not exactly pleasant? The series was written between 1948 and 1963, so such an 'inspiration' is not entirely far-fetched.

But I think it unlikely—Blyton doesn't seem the sort who would take a sly dig at her own characters, even as a joke. So, is the series really as juvenile as it's made out to be? Do the Seven have any redeeming qualities? Let's find out. Cast of Characters Peter: The head of the Secret Seven, Peter's word is Absolute Law. He usually decides the passwords, and seldom forgets them, unlike the others. Indeed, the easiest way to irk him is to forget the password or the SS badge (which others do with predictable regularity). Though he often acts like a dictator, he is annoyingly proved right on most occasions. The secret meetings are held in a shed at the bottom of the garden, some distance from his house. Janet: Peter's sister. Co-owner of the shed and Scamper the golden spaniel, but that ends her stake in the Secret Seven. She comes across as a little brighter than the other two girls in the club (in one instance she sensibly makes a drawing of some tyre prints when the other girls only titter), but that's probably because she's constantly under Peter's thumb and doesn't dare to giggle quite so frequently.

Her urge to dance in the moonlight comes in useful while trapping horse stealers on one occasion. Jack: Jack is one of the more colourful characters. He's apparently second-in-command (though this is mentioned only once or twice in the books). He's also disappointingly gullible sometimes. In Secret Seven on the Trail, he believes the tall tales his sister Susie and her friends make up. He also forgets the Secret Seven password with exasperating regularity; indeed, Susie seems to remember it better than he does! To his credit, he is as brave and loyal as a right-hand man can be. Pam: One of the two gigglers in the club. Perhaps her sole contribution to the club is when she "interviews" her grandmother in Three Cheers Secret Seven (and misspells the word "absolutely" in the process). She's a great friend of Barbara, for obvious reasons. Either of them is sportingly ready for a good cry when Peter starts shouting—at them or one of the others, it doesn't matter. Barbara: Giggles, squeals and shrieks come naturally to Barbara, as they do to Pam. Indeed, you can't easily tell one from the other.

Perhaps that's why Derek Lucas' illustrations show Pam in pigtails, while Barbara leaves her hair free. I used to consider her very pretty in those illustrations when I was ten years old. Ah, the follies of youth. Colin: Though he can be easily confused with George, Colin makes some interesting discoveries. For instance, he was the one who spots the escaping thief in Secret Seven Adventure, and the one who forgets the book about ships in the cubby-hole up a tree in Well Done Secret Seven. Oh, and it was at his granny's house that the robbery occurs in Secret Seven Fireworks. He also owns a complete set of (ahem!) Famous Five books, which provides hours of light reading to a petty thief in Secret Seven Win Through. George: Can pretend to be Colin, and nobody would know the difference, not even Peter—which is probably why Lucas gives him close-cropped fair hair. He's forced to resign from the club in Go Ahead Secret Seven, after being caught following a man, with rubber truncheon in hand. He claims to be at the bottom of the class in composition in Go Ahead Secret Seven, yet some books later he wins the second prize in an English essay. Remarkable improvement indeed!

Scamper: The golden spaniel's not one of the Seven (he's been described as a 'hanger-on' on more than one occasion) but he contributes a lot more than many of the real members do. Once, when George was forced by his father to resign from the club, Scamper had his fifteen or so days of fame as a full-fledged member. The Books One problem with the names of the Secret Seven books is that the British editions have such eminently forgettable titles. Well, I remember them all right, but that's because I've read each book a dozen times in the past 25 years. For all practical purposes, you could interchange the titles randomly (except Secret Seven Fireworks, but then that could be swapped with Good Work Secret Seven), and still end up with perfectly serviceable names.

Michael Edwards puts it very well: "Although the US titles don't strike me (as an Australian who has seen only UK editions) as properly and traditionally Blytonesque, I have to say that they are far more descriptive of the content of the stories, whereas most of the British titles—the ones chosen by Blyton herself—simply allude to mysteries and adventures in general, or else merely congratulate the Seven and say nothing about the actual story." The first book in the series (informatively titled The Secret Seven) is their very first adventure. But there are hints that the Secret Seven have been active even earlier. For instance, there's a reference to how they raised money to send Lame Luke away to the sea. We never hear of Lame Luke again, so the ungrateful wretch presumably decided never to come back. Perhaps he acquired a wooden leg, an earring and a parrot, and launched a successful career as a brigand... Interestingly, animals play a significant part in many of the Secret Seven books.

