The book follows Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy (George’s faithful dog), through their Easter holiday adventures. The gang are all cousins, and are spending the holiday with George’s parents, Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin. Uncle Quentin is a great scientist and needs to perform some experiments on Kirren Island, which is near to their home. George is not happy about her father being on the island, as she firmly believes the island is hers. The children and Aunt Fanny decide to visit Uncle Quentin on the island, and are not able to find him anywhere, which is unusual as the children know the island so well. Eventually Quentin turns up, but is very shady about his work and where he is storing all his equipment. As Aunt Fanny is worried about her husband being alone on the island, they all decide Quentin needs to start signalling to Fanny so they all know he is safe. He tells them he will signal six times in the morning and six times in the evening. Over the next few days the children befriend a boy and his father who are new to the area. The gang invite Martin, the new boy, to join them on their adventures, in which they explore an old quarry. One morning Uncle Quentin signals 18 times to his family, so realising he must be in trouble, they row over to check on him on the island. He tells them that he believes someone else is on the island with him, and is concerned. He asks George if Timmy could stay with him on the island as his guard dog. George is very upset by the idea of leaving her dog on the island without her, but she realises it is for her father’s safety. Next morning George goes to the cost guard to check that Timmy is with Quentin when he signals, but he is nowhere to be seen. Unbeknown to the rest of the children, George decides to go to the island by herself in the middle of the night. She takes her boat to the island and manages to find the hidden spot where her father had been keeping his equipment. She discovers her father hiding in the tunnels, and he tells her that he was right about someone being on the island with him. Two men from his company have come to the island to steal his plans and sell them on. The two men captured Timmy, and have hidden him in a cave behind a huge rock. Quentin has a book of all his notes, which the two men want to steal. He gives the book to George in the hope she can escape from the island and put it in a safe place. George leaves her father to free Timmy, but when she frees him she hears the two men coming. George gives Timmy the book and tells him to go hide down in the tunnels, and off he goes. The men find George and her father and tell them that unless he hands over his notes and plans they will blow up the island in the morning. Quentin decides he must give the men what they want as he does not want to risk his daughter’s life. They both go searching for Timmy to get the book back, but he has gone so far down the tunnels that he cannot be found. Meanwhile, back at home, Anne discovers that George is not asleep in her bed, and raises the alarm with the others. Timmy then bursts into the house carrying Quentin’s notebook in his mouth. The gang cannot figure out how Timmy has been to the island and back without being with George or Uncle Quentin. They decide they must go to the island, so they follow Timmy, who takes them to the old quarry. They bump into Martin at the quarry and discover his father is actually his guardian who is making him help blow up the island with the other two men. Martin explains there are tunnels from the quarry to the island that go under the sea. Martin wants to help them, so Julian, Dick, Martin and Timmy all go through the tunnels to find Quentin and George. Anne stays behind to let Aunt Fanny know what is happening. As Anne is about to leave the quarry she sees Martin’s guardian, Mr Curton, who then slips down the quarry and breaks his leg. Anne leaves him there and runs back to the house to let Aunt Fanny what is happening. The boys cross over to the island via the tunnel and find George and Quentin, and they quickly hatch a plan to attack the men, but unfortunately the men hear them. The men then ask for Quentin’s notes once again, but he refuses to hand them over. The men escape through the tunnels and leave the children, Timmy and Quentin to be blown up. Quentin does not want to escape through the tunnel as he is worried it will collapse with the explosion, but they realise a rock is in their way and cannot be moved. Suddenly they hear voices from the other side of the rock and realise it is Anne and Fanny. Luckily they have bought Quentin’s fishermen with them and they soon get the rock moved. As soon as they are free Quentin runs to his work tower, smashes the windows and pulls all the wires apart to stop the explosion. They go back to the quarry and find Mr Curton lying on the ground with his broken leg. The police doctor takes him away, and Quentin and the police wait for the two other men. Eventually, after Timmy goes to fetch them from the tunnels, the two men appear and are arrested immediately. This book is a great, timeless adventure, with many twists and turns along the way. Each child in the book is such a well written character, which a variety of personalities that children could relate to. It would make a good personal reading book for age 7 and above. It has a great storyline, but some of the language is a little out-dated, which could be slightly tricky, but makes for a nice challenge. The book could also be a little scary for young or sensitive children, as guns and violence are included in the storyline. If I were to use this book in the classroom, I would create a literature session in which the class created an adventure story of their own. I would either use this as a group activity, or as individual work for older children. This could be a cross curricular activity, with drawings pictures, as well as writing the story itself. I would highly recommend all children, and adults, to experience reading any of The Famous Five books, as they really are true, classic, children’s literature.
