The Famous Five may not exactly be for older children, but nonetheless I am sure there are many out there who remember fondly this series of 21 novels featuring the adventurous quartet of children and their dog, Timmy.
The Famous Five were, in order of their ages; Julian, Dick, George and Anne. Julian, Dick and Anne are siblings, while Georgina is their cousin, a tomboy who insists on being called George. George's parents, Quentin and Fanny Kirrin, also feature prominently in several of the books. Quentin is a famous scientist, whose important work becomes the target of villains on more than one occasion. Of course, Timmy the dog is a permanent member of the Five, so he can't be missed out here!
Several of the stories centre around the village of Kirrin, where George lives with her parents in their ancestral home, Kirrin Cottage - a large house despite its misleading name. Her family also owns Kirrin Island, with its ruined castle, which George's mother gave to her as a present. Although initially reluctant to befriend her three cousins, by the middle of the first book, the four are firm friends. George even consents to share her island and beloved dog, Timmy, with the other three.
The Novels
1 Five on a Treasure Island
- Julian, Dick and Anne meet their cousin, George, for the first time. They are intrigued by Kirrin Island, a small island in the bay with the ruins of a castle and the wreck of a galleon. They also learn of George's secret - a lovable dog named Timmy whom she is forbidden to keep by her father. When the Five discover a map leading to the lost Kirrin treasure, they immediately set out to find it ... but they aren't the only ones looking for the hidden gold.
2 Five Go Adventuring Again
- The second book in the series brings the children back together for the Christmas holidays at Kirrin Cottage. Unfortunately though, Uncle Quentin has enlisted a tutor to help the children with their studies. Julian, Dick and Anne quickly warm to the new tutor, but George isn't sure that Mr. Roland is what he seems, especially after he causes Timmy to be sent out of the house. The children embark on yet another adventure to find a secret passage that leads from the Kirrin Farmhouse to the cottage, while at the same time, trying to solve the mystery of how important papers went missing from Uncle Quentin's study.
3 Five Run Away Together
- When both the maid Joanna and Aunt Fanny fall seriously ill, the children are left in the care of a new housekeeper, Clara Stick. With Uncle Quentin also absent, Mrs Stick has the run of the house, along with her husband and son, the unruly Edgar. So the children decide to run away to Kirrin Island where they camp out in a hidden cave. But they soon discover they are not alone on the island ... and that kidnappers have also made it their hiding-place!
4 Five Go To Smugglers' Top
- When a tree falls on Kirrin Cottage and destroys their rooms, the children have nowhere to stay for the holidays while their rooms are remodelled. Then Uncle Quentin has a brilliant idea - to send the children to stay at Smugglers' Top, the home of his scientist friend, Mr Lenoir. Moreover, Pierre 'Sooty' Lenoir is a friend of Julian and Dick's. However, mystery follows the children to the isolated hilltop mansion in the middle of marshland when they see someone signalling from the tower in the middle of the night. Then both Uncle Quentin and Sooty go missing, in one of the Five's most dangerous adventures yet!
5 Five Go Off in a Caravan
- Julian, Dick and Anne's parents allow the Five to go off in a couple of caravans by themselves, on the trail of a circus. The Five find the perfect spot to park their caravans and make friends with a member of the circus who is about their own age. But why are Tiger Dan and Lou intent on chasing the Five away?
6 Five on Kirrin Island Again
- George is furious when her father decides to build a tower on Kirrin Island and conduct his top-secret experiments there. His experiments are generating interest in some suspicious characters, so George finally consents to letting Timmy accompany Quentin on the island for his protection. But when both of them go missing, George decides to go to the island on her own and finds herself in peril. It's now up to the remaining trio to rescue her, Uncle Quentin and the island before it's too late!
7 Five Go Off to Camp
- The Five go camping on a moor with an old teacher, Mr Luffy. They soon make friends with Jock Andrews, whose parents own a nearby farm. But their idyllic camping holiday comes to an end when they discover spook trains operating in the abandoned railway underground. Is it ghosts, or is there a more sinister purpose for the trains?
8 Five Get into Trouble
- When the Five meet Richard Kent, they are unaware that their new acquaintance is going to get them in trouble. A ruthless convict with a grudge against Richard and his wealthy father decides to kidnap the boy - except the kidnappers mistakenly abduct Dick instead! The remaining members of the Five, with the unwilling Richard in tow, set off to Owl's Dene to rescue Dick - only to find themselves prisoners as well!
9 Five Fall into Adventure
- George is not pleased when her cousins and even her faithful dog Timmy make friends with another tomboy, the ragamuffin Jo. Then George and Timmy are kidnapped, soon after someone breaks into Kirrin Cottage in the middle of the night. The Five are going to need Jo's help if they want to find George, but can thy trust her?
10 Five on a Hike Together
- The Five are enjoying a hike in the peaceful countryside when the peace is shattered by the news of an escaped convict. The convict is soon caught, but not before he gives a secret message to Dick, of all people! The Five are puzzled until they realise that a man named Dirty Dick was supposed to receive the message - which holds clues to where the convict buried his stolen loot. The Five are determined to find the loot first, but there are others on the trail.
11 Five Have a Wonderful Time
- Once again, the Famous Five go on a caravan holiday. This time, their route takes them near the ruins of Faynights Castle, where a travelling fair has also been set up on the field opposite. The Five try to befriend the fair-folk without success, until Alfredo the fire-eater's niece turns up - it's Jo! The fair-folk soon warm to Jo's friends and are on hand to help when the Five witness a strange face at the window of the ruined castle. Who could it be, and what is going on in the ruins?
12 Five Go Down to the Sea
- The Five are enjoying their holiday in a farmhouse near the coast of Cornwall, especially when a travelling band of performers called the "Barnies" come to stay. The Five hear tales of wreckers long-gone, except are they really? Because on stormy nights, lights can be seen shining from the ruined tower once used by the wreckers. The Five are anxious to get to the bottom of this mystery, but even they are stunned when the final revelations are made.
And others ... coming soon!
The Television Series
There have been two television adaptations of the Famous Five series. The first adaptation, in 1978, starred Marcus Harris as Julian, Michelle Gallagher as George, Gary Russell as Dick and Jennifer Thanisch as Anne.
The second series was produced in 1996 and starred Jemima Rooper as George, Marco Williamson as Julian, Paul Child as Dick and Laura Petela as Anne. Unlike the 1978 series, this adaptation was set in the 1950s, the period when the books where written, and also dramatised all 21 books in the series.
An animated series, produced by Chorion in cooperation with Disney, is set to be released in 2007 and 2008. However there will be many differences from the original books; among them, the names of the four children will now be Dylan, Cole, Jo and Allie. Furthermore the series will be set in modern times.