Plots often revolve around horses (The Secret Seven, Fun for the Secret Seven), dogs (Go ahead Secret Seven, Shock for the Secret Seven), a kitten (Well Done Secret Seven), an entire circus (Secret Seven Adventure) and so on. Horses and riding stables play a significant part in Secret Seven Mystery. The Seven aren't as humourless as they are made out to be. Colin is one of the jokers; once he makes up a funny (and rather rude) song about Susie's best friend Binkie, in which he describes her rabbit teeth and woffly nose. On another occasion, he elicits a chuckle by describing how his grandmother's foreign maid sat on a bag of eggs that he had left on a chair. But it's often Susie who provides comic relief, mostly at Peter's expense. The wild goose chase she leads them on in Secret Seven Mystery is a prime example of her resourcefulness. Blyton has also used the Secret Seven as a plug for the Famous Five. In Secret Seven on the Trail, Susie and friends form a club called the Famous Five.

"We've named ourselves after the Five books—much better idea than the Secret Seven!" she gloats for Jack's benefit. Then, in Secret Seven Win Through, Colin staggers into a cave (the temporary meeting place for the club) with a pile of his Famous Fives. Later in the story, one of the books goes missing (Five Go Down to the Sea). Could this be a subtle way of getting young readers interested in a series meant for slightly older children? Unlike characters in some of the other Blyton series, the Seven don't age. Indeed, their ages aren't mentioned at all. In the Find-Outers series, the characters do age a bit. For instance, Fatty breaks his voice at the beginning of the Mystery of the Missing Necklace. The Famous Five also become older as they progress through the series, but this isn't kept up consistently, probably because they would no longer have been teenagers by the end of the series. And George would have had to resort to drastic measures to continue masquerading as a man. I assumed the Secret Seven were 9-10 years old, because they play tag and go biking, but (for instance) never go on overnight expeditions.

And they definitely look like pre-teens in the Knight paperback illustrations by Derek Lucas. In the older (Brock) illustrations by George Brook, Burgess Sharrocks and Bruno Kay, they are attired in caps, blazers, shorts and school sandals, and look even more youthful. One blow against the Secret Seven is that the plots for some of the stories aren't original. Two of the books—Go Ahead Secret Seven and Shock for the Secret Seven—deal with kidnapped dogs, and the latter even recycles a plot from one of the Find-Outers mysteries (Invisible Thief, where some funny footwear is crucial to the plot). Even the name of the gangster in Secret Seven on the Trail (Cheeky Charlie) doesn't show much originality. And in Good Work Secret Seven, the car in which Peter and Janet are in is hijacked by a pair of rogues. A similar instance can be seen in a short story in the anthology of stories called Sunshine Book. But Blyton wasn't above reusing a perfectly good plot.

A strongly redeeming feature of the purportedly juvenile Secret Seven is that they often do worthwhile things, such as rehabilitating an old caretaker and his ill wife (in Three Cheers Secret Seven); finding a missing schoolgirl (Secret Seven Mystery); helping a blind boy (Puzzle for the Secret Seven); recovering a general's stolen medals (Look Out Secret Seven); and helping a decrepit old horse stay with his even more decrepit master (Fun for the Secret Seven). What have the Famous Five ever done, except whizzing off on their bikes and falling into serendipitous adventures? Even if they've rescued people and found heaps of treasure, it's more by chance and good luck than any good intentions. All said and done, the Secret Seven may not have the sophistication of the Famous Five or the brainpower of the Find-Outers, but they do make for interesting reading if you have half an hour to spare.

Copyright © 2004-2017 EnidBlyton.net The Secret Seven (The Secret Seven, #1) by Enid Blyton — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists May 05, 2014 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition This is the first book in the Secret Seven Series (although Peter and Janet had appeared in an earlier book called “At Seaside Cottage” in 1947 and the formation of the Secret Seven was told in “Secret of the Old Mill” in 1948). The Secret Seven consists of Peter and his sister Janet, and their friends Jack, Colin, George, Pam and Barbara . Peter and Janet’s spaniel Scamper is an unofficial member of the Seven and helps warn them when Jack’s annoying little sister, Susie, is creeping about spyin This is the first book in the Secret Seven Series (although Peter and Janet had appeared in an earlier book called “At Seaside Cottage” in 1947 and the formation of the Secret Seven was told in “Secret of the Old Mill” in 1948).

The Secret Seven consists of Peter and his sister Janet, and their friends Jack, Colin, George, Pam and Barbara . Peter and Janet’s spaniel Scamper is an unofficial member of the Seven and helps warn them when Jack’s annoying little sister, Susie, is creeping about spying on them. Their meeting place is the shed at the bottom of Peter and Janet’s garden and there is no entry unless the children are wearing their club badges and remember the password. When the children meet up in the Christmas holidays, Jack first forgets the password and then loses his badge in the field opposite a spooky old house, where the children were making snowmen. Banned from going out after lunch, Jack decides to creep out of the house and go and see whether he can find his missing badge at night and discovers a mystery worth investigating... I have really enjoyed re-reading this book to my daughter at bedtime and look forward to sharing the entire series with her. Slightly shorter than the Famous Five books, these are a great introduction to Enid Blyton’s adventure stories and will appeal to both boys and girls. Great to read alone from approx 5+ or to read together at any age! In order, these are: 1.

