A review by joyfulme
The Island of Adventure by Enid Blyton

3.0

Published in 1944, The Island of Adventure reads a bit like a British, milder version of a Hardy Boys mystery with sinister criminals and action-packed sleuthing. The children are impertinent and call each other names like “idiot” and “ass” (sometimes affectionately) which I find disappointing. What does come across effortlessly in the course of the story is the breadth of education gleaned from old fashioned, free range inquisitiveness in children. By the end of their summer of adventure, the kids have acquired the skill of sailing, have observed bird identifiers and behaviors, have made practical use of old maps and historical books, and have become intimately familiar with speleology and copper mining.