Legends of Literature: Enid Blyton Quiz

Answer:

Enid Mary Blyton was born in August 1897 in London. She liked writing stories and started composing them at an early age; while she trained as a teacher, she also served as a governess, and wrote prolifically even though she was working. Two years after a 24-page collection of her poems, 'Child Whispers', was published in 1922, she started working as a writer full-time. Her books became immediately popular, and more than 600 million copies have been sold worldwide since the 1930s. Her books have been translated into over ninety languages.

Blyton wrote 22 'Famous Five' books, including 'Five Go Off in a Caravan', 'Five Fall Into Adventure', 'Five on a Hike Together' and 'Five on Kirrin Island Again'.

'The Enchanted Wood, 'The Magic Faraway Tree' and 'The Folk of the Faraway Tree' are the three original books about the Faraway Tree. I always wanted to go to the land where you could turn on a tap and piping hot tomato soup would come out. I'm still looking for the right tree!

'Mr Galliano's Circus' was one of three in a series about the adventures to be had when living in the circus. There were 24 original Noddy and Big Ears in Toyland books; Jack, Philip, Dinah and Lucy-Ann, and Jack's parrot Kiki feature in the eight 'Adventure' series books.

One of the most successful and favourite of Enid Bylton's series was the Secret Seven series of fifteen adventures. The two original Wishing-Chair books by Enid Blyton, written in 1937 and 1950, feature Chinky the pixie, and siblings Molly and Peter, who went on adverntures on their chair that grew wings! Oh, and they had a purse that had a coin in it every time you opened it. Now, that was fun!

'Third Year at Malory Towers' and 'In the Fifth at Malory Towers' are two books in the Malory Towers series that tell of the adventures and friendship between Darrel Rivers and Sally Hope. Another of Blyton's school series the St Clare's series, of which 'The Twins at St Clare's' and 'The Second Form at St Clare's' are two.

Apart from her school series, adventure and fantasy novels, Blyton wrote a number of books on the Bible, retelling favourite stories of the Old and New Testaments. She also wrote for very young children, most notably the Noddy Books. Blyton was very civic-minded and encouraged her readers to support various charities. The members of the fan club for the Famous Five books supported the Shaftesbury Society Babies' Home, at Blyton's suggestion.

She died in 1968 of Alzheimer's disease.

The author of each of the incorrect answers are: Elinor M Brent-Dyer ('The Head Girl of the Chalet School'), Elsie J. Oxenham ('Schooldays at The Abbey'), J.K Rowling ('Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'), Arthur Ransome ('Swallows and Amazons') and Colleen McCullough ('The Thorn Birds').