The Secret Seven (1948) 2. Secret Seven Adventure (1950) 3. Well Done Secret Seven (1951) 4. Secret Seven On The Trail (1952) 5. Go Ahead Secret Seven (1953) 6. Good Work Secret Seven (1954) 7. Secret Seven Win Through (1955) 8. Three Cheers Secret Seven (1956) 9. Secret Seven Mystery (1957) 10. Puzzle for the Secret Seven (1958) 11. Secret Seven Fireworks (1959) 12. Good Old Secret Seven (1960) 13. Shock for the Secret Seven (1961) 14. Look Out Secret Seven (1962) 15. Fun For the Secret Seven (1963) Shelves: young-reader I read this to Katy (aged 7), here's her review: Dad helped me to choose it...well, I was the one that thought of it! I liked the title but it wasn't my favourite part!

My favourite part of the story is that the Secret Seven was amazing and very important. You will get a HUGE surprise when you find out the full mystery! But thanks to Jack and Peter, Kerry Blue was saved. Aug 31, 2013 Katey Lovell rated it it was amazing The Secret Seven is the first book in the series. First published in 1949 there are definitely parts of it that seem dated, especially some turns of phrase that are used (particularly by straight laced Janet). However they were probably also outdated in the mid 1980s when I read these books the first time, and I was never aware that they were so old fashioned through my childhood eyes. The same could well be true for children in modern society, infact I would go as far as to assume that it IS tr The Secret Seven is the first book in the series. First published in 1949 there are definitely parts of it that seem dated, especially some turns of phrase that are used (particularly by straight laced Janet).

However they were probably also outdated in the mid 1980s when I read these books the first time, and I was never aware that they were so old fashioned through my childhood eyes. The same could well be true for children in modern society, infact I would go as far as to assume that it IS true, or the books would surely have gone out of print-nostalgia alone is not enough to keep publishers printing books, they have to actually sell too. I whizzed through the story, and recalled many of the key moments throughout. It was almost like being transported back to my own childhood, a sense of deja vu. I loved reliving the adventure, particularly the sense of being tucked away in the shed sat on a flowerpot in the meetings the children have. Passwords and disguises abound as the seven set off to find out who the stealthy men sneaking around a spooky old house are. What are they doing, and why? Of course the Secret Seven come up trumps, I don't think that is a spoiler, and as an adult I finished the book with the same sense of satisfaction that I did the first time around.

This surely shows the power a good book has, it can stand the test of time and be read at varying stages in life and still be appreciated. The Hodder edition I had to review was illustrated by Tony Ross, which is obviously an attempt to make the books as visually appealing as possible to the young audience of the twenty-first century. Whilst I liked the illustrations I didn't feel they gelled especially well with the text, but this may just be because they are not what I would traditionally associate with Blyton. Don't overlook Blyton thinking her work outmoded and irrelevant for children today. Any child seeking high adventure and a story about true friendship and teamwork will find plenty in the Secret Seven books to appeal to them. I have already decided that I'm going to buy all the books in the series to reread and review. They will then remain on my son's bookshelf to hopefully be enjoyed again and again-they are classics, pure and simple. Shelves: mystery-suspense , children While searching for his badge in a snowy field late one night, Jack witnesses a strange van approaching an old house whose only occupant is a deaf and cranky caretaker.

Why are two men going to the old house and what is that strange noise coming from inside the van? Is a prisoner being kept in the house against his will? This calls for The Secret Seven to spring into action and solve the case. This is the first of Enid Blyton's Secret Seven books. Originally published in 1949, it seems quite date While searching for his badge in a snowy field late one night, Jack witnesses a strange van approaching an old house whose only occupant is a deaf and cranky caretaker. Why are two men going to the old house and what is that strange noise coming from inside the van? Is a prisoner being kept in the house against his will? This calls for The Secret Seven to spring into action and solve the case. This is the first of Enid Blyton's Secret Seven books. Originally published in 1949, it seems quite dated now. There are lots of 'Oh bothers' and head hopping, and it probably won't win too many fans among feminists (though at least the girls get to help solve the mystery, unlike some earlier books such as Emil and the Detectives). In hindsight, it seems strange that British children are keen to wear S.S.

badges so soon after World War II, and where on earth are the parents when these pre-teens are traipsing round the countryside at night? In fact, why am I even reading it? Well one reason is that I'm doing the Pop Sugar reading challenge and I thought one of the categories was 'a book you haven't read since school'. As it turns out, it was supposed to be a book I hadn't read since high school. Whoops. But I'm still glad I re-read it because it actually did have a big impact on my life. I first came across the Seven when I was in Grade 6 or 7 and it started my love of mysteries. I so wanted to be a member of the Secret Seven and solve mysteries in my own back yard. I even remember looking through my front window one day, pen and notebook in hand, so that I could jot down suspicious happenings in my neighbourhood. I gave up after half an hour because the only thing that had happened was that someone went into the corner store across the road holding a shopping bag. Mmm ... big mystery there!

