The Magic Faraway tree was the book that started my love of reading. The way you could step into a different setting with the turn of a page, the characters were brought to life by Enid Blyton and they jumped into my head, imagination and heart and have remained there ever since. The pictures she planted in my mind are still so very clear today so when I heard that Jacqueline Wilson had rewritten in I knew I just had to read. She was the Author of my Children’s favourite stories so I thought she can’t go far wrong.

It was once again an enjoyable read and it was great to be reunited with my old friends, who despite the years were still exactly as I imagined them.
I felt that the author did a great job considering the PC bridge she had to cross to bring this story to life in a style that was suitable for the modern world. The Magic was most definitely still there and I would like to Thank Jacqueline for breathing new life into it and hope the young children of today and tomorrow enjoy it as much as I did

I’ve been reading this to my P1 (5-6 year old) class, and based on their excited ‘Can we please read more Faraway Tree?’ questions I’m going to guess they’re enjoying it a lot!
We’re only about 30% so far, but since their only complaint is that the e-ARC doesn’t have pictures, we’ll be continuing the rest in the hard copy I’ve ordered.
It’s a lovely update to the older stories, and makes it far more relatable to modern children. I’m so glad we can keep the magic of the Faraway Tree alive.

A visit to the well known land but with new characters and adventures. A magical read to capture young readers.

This is an emotive one for me! The Magic Faraway Tree books by Enid Blyton remain, to this day, my all time favourite read - ever! It was the Magic Faraway Tree, with its unique cast of characters, its mouth-watering food and magical lands that made me fall in love with reading stories and, in all honesty, I don't think any other story has ever given me quite the same feeling that I feel when I revisit these familiar pages.
Therefore, I approached this new release with trepidation. Would it be a good idea to read a new version of a story that almost feels part of me? Although inspired by Enid Blyton, surely Jacqueline Wilson would bring her own style and ideas - and perhaps change - to this new adventure? But, of course, this book wasn't written for me. It was written for a new generation of children who will now be able fall in love with the Faraway tree and its inhabitants just like I did but without the dated attitudes that underpin the originals. Change can be good and, after throwing caution to the wind and diving in, I can honestly say that this feels like coming home to find it has been given a fresh lick of paint.
Yes, as an original reader, there were things that I struggled with at the beginning; the mention of the internet, the stronger presence of the parents and the manipulation of time. None of which will bother little readers though - packing your children a picnic and sending them off for the whole day just isn't done in modern times. But, it wasn't long before I became immersed in the familiarity of old friends and the excitement of new lands.
The adventure is certainly very joyful- fun, frothy and frilled with all the comforting things I loved as a child; the slippery-slip, toffee shocks, the ever-changing fruit that grows on the tree itself. But there are also some lovely new additions with Pippin the bear and honey cakes. Whereas there was a fair amount of peril in the old adventures, such as getting stuck in lands or being whisked away by angry bears or sinister enchanters, Jacqueline Wilson has stayed rather more light-hearted for most of the adventure. Make way for the Land of Unicorns, The Land of Bouncy Castles and The Land of Princesses with a final fiery visit from The Land of Dragons. What I really loved, however, was that it felt both fresh and true to the original at the same time and, in the end, I even wanted to see more change, with the girls really coming into their own.
At the end of the day, any avid reader of the originals is going to have an opinion on this new adventure. However, I'm just so glad I gave it a chance. The Faraway Tree is no longer frozen in time and now lands I only ever dreamed about exist ready to entertain a new age of readers who will hopefully embrace the story with the same excitement that I did over 35 years ago. Eek! When did I get so old? I just can't wait to share it with my own children.

I had mixed feelings when I first heard about this book. I absolutely loved the Enchanted Woods book as a child and also read them to my Children when they were younger. I wasn't sure whether this was going to be the original books rewritten or a follow on.
The subtitle-a new adventure gave me a clue. It is just that, a new adventure with a new family, but with Silky, Moonface, Saucepan Man, Dame Washalot et al. and the lands at the top of The Faraway Tree.
Milo, Mia and Birdy are the three young siblings who are staying in the cottage at the edge of the woods for a holiday. Their relationship is more realistic for a modern audience than in the originals, as there is sibling rivalry and mild arguments. This book also has more humour which any parent who is reading this to their children will recognise.
The Enchanted woods are still traditional, although the rabbits are rude to the children and the animals are not always sweet and well behaved. Silky and Moonface have rooms that are very quaint. The Children do admonish Moonface for his sexist attitude. Mr Saucepan Man mentioned internet shopping. This book has a quirky mix of Enid Blytons traditional stories but with a modern humorous and witty update.
It would have been nice if their were more lands that were visited. I think that there definitely could be more books.
This is an enjoyable read, I think that it could be read by an independent young reader or read aloud to younger children.
I am pleased that this book keeps the charm and magic of the original books while being more relevant for a modern audience.
Thank you to Netgalley and The Publisher for my ARC.

