The Famous Five: Five Go to Smuggler's Top

What do our readers think of The Famous Five: Five Go to Smuggler's Top? (Generated from the text of reviews of the book)

Children enjoy the secret tunnels, smuggling mystery, danger and Timmy's part in the adventure, and some children describe the story as exciting enough to keep them keen to read on. The book's older setting and language can feel unfamiliar, but its teamwork and suspense continue to appeal to children who like traditional adventures.

What does the Pageticker team say about The Famous Five: Five Go to Smuggler's Top?

The Famous Five: Five Go to Smuggler's Top is Enid Blyton at her atmospheric best, with a wonderfully creepy house, misty marshes, secret tunnels and enough suspicious behaviour to keep amateur detectives busy. As the fourth Famous Five adventure, it delivers plenty of teamwork, courage and peril, though younger readers may find the kidnapping and danger unsettling, while adults may wish to discuss its occasionally old-fashioned attitudes and language.

Genres

What is The Famous Five: Five Go to Smuggler's Top about?

During the Easter holidays, the Famous Five—Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and Timmy the dog—stay at Smuggler's Top, a mysterious house perched atop a hill surrounded by treacherous marshes. The house is riddled with secret passages and tunnels, remnants of its smuggling past. When the children notice strange lights flashing from the tower, they suspect that smugglers might be active again. Their investigation leads them into a perilous adventure, uncovering hidden secrets and facing unexpected dangers.

About the author

Enid Blyton was a much-loved British author who wrote exciting stories for children. She created famous series like The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, and Noddy. Her adventurous tales have delighted readers for many years, taking them on journeys filled with mystery, friendship, and fun. Many children still enjoy her books today.

Discussion ideas around The Famous Five: Five Go to Smuggler's Top

A House Full of Secrets: Why do you think Smuggler's Top feels so mysterious and frightening, and which detail makes the strongest impression on you?

Trust and Suspicion: How do the children decide whom to trust, and what can their guesses teach us about making judgements before we know all the facts?

Working Together: Which member of the Famous Five contributes most to the adventure, and how would the investigation change if one of them were not there?

Rules and Responsibility: The children break rules to help Timmy and investigate the mystery. When might breaking a rule be the right thing to do, and when could it make matters worse?

Past and Present: What parts of the book feel old-fashioned compared with children's lives today, and which parts of the adventure still feel exciting or believable?