How to Read the Enid Blyton Secret Series: Recommended Order
Enid Blyton’s Secret Series is best read in publication order. Unlike some of Blyton's more formulaic collections, the Secret Series features a clear progression of character development, changes in family dynamics, and the introduction of a key recurring character, Prince Paul, in the second book. Reading the books out of order will spoil major plot points, particularly the resolution of the children's family status at the beginning of the second volume.
The Secret Books in Recommended Reading Order
- Book 1: The Secret Island (1938) – The classic survival story that starts the children's adventures.
- Book 2: The Secret of Spiggy Holes (1940) – Introduces Prince Paul of Baronia and shifts the series into rescue-mission territory.
- Book 3: The Secret Mountain (1941) – A rescue adventure set in Africa to save the children's parents.
- Book 4: The Secret of Killimooin (also published as The Secret Forest) (1943) – The children holiday in Prince Paul's home country, Baronia, leading to underground cave explorations.
- Book 5: The Secret of Moon Castle (1953) – The final original Blyton book, taking place in a spooky, scientifically anomalous castle.
- Book 6: The Secret Valley (2009 / 2016) – A modern sequel written by Trevor J. Bolton, authorized to sit alongside modern reprints.
Detailed Guide to the Secret Books
1. The Secret Island (1938)
Peggy, Mike, and Nora are siblings living with a harsh aunt and uncle after their explorer parents disappear in a plane crash. Alongside their friend Jack, an eccentric and resourceful orphan boy, the children escape their cruel guardians and flee to a remote, abandoned island in the middle of a large lake. There, they build a willow-tree house, care for a stray cow, and live off the land. This novel is highly regarded as one of Blyton’s absolute best, focusing heavily on self-reliance, survival skills, and the quiet joy of independence, with minimal external threat until the very end.
2. The Secret of Spiggy Holes (1940)
With their parents safely found and returned, the children's lives have changed. During a holiday on the wild Cornish coast at a place called Spiggy Holes, they meet a young boy named Paul. They soon discover that Paul is the runaway Prince of Baronia, a small European kingdom, and that he is being pursued by dangerous kidnappers. The children embark on a mission to hide and rescue him, establishing a bond that shapes the remainder of the series.
3. The Secret Mountain (1941)
The stakes rise dramatically when the children's parents, Captain and Mrs. Arnold, go missing once again during a flight over Africa. Refusing to wait idly, the children and Prince Paul travel to Africa in search of them. They trace the parents' disappearance to the mysterious "Secret Mountain," inhabited by a reclusive, sun-worshipping tribe. The book is an action-oriented rescue thriller, typical of early mid-century children's adventure fiction.
4. The Secret of Killimooin / The Secret Forest (1943)
For their next holiday, Prince Paul invites the children to his mountainous homeland of Baronia. While staying in the castle, they set out to explore the mysterious mountain region of Killimooin. They uncover a vast, hidden forest inside an enormous cavern system and encounter a band of local robbers. This book is frequently published under the alternative title The Secret Forest in modern editions and international markets.
5. The Secret of Moon Castle (1953)
Published a decade after the fourth book, this final installment penned by Enid Blyton takes the children to Moon Castle, a remote residence leased by their parents. Strange occurrences plague the castle: objects move on their own, walls glow with eerie light, and mysterious noises echo through the halls. The children investigate the castle's history and geology, ultimately uncovering a plot involving rare, scientifically valuable minerals.
6. The Secret Valley (2009 / 2016)
Originally written by Trevor J. Bolton and published in 2009 (with subsequent releases in 2016), this novel acts as a continuation of Blyton's series. The children return to the kingdom of Baronia to visit Prince Paul, where they discover a hidden, inaccessible valley containing secret developmental aircraft, leading to a classic adventure that honors the tone of the original five books.
What to Know Before You Start
The Secret Series stands out from other famous Enid Blyton works, like the Famous Five or the Secret Seven, due to its evolution of genres. It begins as a pastoral survival adventure in The Secret Island before transitioning into political intrigue, exotic rescues, and sci-fi mystery. Readers should note that older editions may contain dated terminology and social perspectives typical of 1930s-1950s British children's literature, though modern reprints by publishers such as Award Publications and Hachette have updated the language for modern audiences.
The 1997 Television Adaptation
In 1997, the New Zealand-based production company Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment adapted the series for television as a 20-episode show (often broadcast as five feature-length movies). The adaptation modernized the setting to the 1990s and made significant changes: Nora was renamed Laura, and all four main children (Jack, Peggy, Mike, and Laura) were depicted as siblings, with the explorer Thaddeus Arnold as their father. Despite these creative liberties, the TV series successfully captured the adventurous spirit of Blyton's work for a new generation.