Waiting On Wednesday: ADVENTURE ISLAND by Helen Moss

So here's the thing: I'm nearly 26 and quite excited about a new adventure series that's coming out soon, targeted at like 8 to 12 years. Pretty damn weird, right? But allow me to explain.

When I was like 9 to 13 years old, there was this writer called ENID BLYTON (legend!), who pretty much rocked my world. I absolutely adored her Famous Five and Barney Mysteries series (the only two that were translated into my native language) and I would read them over and over and over again, especially during summer holidays. I loved all their adventures and I just had a blast reading those books back then - they were totally THE books of my childhood!

I guess I never really got over them, heh ... The other day I learned that there's this new series coming out, called Adventure Island, which sounds just like Enid Blyton wrote it! And the covers are similar too! (Ooooh, what a coincidence, innit, haha.) My inner child just got so excited at the sound of these - I mean, I would've LOVED this like 15 years ago! Where were these books when I needed them?! Instead I had to resort to reading Enid Blyton over & over again, ha. It was fun and stuff, but got a bit less exciting eventually since I knew damn well what was going to happen, which kind of ruins the whole point.

Aaaaanyway! If YOU too used to be a massive Enid Blyton fan, then you'll probably get a bit excited about these books too - here they are!

Book 1: The Mystery of the Whistling Caves
When Scott and Jack Carter have to stay with their great aunt for the summer they steel themselves for the most boring holiday ever. But then they meet Emily Wild and her loveable dog, Drift. Emily shows them the lighthouse, the castle - and the amazing whistling caves. Legend has it that when the caves stop whistling the castle will be attacked - and that's exactly what happens! Priceless treasures are stolen and Emily and the boys are determined to investigate. But how was the treasure smuggled out of the castle? Why did the caves stop whistling? And can the friends solve the mystery in time to catch the thief?

Book 2: The Mystery of the Midnight Ghost
When Scott , Jack and Emily hear that a film is being made at the nearby manor house they can't resist going to watch. But when the glamorous star of the film vanishes the friends realize they have a new mystery to solve! Has the star been kidnapped by a crazed fan? Could she have run off with her boyfriend? Or did she venture into the manor's attic at midnight and fall foul of the legendary ghost that haunts the old house?

Book 3: The Mystery of the Hidden Gold
A game of hide and seek in the old Castle Key lighthouse during a violent thunder storm leads to an amazing discovery - a tattered old treasure map! Scott, Jack and Emily can't wait to search for the hidden gold but first they must solve the clues to uncover its secret hiding place. And someone else is after the gold too - someone who doesn't plan to let anyone get in their way! Can our heroes figure out the map, outwit their enemy and find the hidden treasure?

Book 4: The Mystery of the Missing Masterpiece
When thieves raid the house of a neighbour, Emily, Jack and Scott are ready to investigate. But, strangely, the neighbour doesn't seem to want the thieves to be caught! The burglars didn't escape with much this time but could the raid be connected to a much older crime involving millions of pounds? The friends begin to uncover the truth, but are they leading themselves into serious danger? Mystery, menace and adventure await in the fourth book of this gripping new series!

Book 5: The Mystery of the Cursed Ruby
The circus comes to town, full of conjurors, clowns, tightrope walkers and trapeze artists. But dark secrets lurk beneath the sawdust and spangles - secrets that are part of a dangerous mystery that might prove impossible to solve!

Book 6: The Mystery of the Vanishing Skeleton
A string of unusual crimes hits Castle Key and the chief suspect seems to be a skeleton! Scott, Jack, Emily and Drift the dog immediately start investigating, but nothing about the mystery makes sense. Will the friends finally be defeated by this baffling mix of crimes and the mysterious culprit, or can they uncover the sinister secret that connects them all?

The Adventure Island books will be published in pairs every month: the first two come out in July, then two in August and two in September this year.

I know, I know, all these sound rather childish and I have no business being excited at nearly 26, buuuuut I just have a soft spot for Blyton-like adventures - she just made my childhood magical and I'm sure you understand if you used to enjoy her books. ;)

Soooo tell me - any more Enid Blyton fans in the house? :)