Aw, this book is just a nostalgia-filled delight. The Faraway Tree stories were my favourites growing up. I adored them. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that Jacqueline Wilson was writing more. It was just lovely to be back with Silky, Moonface and the gang again. It wasn’t *quite* the same but it wasn’t far off.

Thank you for the arc 😊

A homage to one of the greatest children's tales of all time, Jacqueline Wilson adds such magic to an already beloved series. Following the story of 3 little children, Milo, Mia and Birdy, we watch them find the faraway tree, and embark on a multitude of adventures, all of which ended in laughter and joy.

The only downfall of this book, is that I would've liked to see more of the summer holidays, how the children might feel having to leave the little cottage and the faraway tree, if they plan on returning, perhaps if Mum and Dad know what the children were up to. If there's going to be a book 2, I will certainly pick it up!

I loved the original series of these books and was excited to read this version and revisit old ground. I was not disappointed in many ways. All of my old favourites make an appearance: Silky, Moonface, Dame Washalot, Saucepan Man, Watzisname...just wonderful to meet these old friends again. There was still that amazing tree that grew such diverse food and the ever-changing fabulous lands at the top to visit.

The dynamic between the three children seemed similar to the original, though Birdy was quite annoying and seemed young. If I had been her siblings, I would have sneaked off without her!

This is a brilliant title for an able Year 3 onwards, I would say. It is a book to be enjoyed by all and it is great to see a slightly modernised version. I love the slightly feminist angle when the children are aghast that Silky tidies up after Moonface! The only criticism I have is that is was slow to get going and set the scene, though I did know what to expect from the originals; also, I wanted more! I felt cheated that we did not visit more lands and enjoy more adventures - please tell me there will be follow up titles!

i haven't read a jacqueline wilson book for a long time but this took me right back to my childhood, esp as it was doubled with the magic faraway tree, another childhood favourite. her writing is so simply magical and whimsical and lovely and this was a lot of fun to read

I approached this book with some mixed feelings. I have such fond memories of the original faraway tree books from my childhood so I was intrigued to read this new adventure.
It actually didn’t disappoint! It read very much like the originals and I enjoyed reading it with my daughter. It has the same feel as the originals but is more up to date and relevant for children today. A lovely read.

When I heard that Jacqueline Wilson was bringing out a retelling with The Magical Far Away Tree, I was delighted. This was my favourite book growing up and I have fond memories of the magical lands the children discovered.

This gem of a book brings along the fun, excitement and adventure as Enid Blyton's original. Enjoyable for kids and adults alike, it is an easy-going read, fantastical elements but also a hint of some educational points or morals along the way. Such as keeping one's room tidy, or not going somewhere dangerous if you have been told not to! Although I didn't get to see the illustrations, I'm sure they will add lots to the reading experience to see what Silky, Moonface and all our beloved characters look like in the story.

Highly recommend. Thank you for access to the story.

A worthy successor to Blyton as iconic fantastical children’s author, Jacqueline Wilson picks up the Magic FarAway Tree concept with aplomb. The original was a real childhood favourite for me and possibly where my lifelong love of magical realism and fantasy started. Bringing this to a new audience is wonderful, with some cute kid characters which did feel reminiscent of the Narnia children in the best way. This book captures the magic and mystery of the original and this reincarnation really does live up to the original story. The kindle version however did not display any illustrations but I can imagine these really added to the story.

The Magic Faraway Tree was my favourite childhood read and i couldn't wait to see how Jacqueline Wilson approached the magic.
I loved the way she introduced the family and how they found the magical lands at the top of the tree.. i wss like taking a little journey back to the suspended belief of childhood adventuures.
This was a wonderful read for former Enid Blyton fans and children experiencing the Magic Faraway Tree for the first time.