It may be old-fashioned, a bit daggy, and a bit 'jolly hockey sticks', but it's also a product of its times and good fun. It shows that children can do valuable things on their own initiative. Thank you for inspiring my imagination, Enid Blyton. As the last line in the book says, 'Hurrah for the Secret Seven'. ...more Dec 25, 2012 Nelina Kapetsoni rated it liked it To be honest, I never made the connection of the badge SS with fascist Germany, probably because I've read the Greek translation of the books (and there it's ME). It does make sense however, and since Blyton wrote so soon after WWII the initials are distasteful. Anyway, for me this series is the weakest of all adventure series written by Blyton. The protagonist, Jack, is actually a bossy, arrogant and sexist male in the disguise of a boy. And unlike Fatty from the Five Find-Outers (another serie To be honest, I never made the connection of the badge SS with fascist Germany, probably because I've read the Greek translation of the books (and there it's ME).

It does make sense however, and since Blyton wrote so soon after WWII the initials are distasteful. Anyway, for me this series is the weakest of all adventure series written by Blyton. The protagonist, Jack, is actually a bossy, arrogant and sexist male in the disguise of a boy. And unlike Fatty from the Five Find-Outers (another series by Blyton), he's not even funny. Even as a child I hated the guy! The female characters are described as stupid, passive or annoying and although Blyton is known for her sexist comments in all of her books, I feel that nowhere is this more prominent than in this series. However, I still give this book -and the series as a whole- 3 stars. The plots are clever (remember this is a children's book) and most children dream to be able to do adventurous, exciting things in an adult-dominated world. ...more Jul 17, 2013 Tammi Doyle rated it liked it I read this first installment of Blyton's Secret Seven series to my children, aged 5 and 7, after having read 5 Famous Five books to them previously.

I thought it would bore them because the content is tamer, less thrilling. In fact, they appeared to engage more with the Seven than they did with the Five and I guess it's because the Seven are more age appropriate. How disappointing! Half the joy of reading to your children is it legitimately allows you the indulgence of children's literature tha I read this first installment of Blyton's Secret Seven series to my children, aged 5 and 7, after having read 5 Famous Five books to them previously. I thought it would bore them because the content is tamer, less thrilling. In fact, they appeared to engage more with the Seven than they did with the Five and I guess it's because the Seven are more age appropriate. How disappointing! Half the joy of reading to your children is it legitimately allows you the indulgence of children's literature that you would otherwise consider yourself too old for, and frankly I'd prefer to spend my kid-lit time with the more exciting Five. But it's not all about me. Is it? ...more Jun 24, 2013 Milo Kim rated it did not like it This book is really called, I think, The Stupid Seven. I mean, come on!!

These guys have peas for brains. I have never heard of kids like this. It's like, "Huh! Here's some tire tracks! I wonder if I should copy them down!" Other person: "No, no, they couldn't be useful at all!" Beware this book. And especially all the other books that follow it in the series. It may cause serious brain damage. BEWARE! Shelves: srividyas-2014-challenge , series Oh what a wonderful adventure! And how lovely it was to take this trip with the Seven :D :D Childhood memories of curling up with their books come back to me as I read this one. Nostalgia is at its peak right now. I remember how much I loved the idea of having a secret society and creating adventures of my own as a child. Reading this book brought back memories of sitting atop a wall with my friends, talking about adventures and queer happenings in our society while going off to 'investigate'. Of Oh what a wonderful adventure! And how lovely it was to take this trip with the Seven :D :D Childhood memories of curling up with their books come back to me as I read this one.

Nostalgia is at its peak right now. I remember how much I loved the idea of having a secret society and creating adventures of my own as a child. Reading this book brought back memories of sitting atop a wall with my friends, talking about adventures and queer happenings in our society while going off to 'investigate'. Of course, there were none to match this league but it was a time of true pleasure and fun for me and my friends. I don't know about you but we did have our own password and badges, we recreated the fun of the Seven right at our own homes. Frivolous, you might think today, but at that time, it was exciting. After that trip down memory lane, lets get to the business of reviewing this book itself shall we? :) The first book of the series, it brought together the seven friends; Peter, Janet, Barbara, Pam, George, Jack and Colin and of course Scamper the dog. The Secret Society had already been formed earlier in another book but they were meeting after a long time and this time to solve a mystery. Strange noises and occurrences were heard and witnessed by Jack, when he goes to search for his lost badge.

