As a child it was because the Sticks were the bad guys and the good guys were allowed to be mean to them as the baddies were mean first (I hope that makes sense). Five Run Away Together (published in 1944) is the third book in the Famous Five series by the British author Enid Blyton. Oh well, I guess I will have to wait if I want to pay a discount, though I must admit, is not really a bad thing.

Julian, Dick and Anne arrive in Kirrin Cottage to stay with George (real name Georgina) for the holidays. She is also the author of other favourites including The Secret Seven, The Magic Faraway Tree, Malory Towers and Noddy. In Five Run Away Together, Julian’s character comes out into the light more, and this pompousness is continued and revisited throughout the rest of the series. Born in London in 1897, Enid lived much of her life in Buckinghamshire and adored dogs, gardening and the countryside. But when they arrive on the island strange things start to happen; there are flashes and noises at night, and they find an odd trunk on the old wreck.

I lost count how many times I’ve read this particular book, and re-reading it as an adult still does not bores me.

There isn't anything I didn't really like but I liked when the children made echoes to scare the Sticks away and when they got a reward from the police. In this third volume of the Famous Five series, events start off on a horrid note as the children discover that the packets of sandwiches they have wheedled from the new kitchen lackey are not very nice—too stale, too thick, and worst of all, not enough butter! The children discover the Sticks have imprisoned a young girl, Jennifer Armstrong, on the island and are holding her for ransom. He has never picked up that old fashioned language in his day-to-day talk, though I wondered if he would.

She wrote over 700 books and 2,000 short stories, including favourites such as The Famous Five, The Secret Seven , The Magic Faraway Tree and Malory Towers. In the 1990s TV series, Jennifer's father is General Armstrong, who has information on the Gemini project.

On the plus side (there is one), bottles of ginger beer make their first appearance (although I’m still waiting for the quantities involved to be described as ‘lashings’)!They had a fine breakfast of tongue, tinned peaches, bread and butter, golden syrup and ginger-beer.

However, to have a wretched individual make accusations against you, and then you not being allowed to defend yourself is not a nice position to be in, especially when your superior seems to use any excuse that comes about to criticise and condemn your actions.So deadly are these rocks, apparently, that in one book they are the only defence needed for Uncle Quentin's top secret work, and the baddies actually have to PARACHUTE onto the island.