Five Find-Outers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Five Find-Outers and Dog

Cover of The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat
The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat The Mystery of the Secret Room The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters The Mystery of the Missing Necklace The Mystery of the Hidden House The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat The Mystery of the Invisible Thief The Mystery of the Vanished Prince The Mystery of the Strange Bundle The Mystery of Holly Lane The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage The Mystery of the Missing Man The Mystery of the Strange Messages The Mystery of Banshee Towers
Author	Enid Blyton
Country	United Kingdom
Genre	Children's literature, mystery, adventure
Published	1943–1961
No. of books	15

The Five Find-Outers and Dog, also known as The Five Find-Outers, is a popular series of mystery books for children. They were written by the famous author Enid Blyton. The first book came out in 1943, and the last one in 1961.

The stories happen in a made-up village called Peterswood. In each book, a group of five friends and a dog solve a mystery during their school holidays. The group includes Larry, Fatty, Pip, Daisy, Bets, and Fatty's dog, Buster. They always figure out the puzzle before the local policeman, Mr. Goon, which makes him very annoyed!

Characters

The Five Find-Outers and Dog

• Frederick Algernon "Fatty" Trotteville – Fatty becomes the leader of the group from the third book. He is very clever and knows how to use things like invisible ink. The other kids call him Fatty because of his initials (F.A.T.) and because he is a bit stout.

Fatty gets a lot of pocket money and often buys treats for his friends. He loves disguises and has a big collection of costumes and wigs. He is also good at making up poems and wants to be a detective when he grows up. Bets, the youngest, really looks up to Fatty. He is 12 when the series starts.

• Laurence "Larry" Daykin – Larry is the oldest of the group. He was the first leader but passed the role to Fatty. He is Daisy's older brother. Larry is 13 years old at the beginning of the series.

• Margaret "Daisy" Daykin – Daisy is Larry's younger sister. She was the one who first thought of starting the "Five Find-Outers" club. Daisy is very good at coming up with new ideas and plans for their mysteries. She is 12 years old, the same age as Pip and Fatty.

• Philip "Pip" Hilton – Pip is the same age as Daisy and is Bets's older brother. He sometimes teases Bets. Pip's parents are quite strict and want him to focus more on schoolwork than on solving mysteries. He is 12 when the series begins.

• Elizabeth "Bets" Hilton – Bets is Pip's younger sister. She really admires Fatty and he is very kind to her. Even though she is the youngest, Bets is a very helpful member of the team. She is good at noticing small details that help solve the mysteries. Bets is only 8 years old at the start of the books. She also came up with the name "Five Find-Outers and Dog."

• Buster – Buster is Fatty's black Scottish Terrier dog. He loves Fatty very much. Buster's favorite thing to do is nip at Mr. Goon's ankles, which is very funny. He also loves eating biscuits with potted meat.

Police Force

• Theophilus Goon – Mr. Goon is the village policeman. The children always outsmart him in every story. He wants to get promoted but feels the children get in his way. He often tells them to "Clear Orf," which is why they call him "Clear-Orf." When he's annoyed, he often yells "Gah!" The children sometimes trick him with false clues so they can solve the mystery first.

• Inspector Jenks – Inspector Jenks is the head of the local police. The children often call or meet him when they have solved a mystery. He becomes a good friend to the children and admires their detective skills, especially Fatty's. He even hints that he would like Fatty to become a policeman one day.

• P.C. Pippin – P.C. Pippin fills in for Mr. Goon sometimes. He is a nice man and secretly helps the children solve mysteries. The children like him a lot because he doesn't like Mr. Goon either.

• P.C. Kenton – P.C. Kenton is mentioned in The Mystery of the Strange Bundle. He helps Mr. Goon look for imaginary things.

• P.C. Tonks – P.C. Tonks appears in The Mystery of the Invisible Thief. He thinks nothing exciting ever happens in Peterswood.

• P.C Johns – P.C. Johns appears in The Mystery of Tally Ho Cottage. He and Mr. Goon catch Fatty spying on a house.

Minor characters

• Ernest "Ern" Goon – Ern is Mr. Goon's nephew. He loves poetry and really looks up to Fatty. Ern is almost like an unofficial seventh member of the group. He appears in several books.

• Miss Trimble – Miss Trimble is Lady Candling's helper. The children call her Miss Tremble because she is scared of many things. Her glasses often fall off, which Bets likes to count.

• Miss Harmer – Miss Harmer takes care of Lady Candling's cats in The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat. She gets very upset when a valuable cat is stolen.

• Gladys – Gladys was Pip and Bets' maid. She received a mean, anonymous letter and left her job. The children found her and learned she used to be a thief but was trying to change. She later returned to work for the Hiltons.

• Mr and Mrs Hilton – They are Pip and Bets' parents. They are quite strict. Mr. Goon often complains to them about the children's detective work. They sometimes forbid Pip and Bets from getting involved in mysteries.

• Sid and Perce Goon – These are Ern's younger twin brothers. They appeared when they went camping with Ern. Sid loves eating toffee and chewing gum.

• Mrs Moon – Mrs. Moon was the cook at the Hiltons' house in The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters.

• Hilary – Hilary is Inspector Jenks' god-daughter. Her house was robbed in The Mystery of the Invisible Thief.

• Luke – Luke was a gardener's helper who became friends with the children in The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat. He was wrongly suspected of stealing a cat.

• Mrs. Trotteville – She is Fatty's mother. Fatty loves her very much. She is quite relaxed with him and doesn't take Mr. Goon seriously. She gives Fatty a lot of freedom.

• The Postman – The postman appears in several stories and often helps the children with their investigations.

• Liz and Glad – (Elizabeth and Gladys Woosh) They are Ern Goon's cousins. They helped Ern spy on some people in The Mystery Of Tally-Ho Cottage.

Timeline of the Series

When the series begins, Larry is 13 years old. Fatty, Pip, and Daisy are all 12. Bets, the youngest, is 8. Bets goes to a day school, while the others go to boarding school. This means Bets only sees her friends during school holidays.

The stories take place during successive school holidays: Easter, summer, and Christmas. The children solve a new mystery during each holiday. By the end of the series, Bets is 13, Fatty, Daisy, and Pip are 17, and Larry is 18.

Novels

The Mystery of the Missing Man (1956)

Collage of German book covers (editions 1971/72)

See also

In Spanish: Serie Misterio para niños