After reporting it to the others in their next meeting, they decide to investigate and what follows is one of the sweetest investigations that a child can undertake and another can enjoy. Despite me being a lot older today, I really enjoyed their 'clever deductions' and steps taken to solve it. Kudos to the Seven as usual and thank you Enid Blyton for giving me an enjoyable read :) ...more Mar 24, 2013 Eunice rated it liked it Not one of her better mystery novels, to be frank. [edit: oh dear god I just realised 'Frank' was a rally bad unintentional pun here on my part.] And wearing badges with 'SS' on it is a brilliant idea after WWII. Maybe they should also shave their heads and bleach their hair blonde as well. Illustrator: George Brook First Published: 1949 I remember, when I first read these, one was either a Famous Five or a Secret Seven fan. I can't remember which side I fell. Having now read the first of each with my 7yo I find myself in the Secret Seven camp. First up, they're shorter.

(*grin*) But also I found the adventure better developed, the characters more intelligent, the problem to be solved less selfish, and the adults (they're parents) more approachable. On the negative, th Author: Enid Blyton Illustrator: George Brook First Published: 1949 I remember, when I first read these, one was either a Famous Five or a Secret Seven fan. I can't remember which side I fell. Having now read the first of each with my 7yo I find myself in the Secret Seven camp. First up, they're shorter. (*grin*) But also I found the adventure better developed, the characters more intelligent, the problem to be solved less selfish, and the adults (they're parents) more approachable. On the negative, the girls have more of a background role in active tasks (eg they don't go on the night surveil) but they accomplish as much and are included in the solving of the mystery. They are also girls - George in Famous Five would rather be a boy - they giggle, sew, and keep the home fires burning. This I find conflicting; there's nothing wrong with being a girl and liking girl things, but it should be inclusive not restrictive.

Your gender shouldn't hold you back. And my 7yo said the series titles were dull and uninformative. In the end, we liked it. "Secret Seven" was funny, clever, and approachable. The mystery had sufficient depth the 7yo appreciated the logical procession to solution. The characters were appealing. While the time and language has aged, it isn't as problematic as it was with Five on a Treasure Island . It's still a series that has appeal to the next generation of young readers. References: The first of the Secret Seven books 13 July 2012 Well, there are a few things that I can say about this book: the first being that it seems to be a retelling of an earlier Blyton story, The Mystery of the Secret Room . In many ways it seemed to be the same story with different characters and a slightly different mystery.

The reason I say that is because both stories seem to focus around an old abandoned house and in both stories the children go to a real estate agent, where there is a 16 year old The first of the Secret Seven books 13 July 2012 Well, there are a few things that I can say about this book: the first being that it seems to be a retelling of an earlier Blyton story, The Mystery of the Secret Room . In many ways it seemed to be the same story with different characters and a slightly different mystery. The reason I say that is because both stories seem to focus around an old abandoned house and in both stories the children go to a real estate agent, where there is a 16 year old boy behind the counter, to learn who actually owns the property. Okay, it might be somewhat different, but considering that this story is a lot shorter than the other it was the similarities that stood out.

One of the main reasons that I grabbed this book and read it is because I wanted to see how Blyton crafted some of her other groups that were outside of the Famous Five, and I had yet to read a Secret Seven book, and in a space of five hours (or less, I wasn't counting) I read it. Sure enough the dog in this series, Scamps, tends to play a bit part: simply a character that tags along with the rest of the group. Further, the children in this book seem to be a lot less developed than some of the children in the other books, almost to the extent that they seem to be little more than cardboard cut outs. No doubt it would be difficult to develop full blown characters for each of the seven in such a short book, but then some of her other characters (such as Fatty from the Five Finder-outers) seem to have a lot more life than some of these. However, noting that along with the Famous Five, the Secret Seven were also turned into television series must indicate their popularity. Fortunately I am not the only one that was concerned about some of the aspects of this secret society.

Having been written so soon after World War II one would have thought that Blyton would have been a little more tactful when coming up with the logo for the club. Seriously, using a logo saying 'SS' is not something that you want to encourage children to do, and since it is also a secret society with badges and passwords and what not one has to wonder what was going through Blyton's mind at the time and what she was suggesting to her readers. Maybe they were right when they suggested that even if Germany was defeated the era of fascism had not passed, and in many cases it hadn't. While discrimination against the Jews was crushed under the allied boots, discrimination against the negro population of the United States was still in full swing and would be so for at least the next fifteen years. Another thing about this book is that it is predictable. I had worked out what the mystery was about and what the stolen object was by the forth chapter, and that was simply because Blyton made reference to the noise that was made by the animal (view spoiler) [which happened to be a horse (hide spoiler) ]. The other thing that made me scratch my head was the fact that the animal was kept in a cellar.

I simply did not find that believeable, but then again I have never owned an animal larger than a small dog, and in Australia we don't have cellars and if we are fortunate enough to have one, then they will be quite small. It seems also that Blyton had set into a pattern by the time she had written this book. The children are out playing and stumble over a mystery. The children then begin to investigate the mystery and a couple of them are captured and locked up. The ones who are not captured then go off and rescue the captured ones, solve the mystery, and hand the crooks over to the police. Fortunately in this book the Secret Seven are rebuked by the police for not informing them earlier, something that does not occur in her other writings. ...more Nov 18, 2014 Dev Saxena rated it it was amazing it's the first part of secret seven there are 7 childrens i it peter, janet, jack, barbara, pam, colin and george it's a good book for childrens above age of 6 Jan 02, 2017 Chance Hansen rated it really liked it This book is really cute.

