Five Fall into Adventure (The Famous Five Series II) - Hardcover

Gr 2-5-A delightful story by British author Enid Blyton comes to life in this superb recording. Julian, Dick, and Anne come to Kirrin Cottage for a two week stay with their cousin George (short for Georgina), her dog Timmy, and their Aunt and Uncle. As soon as they arrive, George's parents go off on a holiday to Spain and leave the children with the housekeeper. Their adventure begins when Kirrin Cottage is broken into during the night. Then George and Timmy disappear, and the other children discover that they have been kidnapped. Meanwhile, the children meet Jo, a dirty, neglected, but lively little girl, on the beach one day. Jo is "street smart" and craves attention, especially from Dick. Strangely she seems to know a lot about what is going on and promises to help them find George and the dog. The suspense builds as the children are determined to solve the mystery by themselves. Narrator Jan Francis' English accent and expressive voice make each character in the story come to life as she recreates Jo's whiny but cunning character, Julian's deeper voice as the eldest cousin, and even Timmy's warning bark. Her pacing and inflection are perfect. Some of the vocabulary may be puzzling to American children, such as "caravan" for trailer, "torch" for flashlight, and "fortnight" for a two week period of time. Nevertheless, this is a highly entertaining, excellent quality audio version of a story which will keep children involved and might inspire them to read other books by Blyton. A good choice for public and school library audio collections.-Kristina Aaronson, Bethel Elementary School, Bethel, VT

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