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The Faraway Tree Books in Order

By the Bingerun team · How we choose the order →

There are four Enid Blyton Faraway Tree books (1939-1951), four modern in-print continuations by other authors (2020-2023), and the 2026 film, nine entries in all. Read in publication order starting with The Enchanted Wood (1939), not The Magic Faraway Tree: the 2026 film borrows book two's title, which sends film viewers to the wrong starting point.

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  1. The Enchanted Wood 1939

    Blyton book 1 and the true start of the series, not The Magic Faraway Tree despite the 2026 film borrowing that title. Introduces the children (Jo, Bessie and Fanny in original editions; Joe, Beth and Frannie in modern ones), the Enchanted Wood, the Tree, Silky, Moonface, the Saucepan Man and Dame Washalot. Everything else depends on it

  2. The Magic Faraway Tree 1943

    Blyton book 2, and the book whose title the 2026 film takes, which is why film viewers land here by mistake. Adds cousin Dick (Rick in modern editions). Follows directly from The Enchanted Wood; read second, not first

  3. The Folk of the Faraway Tree 1946

    Blyton book 3, introducing Connie. The last full Blyton novel in the series and, for many readers, the natural stopping point of the core canon

  4. Up the Faraway Tree 1951

    Blyton book 4, but not a novel: a series of illustrations with short text underneath, following two new children, Robin and Joy. Completionist-only; nothing later depends on it, and modern box sets often omit it

  5. Silky's Story (A Faraway Tree Adventure) 2020

    First of the modern Hachette wave of authorized continuations: a short young-reader story by Jeanne Willis centred on Silky. Standalone side story, optional for anyone past the picture-book age band. An earlier out-of-print authorized wave, the 2008-09 Enchanted World stories, sits outside this guide's scope

  6. Moonface's Story (A Faraway Tree Adventure) 2021

    Second modern continuation: a picture book by Emily Lamm centred on Moonface. Like Silky's Story it is a standalone side story for young readers, with no dependencies either way. Optional

  7. The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure 2022

    Jacqueline Wilson's full-length continuation novel (May 2022), set in the original world but starring her own new children, Milo, Mia and Birdy, on a modern countryside holiday. Required before A Christmas Adventure, which continues these characters

  8. The Magic Faraway Tree: A Christmas Adventure 2023

    Wilson's second continuation (October 2023), returning her own Milo, Mia and Birdy cast to the cottage by the Enchanted Wood for Christmas and the Land of the Frozen North. Read A New Adventure first; this is the only hard dependency among the continuations

  9. The Magic Faraway Tree (film) 2026

    Directed by Ben Gregor, written by Simon Farnaby, with Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Nicola Coughlan as Silky and Rebecca Ferguson as Dame Snap. Adapts no single book: an original modern frame around the Tree material, using the modern character names. Out in the UK since March 27, 2026 ($32.2M worldwide, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes); US theatrical follows August 21, 2026 via Vertical. Works as a standalone entry point, no reading required

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Why this order?

Publication order, and only publication order. For the Blyton books, release order and story order are the same sequence, and the continuations simply extend it forward, so any list offering a separate chronological toggle for this series has invented it. Start with The Enchanted Wood (1939), then The Magic Faraway Tree (1943), then The Folk of the Faraway Tree (1946).

The headline trap is the title. The 2026 film is called The Magic Faraway Tree, which is book two, so viewers who loved the film and search that title land one book into the series. The film itself adapts no single book: rights to all four Blyton titles were optioned in 2017, and the movie wraps the Tree material in an original modern frame about the Thompson family, played by Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy. Asking which book it covers has no clean answer, and you do not need to read anything before watching it. Coming from the film, start at The Enchanted Wood.

Book four, Up the Faraway Tree (1951), is the genuine skip decision. It is not a novel but a series of illustrations with short text underneath, following two new children, and nothing later depends on it. Modern box sets usually contain only the first three, which quietly makes the same call. Silky's Story (2020) and Moonface's Story (2021) are young-reader side stories, not sequels, and slot in or out freely. The one hard dependency among the continuations is Jacqueline Wilson's pair: A Christmas Adventure (2023) continues her own new children, Milo, Mia and Birdy, from A New Adventure (2022), not Blyton's originals, so those two must stay in order.