I mean isn't that one of the cutest book covers you've ever seen? I found the amount of names a little hard to follow BUT it really didn't matter. Considering the entire series was dedicated to a group of kids who called themselves the Secret Seven I'll give that a pass. This book has aged really well for how old it really is. The mystery was bigger than I expected and put together well. The reveal was cute and the plotting and planning was really cute. the characters a This book is really cute. I mean isn't that one of the cutest book covers you've ever seen? I found the amount of names a little hard to follow BUT it really didn't matter. Considering the entire series was dedicated to a group of kids who called themselves the Secret Seven I'll give that a pass. This book has aged really well for how old it really is. The mystery was bigger than I expected and put together well. The reveal was cute and the plotting and planning was really cute. the characters are pretty simple but need I say it... CUTE! It was a good way to start up and introduce the series. ...more Shelves: 2014-reads The Secret Seven is the first installment in The Secret Seven series.

It is written by Enid Blyton. The book is abhor the Secret Seven getting together but they don't know what to do. The society decides they want to solve a mystery! They have to keep their eyes and ears open. One night, Jack, a member of the society, sees a car and a trailer coming down a lane and then he hears two men. What makes it worse, is when he hears squealing coming from the trailer. What is it? Jack and the others now h The Secret Seven is the first installment in The Secret Seven series. It is written by Enid Blyton. The book is abhor the Secret Seven getting together but they don't know what to do. The society decides they want to solve a mystery! They have to keep their eyes and ears open. One night, Jack, a member of the society, sees a car and a trailer coming down a lane and then he hears two men. What makes it worse, is when he hears squealing coming from the trailer. What is it? Jack and the others now have a mystery to solve but can they do it?

The seven characters apart of the society are the leader, Peter, I really enjoyed reading about Peter but the one issue I had with him is that he seemed to be this person that was intimidating but in my opinion he wasn't. I also liked his relationship with his sister, Janet and I thought he got on very well with Jack. His sister Janet, is also apart of the Secret Seven and although she was seen throughout the book, I don't have much to say about her. She was a good character. One of the major members of the society is Jack. I really liked the character of Jack. Unlike some members of the Secret Seven we didn't get to find out about their home life but with Jack we did. I found it very interesting to find out about it. I think he is one of the most important characters in the book because if it wasn't for him, there wouldn't be a book. Now I'm going to talk about the less developed characters of the society. First of all are the last two boys their names being Colin and George. I really wanted to like the characters but there wasn't much there. Yes they were apart of the society but that was it. They did some investigating and that was that.

Compared to one certain character, they were good but not good enough! The next character is Barbra, I do not like this character. I thought she was a big whinny throughout the book and I didn't like her! The last member of the society is Pam. This is the character that I didn't like. She was a pointless character with no background given to us and she had a lot less to say than any other member of the group! I do not like its character! Moving onto the other characters. One of the other major characters is Scamper. He is the dog that belongs to Janet and Peter. I really liked the dog but that's it. He was a good part of the story but he didn't have to be in the story! The minor characters in the story were Miss Ely and Susie. Miss Ely is the Susie's Nanny. Susie is Jacks sister, who we met briefly. I really liked these two characters because we only met them for at least one chapter and I would be interested in seeing more of them. A character that appears throughout the book is Dan the Caretaker. He is the owner of the old house that no one lives in apart from himself.

I liked the character but again that's it. He's deaf and he's a caretaker, nothing more! Pretty much that's it. Finally the characters who stole Kerry Blue, Mac and Nibs. These were pretty interesting characters, who appeared in two chapters! BORING and these are supposed to be the antagonists! The main locations in the story was the Secret Seven's HQ, the shed. I thought this was really great and was a great aspect of the story. I thought it was really cool because it's what kids do. Also the old house, in which Dan is the Caretaker at. Throughout the story, we saw the outside of it but later on in the novel we actually saw inside of the house which was pretty cool and I was intrigued to find out more of the house. Overall I liked the story! Like I have already said, the characters need a major improvement for the next one. Peter, Janet and Jack to me where the only developed members of the Secret Seven. While the others didn't float my boat and I didn't like them enough! The story was good but at first I didn't know were it was going! The mystery element was amazing and I didn't know what the outcome was going to be.