As someone who grew up reading Jacqueline Wilson books I was so excited to read The Magic Faraway Tree. She has done an amazing job. It's engaging and beautifully written. I will definitely be ordering a hardback for my shelf upon publication.

I jumped at the chance to read this, being of a certain age, and growing up with Enid. I’ve never read a Jaqueline Wilson book either though obviously I know of her, so I was doubly intrigued as to what this “new” story would be like.

I was pleasantly surprised. I’d forgotten about Silky and Moonface, and the rest if I’m honest, so it was wonderful to reconnect with them, I think, exactly as they were…... I did feel very much like I’d gone back to my childhood.

I did find Birdy incredibly annoying as a character though, but that’s just how she is - there is always one, and I did feel like the book just ended without any closure, which I found very strange - maybe my copy wasn’t the whole book? It just stopped.

All in all though, I really enjoyed reading this, it’s a great adaptation and true to the original books as far as I can remember.

My thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Children's Group for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Enid Blyton was the first author that got me into reading when I was about 8 years old and I would always be found with one of her books in hand. The Faraway Tree was one of my favourite series and I read them over and over again.
As I got older I loved Jacqueline Wilson's books as well so when I saw she had written an adaptation of The Faraway Tree I was intrigued and a little bit apprehensive. Would it be as good the second time round? Would the 'magic' still be there? The answer in my opinion is yes. Reading this as a 37 year old rather than as an 8 year old is obviously very different but I loved the feeling of nostalgia visiting The Faraway Tree and all it's quirky characters. The children are a different set this time round and the storyline has been bought up to date but the things I remember are still there. The magic lands at the top of the tree, the fact that time stops in the Enchanted Wood and the adventures the children experience. I hope that any children reading this will love it as much as I did as a child. I certainly enjoyed this version but it won't take the place in my heart of Enid Blyton's original.

When I was younger, I was an avid reader of Enid Blyton. I read all of the Famous Five, most of the Secret Seven, the Tales of Malory Towers and the St Clare's books but my favourite was the Tales of the Faraway Tree series. I loved the idea of there being a magical tree with different lands at the top and always wanted to know which land would arrive next. Now as a teacher, I am a fan of Jacqueline Wilson's writing. The children in my school enjoy reading her books and I'm sure they will enjoy this one. The old familiar characters for me were there alongside the new group of children who get to explore the tree. It's nice to see little flashes of each character and see how they develop throughout the story, although as an adult reader I would have liked to know a little more about each of them. It was also nice to see some feminist themes coming through. I think this book would provide some great writing opportunities, especially around setting descriptions as each child could invent their very own land that would arrive at the tree and the adventures that would occur there.

A fun new adventure in the Magic Faraway Tree universe. The sibling-relationships were believable and to be reunited with the folk in the Faraway Tree was wonderful after growing up with the original stories!

3 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Hachette Children’s Group and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

As a huge fan of the original book series I was quite excited to see that Jacqueline Wilson, another author that I really enjoyed from my youth, was tackling a new take on the Faraway Tree.

The original Faraway series is something that I have read as a child, as a teenager and as an adult, something I have always gone back to especially if I’ve needed some magic and childlike wonder back in my life.

I feel like this book will be great for newcomers to the series, whereas for those like myself are really enamoured with the original story and the magic of it might be a little bit disappointed. I found the youngest child Birdy to be particularly grating as she was excessively childlike and demanding and quite rude frankly. The other two children were absolutely fine but not as engaging or as likable as the original children. Likewise the magic of the story just wasn’t quite there and the pacing was a bit off as they didn’t discover the worlds at the top until quite late in the book, and again for those of us looking for the nostalgia Silky features very heavily, saucepan man is a side character at best, which was disappointing for me and Moonface does not feature much either which was quite disappointing for someone like myself revisiting the series.

However as I said I think would be a great book for young children now and is set in modern times. I would definitely recommend it for new readers however if you like me and you loved the series when you were younger and it’s something you have continued to revisit and you’re looking for that nostalgia and that magic, unfortunately this one misses the mark.

When it comes to Jacqueline Wilson books, I always have a good time reading them with my kid. This novel transports you to another world, and the landscapes are well depicted. I sincerely hope that this series will continue. 4 stars