![The Famous Five [4 Adventures]](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png)
Five On Kirrin Island Again
The book follows Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy (George’s faithful dog), through their Easter holiday adventures. The gang are all cousins, and are spending the holiday with George’s parents, Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin. Uncle Quentin is a great scientist and needs to perform some experiments on Kirren Island, which is near to their home. George is not happy about her father being on the island, as she firmly believes the island is hers.
The children and Aunt Fanny decide to visit Uncle Quentin on the island, and are not able to find him anywhere, which is unusual as the children know the island so well. Eventually Quentin turns up, but is very shady about his work and where he is storing all his equipment. As Aunt Fanny is worried about her husband being alone on the island, they all decide Quentin needs to start signalling to Fanny so they all know he is safe. He tells them he will signal six times in the morning and six times in the evening.
Over the next few days the children befriend a boy and his father who are new to the area. The gang invite Martin, the new boy, to join them on their adventures, in which they explore an old quarry.
One morning Uncle Quentin signals 18 times to his family, so realising he must be in trouble, they row over to check on him on the island. He tells them that he believes someone else is on the island with him, and is concerned. He asks George if Timmy could stay with him on the island as his guard dog. George is very upset by the idea of leaving her dog on the island without her, but she realises it is for her father’s safety.
Next morning George goes to the cost guard to check that Timmy is with Quentin when he signals, but he is nowhere to be seen. Unbeknown to the rest of the children, George decides to go to the island by herself in the middle of the night. She takes her boat to the island and manages to find the hidden spot where her father had been keeping his equipment. She discovers her father hiding in the tunnels, and he tells her that he was right about someone being on the island with him. Two men from his company have come to the island to steal his plans and sell them on. The two men captured Timmy, and have hidden him in a cave behind a huge rock. Quentin has a book of all his notes, which the two men want to steal. He gives the book to George in the hope she can escape from the island and put it in a safe place. George leaves her father to free Timmy, but when she frees him she hears the two men coming. George gives Timmy the book and tells him to go hide down in the tunnels, and off he goes. The men find George and her father and tell them that unless he hands over his notes and plans they will blow up the island in the morning. Quentin decides he must give the men what they want as he does not want to risk his daughter’s life. They both go searching for Timmy to get the book back, but he has gone so far down the tunnels that he cannot be found.
Meanwhile, back at home, Anne discovers that George is not asleep in her bed, and raises the alarm with the others. Timmy then bursts into the house carrying Quentin’s notebook in his mouth. The gang cannot figure out how Timmy has been to the island and back without being with George or Uncle Quentin. They decide they must go to the island, so they follow Timmy, who takes them to the old quarry. They bump into Martin at the quarry and discover his father is actually his guardian who is making him help blow up the island with the other two men. Martin explains there are tunnels from the quarry to the island that go under the sea. Martin wants to help them, so Julian, Dick, Martin and Timmy all go through the tunnels to find Quentin and George. Anne stays behind to let Aunt Fanny know what is happening. As Anne is about to leave the quarry she sees Martin’s guardian, Mr Curton, who then slips down the quarry and breaks his leg. Anne leaves him there and runs back to the house to let Aunt Fanny what is happening.
The boys cross over to the island via the tunnel and find George and Quentin, and they quickly hatch a plan to attack the men, but unfortunately the men hear them. The men then ask for Quentin’s notes once again, but he refuses to hand them over. The men escape through the tunnels and leave the children, Timmy and Quentin to be blown up. Quentin does not want to escape through the tunnel as he is worried it will collapse with the explosion, but they realise a rock is in their way and cannot be moved. Suddenly they hear voices from the other side of the rock and realise it is Anne and Fanny. Luckily they have bought Quentin’s fishermen with them and they soon get the rock moved. As soon as they are free Quentin runs to his work tower, smashes the windows and pulls all the wires apart to stop the explosion. They go back to the quarry and find Mr Curton lying on the ground with his broken leg. The police doctor takes him away, and Quentin and the police wait for the two other men. Eventually, after Timmy goes to fetch them from the tunnels, the two men appear and are arrested immediately.
This book is a great, timeless adventure, with many twists and turns along the way. Each child in the book is such a well written character, which a variety of personalities that children could relate to. It would make a good personal reading book for age 7 and above. It has a great storyline, but some of the language is a little out-dated, which could be slightly tricky, but makes for a nice challenge. The book could also be a little scary for young or sensitive children, as guns and violence are included in the storyline. If I were to use this book in the classroom, I would create a literature session in which the class created an adventure story of their own. I would either use this as a group activity, or as individual work for older children. This could be a cross curricular activity, with drawings pictures, as well as writing the story itself.
I would highly recommend all children, and adults, to experience reading any of The Famous Five books, as they really are true, classic, children’s literature.