At the beginning of the book it sounded like the book I was reading was in fact a sequel but it wasn't, that was a bit I didn't like. Enid Blyton's writing is amazing and her creativity is just perfection. In conclusion I would give it a 4 stars purely for the enjoyment and the mystery element and how it was concluded. I wouldn't give it 5 stars purely because of the characters and some small issues. Can't wait to read the next one... ...more Shelves: enid-blyton The books of the seven on adventures together were very transporting in their action and addictive with their infectious enthusiasm, when I borrowed them in bulk from my school library. The relationship of the characters with their pets and the world around them gives these books ample dangerous situations along with comic relief. I just loved them and sometimes read two of the seven's books in a day during summer holidays in school. The sumptious breakfasts, the colourful escapades, the wild plo The books of the seven on adventures together were very transporting in their action and addictive with their infectious enthusiasm, when I borrowed them in bulk from my school library.

The relationship of the characters with their pets and the world around them gives these books ample dangerous situations along with comic relief. I just loved them and sometimes read two of the seven's books in a day during summer holidays in school. The sumptious breakfasts, the colourful escapades, the wild plots figuring stowaway scientists, rebels, kidnappers and what not - these are the settings that await a reader of enid blyton, at least some which I remember the best. What sets these children apart is the strength of their group and the compassion they have towards all things natural and innocent. They are real world children who are quick thinking and innovative in new and sometimes dangerous situations. They are fired with a passion to bring about change where it is needed and stop wrongdoing where they see it. They leave no one behind and their exploits are extremely understated at home. The famous five had a slightly different evolution as a street-smart, cohesive gang, but that's another story. Secret Seven series. Best for the the age group of 8-13, if you are thinking of gifting it to someone. Best for a light read when trying to relax on a long noisy flight, any age.

Sep 08, 2013 Amy Higgs rated it liked it 'The Secret Seven' is the first in the series by Enid Blyton, following the success of her 'Famous Five' series. The book follows seven children- Peter, Janet, Jack, Barbara, Pam, Colin, George and their dog Scamper. The group of friends hold secret meetings to discuss current issues and decide to keep an eye out for any strange activity in the neighbourhood in the hope of uncovering a mystery they can solve. The group do just that and before long they find some strange activities to investigate 'The Secret Seven' is the first in the series by Enid Blyton, following the success of her 'Famous Five' series. The book follows seven children- Peter, Janet, Jack, Barbara, Pam, Colin, George and their dog Scamper. The group of friends hold secret meetings to discuss current issues and decide to keep an eye out for any strange activity in the neighbourhood in the hope of uncovering a mystery they can solve. The group do just that and before long they find some strange activities to investigate.

Enid Blyton does a great job of establishing the group members quickly to the reader; we know that Peter is the leader and a rather bossy one at that! The book was written in 1949 and understandably some elements are a little dated, for example some of the phrases and language used by the author. Saying that, I do believe that the book would still appeal to children now and could be used to base some good role play activities on in a key stage 2 classroom. Ideally this book is suitable for an advanced and well developed reader in key stage 2. It would be ideal for group reading, with perhaps children in a class taking on the role of one character each and reading aloud, or children acting the story out in a role play activity as guided by the teacher. Shelves: 20th-century-1900s , children-young-adult , çeviri-kitaplar , yeni-keşifler-new-discoveries 3,00-3,50 Enid Blyton (1897-1968) birçok seri kitabı bulunan ünlü bir İngiliz çocuk kitapları yazarı.

Gizli Yediler de 15 kitaplık, çabuk okunabilecek kısa hikayelerden oluşan bir seri. 7 çocuk yaşadıkları yerde geçen gizemli bir olayı çözmek için kolları sıvıyor. Hikayeyi bir çocuk kitabı için ilginç buldum. Sonuna kadar merak duygusunu koruyor. Çocukların çözme yöntemleri de genel olarak çok uçuk kaçık değil. Grubun başı olan Peter'ın diğerlerine karşı baskıcı tavrı hoşuma gitmedi ki Blyton'ın 3,00-3,50 Enid Blyton (1897-1968) birçok seri kitabı bulunan ünlü bir İngiliz çocuk kitapları yazarı. Gizli Yediler de 15 kitaplık, çabuk okunabilecek kısa hikayelerden oluşan bir seri. 7 çocuk yaşadıkları yerde geçen gizemli bir olayı çözmek için kolları sıvıyor. Hikayeyi bir çocuk kitabı için ilginç buldum.

Sonuna kadar merak duygusunu koruyor. Çocukların çözme yöntemleri de genel olarak çok uçuk kaçık değil. Grubun başı olan Peter'ın diğerlerine karşı baskıcı tavrı hoşuma gitmedi ki Blyton'ın cinsiyetçilikle eleştirildiğini de okudum İngilizce yorumlarda. Türkçe tercümede anlaşılmıyor ama İngilizce aslında kitabın ismi The Secret Seven ve çocukların rozetlerinde kısaltılınca SS oluyor. İkinci Dünya Savaşı'ndan sonra basılmış bir çocuk kitabının Nazi sembolü olan bir öğeyi içermesi de ayrıca bir tartışma konusu olmuş. Ufak yazım hataları dışında kitabın çevirisi de kolay okunuyor.