So the practical lanes are simple. The Blyton canon lane is books one to three, with book four for completionists. The completionist lane is all eight books plus the film, in the sequence below. One edition warning before you buy: modern printings renamed the children, Jo to Joe, Bessie to Beth, Fanny to Frannie and Dick to Rick, and Dame Slap became Dame Snap. The film follows the modern names.

Timeline 1939-2026

Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.

  1. 1939 The Enchanted Wood
  2. 4-year gap
  3. 1943 The Magic Faraway Tree
  4. 1946 The Folk of the Faraway Tree
  5. 5-year gap
  6. 1951 Up the Faraway Tree
  7. 69-year gap
  8. 2020 Silky's Story (A Faraway Tree Adventure)
  9. 2021 Moonface's Story (A Faraway Tree Adventure)
  10. 2022 The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure
  11. 2023 The Magic Faraway Tree: A Christmas Adventure
  12. 2026 The Magic Faraway Tree (film)

Where to play it today

  • All four Blyton titles are widely in print from Hachette Children's in the modern-name editions, as single volumes and box sets; box sets commonly contain only the first three, so check before assuming Up the Faraway Tree is included
  • Original-name vintage editions (Jo, Bessie, Fanny, Dick, Dame Slap) are secondhand only
  • The Willis, Lamm and Wilson continuations are in print from Hachette
  • The film opens in US theaters August 21, 2026 through Vertical, a small distributor, so expect a modest screen count; no US streaming or digital platform is announced as of August 2026
  • In the UK the film is past its theatrical window and on digital rent or buy via Amazon Video, the Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV and Sky Store as of August 2026; no confirmed streaming home has been announced, so check JustWatch before relying on any listing

Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for The Faraway Tree.

Frequently asked questions

How many Faraway Tree books are there?

Enid Blyton wrote four: The Enchanted Wood (1939), The Magic Faraway Tree (1943), The Folk of the Faraway Tree (1946) and Up the Faraway Tree (1951). Add the four modern in-print continuations by other authors (Willis 2020, Lamm 2021, and Wilson's two novels in 2022 and 2023) and you get eight books in this guide, nine entries counting the 2026 film. An earlier authorized wave of Enchanted World stories from 2008-09 is out of print and outside this count.

What order should I read the Faraway Tree books in?

Publication order, which is also story order: The Enchanted Wood, then The Magic Faraway Tree, then The Folk of the Faraway Tree, then optionally Up the Faraway Tree. The continuations follow in publication order, with Wilson's A New Adventure required before A Christmas Adventure.

Which book is the 2026 film based on?

None singly. It takes the title of book two but adapts the series loosely through an original modern frame story about the Thompson family, with Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy as the parents. Rights to all four Blyton books were optioned in 2017, and the film draws on the Tree material across them rather than following one plot.

Do I need to read the books before watching the film?

No. The film is a standalone family adventure with its own frame story. Going the other way matters more: viewers coming from the film should start reading with The Enchanted Wood (1939), not the identically titled book two.

Why do the children's names differ between editions?

Modern editions renamed Fanny to Frannie and Dick to Rick because those names had acquired rude slang meanings, while Jo became Joe and Bessie became Beth as straightforward modernizations. Dame Slap also became Dame Snap and no longer uses corporal punishment. The film follows the modern names: Rebecca Ferguson is billed as Dame Snap.

Is Up the Faraway Tree a real novel, and can I skip it?

It is not a novel: it is a book of illustrations with short text underneath, following two new children, Robin and Joy. It is completionist-only, nothing later depends on it, and many modern box sets omit it entirely.

Are Jacqueline Wilson's Faraway Tree books canon sequels?

They are authorized continuations set in Blyton's world but starring Wilson's own new children, Milo, Mia and Birdy, who meet Blyton's Tree-folk. A Christmas Adventure (2023) continues those characters from A New Adventure (2022), not Blyton's originals, so read Wilson's two in order.

Will there be a sequel to the film?

Two sequels were reported in development as of May 2026, with production planned from 2027, but no titles or release dates are announced, so treat them as unconfirmed. And a related shelving trap: Blyton's Wishing-Chair books are a separate series, not part of this continuity.

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Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, collider.com, screenrant.com, justwatch.com, goodreads.com, gutterbookshop.com, worldofblyton.com

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