''The Island of Adventure'' (published in 1944) is a popular children's book by

Enid Blyton Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have be ...

. It is the first book in the Adventure Series. The first edition was illustrated by Stuart Tresilian.

Plot summary

During school holidays, Jack, his sister Lucy-Ann, and their parrot Kiki go to stay with their new friends, Phillip and Dinah, in their isolated old house, "Craggy-Tops", set on a steep cliff on the coast. The house is owned by Phillip and Dinah's uncle Jocelyn (a focused historian) and overworked aunt Polly, who are helped by a handyman named Jo-Jo (Joe in some versions). Jo-Jo warns the boys that, from their tower room in Craggy-Tops, they can occasionally see the dangerous Isle of Gloom, though it is usually shrouded in fog and mist. Soon the children meet Bill Smugs who shares Jack's fascination with birds. The children sail out to the Isle of Gloom and eventually learn that Jo-Jo is working with men who are counterfeiting money in the old mines on the island.

Changes in new editions

Changes have been made to ''The Island of Adventure'' in newer editions of the book. These include: * The title of the US edition of the book was changed to ''Mystery Island''. * The once

handyman A handyman, also known as a fixer, handyperson or handyworker, is a person skilled at a wide range of repairs, typically around the home. These tasks include trade skills, repair work, maintenance work, are both interior and exterior, and are so ...

turned villain, Joe, was a black man named Jo-Jo in the original novel. His skin color is mentioned over 30 times. References to his ethnicity have been removed from some newer editions.

Film adaptation

A film based on the book was released in the United Kingdom in 1982. It was directed by

Anthony Squire Jack Francis Anthony Squire (5 May 1914 – 15 May 2000) was an English film and television screenwriter and director. He was married for a time to the actress Shelagh Fraser. Born in London, he is best known for his work on ITC televisio ...

and stars

Norman Bowler Norman Clifford Bowler (born 1 August 1932) is an English actor, best known for his role as Frank Tate in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Early life Norman Clifford Bowler was born on 1 August 1932 in London, England. His father, Clifford N ...

as Bill,

Wilfrid Brambell Henry Wilfrid Brambell (22 March 1912 – 18 January 1985) was an Irish television and film actor, best remembered for playing the grubby rag-and-bone man Albert Steptoe alongside Harry H. Corbett in the long-running BBC television sitcom '' ...

as Uncle Jocelyn and

Eleanor Summerfield Eleanor Audrey Summerfield (7 March 1921 – 13 July 2001) was an English actress who appeared in many plays, films and television series. She is known for her roles in ''Laughter in Paradise'' (1951), ''Final Appointment'' (1954), ''Odongo'' (1 ...

as Aunt Polly. There was also a New Zealand television series, in which the first episode is based on The Island of Adventure.

Awards and accolades

The Boys Clubs of America gave this work a Junior Book Club Medal in 1947 under the title ''Mystery Island''.

References

External links

*
''The Island of Adventure'' at the EBS website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Island Of Adventure, The 1944 British novels Novels by Enid Blyton Novels set on islands 1944 children's books Novels set in Scotland Macmillan Publishers books Children's books set in Scotland Children's books set on islands