...more The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton - review | Children's books | The Guardian The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton - review 'I couldn't put it down and it gripped me right to the end' HGirl1000 Share on Messenger Close The secret seven are: Peter, Janet, Jack, Barbara, Pam, Colin, George and not forgetting Peter and Janet's dog, Scamper. Peter can be bossy at times and likes being in charge as he is the leader of the secret seven. Janet likes the idea of being part of a secret club. Barbara likes making funny words up. Jack is forgetful and Colin has to remind him a lot! Pam can get a bit worried at times and George is normally the first to secret seven meetings. They are a secret club that enjoy having an adventure and like helping charity in fun ways. After Jack loses his secret seven badge when the gang go out to make snowmen he decides to go and get it when he's meant to be in bed. But why - on the track next to the place that they made their snowmen - do two men do something very strange...?

When I read this book I couldn't put it down and it gripped me right to the end. I recommended this book for people who like adventure books and rate it five star. Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review! Enid Blyton: Five favourites, famous and otherwise | Books | The Guardian Books blog Enid Blyton: Five favourites, famous and otherwise For her 118th anniversary, I’ve picked a handful of stories that mean a lot to me, but given that there are more than 750 others to choose between, presumably you can add more we should remember Books that count ... The Famous Five as seen on the cover of a 1943 edition.

Photograph: Alamy Tuesday 11 August 2015 11.31 EDT Last modified on Wednesday 12 August 2015 08.28 EDT Close This article is 1 year old Enid Blyton: we all know there are issues, whether it’s those of race or class , or because she was “a tenacious second-rater”, as the BBC put it when keeping her off the air for 30 years. But she’s still hugely popular, so in honour of what would have been her 118th birthday, here are my top five Blytons. 'Off with their heads!' – the 10 greatest quotes from Alice in Wonderland Read more I had to include a Famous Five. Let’s face it, their adventures just make the Secret Seven look a bit tame, and Timmy is a much better canine companion than the latter series’ Scamper. Despite stiff competition from Five Go to Smuggler’s Top, this one has always been my favourite. Julian, Dick and Anne are visiting George for the summer, but when Aunt Fanny is taken ill, they are left with the nasty Stick family in charge.

They’re so awful – planning to poison Timmy, no less – that the gang escape to Kirrin Island. I remember tons of descriptions of tasty food, and a rather daring rescue. The Circus of Adventure I loved all the Adventure series – and Dinah in particular, with her fiery temper, was far more to my liking than the Famous Five’s Anne. But it was Philip’s legendary gift with animals that I really coveted, and in this novel, he tames two angry bears. Enviable stuff. It also involves another kidnapping, rescuings galore, acrobats and all sorts of danger, in my memory. According to this detailed review from the Enid Blyton Society’s site, it was Prince Aloysius of Tauri-Hessia (!), next in line to the throne, whom the baddies were after. I remember this novel fondly, so I’m sorry to see, in Anita Bensoussan’s review, that it contains “what is perhaps the most cringe-making sentence of the series when Philip, exasperated with Gussy, remarks: ‘Why don’t foreigners bring up their kids properly?’” Blyton fail.

Best holiday activity tips from Enid Blyton's Famous Five – in pictures Read more First Term at Malory Towers Are you a Malory Towers fan or St Clare’s ? The latter might have boasted the acrobatic Carlotta, and twins Pat and Isabel for mistaken identity hi-jinks, but I was always a Malory Towers girl – and even more since I recently learned that heroine Darrell Rivers was named after Blyton’s second husband, Kenneth Darrell Waters. How bizarrely romantic. Anyway: midnight feasts of ginger cake and sardines, an swimming pool hollowed out of the rocks, lots of jolly lacrosse matches, the sharp-tongued Alicia and the awful Gwendoline Mary. Beat that, St Clare’s. Adventures of the Wishing Chair I wrote – outraging many – that my adult revisiting of The Faraway Tree with my daughter left me disappointed (the Saucepan Man is just plain creepy). I am hoping that when we come to The Wishing Chair stories, I will not be let down, because Mollie and Peter’s adventures on their flying chair – the Grabbit gnomes! Chinky their pixie friend! – are a huge part of my childhood.

Shadow the Sheep Dog I thought I’d choose a lesser-known Blyton as my final pick. I debated The Adventurous Four, and The Children of Willow Farm, both of which I remember fondly. But Shadow the Sheep Dog – in which not that much happens, other than various sheepdog trials, a temporary blinding, and lots of loyalty - won out. It was the start, I think, of an obsession with animal books of all varieties that began around the age of eight and lasted for a good couple of years – Just Nuffin, and all of Colin Dann, Brian Jacques, Robin Jarvis, et al. But please tell me what I’ve missed. I’d entirely forgotten about The Adventurous Four until I began researching this blog, and I’d love to be reminded of other old favourites. The Naughtiest Girl in the School , anyone?

Question: What was the name of the dog in Enid Blighton's Secret Seven books?
Answer: Scamper