A classic! I must have read each of these three books a dozen times as a child. They have certainly aged a bit (I thought it was a bit lousy of Moonface to insist on toffee before he would let the children use his slippery dip), but still a nostalgic read. ( )

my class of 7year olds have fallen in love with the enchanted wood and faraway tree. we are going through each book in the series and are actually pestering their parents to try and buy the books. it is wonderful to feel their excitement each time i grab the book.

I read this as a child first as three seperate books; The Enchanted Wood, The Faraway Tree and The Folk of the Faraway Tree. It stands the test of time and was a fun re-read as an adult.

It tells the story of Jo, Bessie and Fanny (not renamed as Frannie) who have moved to the country with their parents. They discover a magic wood with a huge tree that reaches up into faraway lands. The lands at the top swing around and change at random. Lands the children get to visit are the-land-of-do-as-you-please, the land of ice and snow, the land of birthdays and the land of slap.

Living in the tree is a host of colourful characters who the children befriend and share their adventures with. As usual Blyton describes in detail some fantastic places and some amazing food. The illustrations are also done very well bringing the story to life visually. ( )