Famous Five top list of childhood favourites

The fast-moving yarns finished ahead of other classics such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis.

The research from global children’s charity Plan UK also found that people are loyal to their books.

More than a quarter (26 per cent) said their oldest children’s book had passed down through two generations of their family while four out of five (80 per cent) said they read, or will read, their favourite title to their own children.

The top five were: Famous Five, Enid Blyton; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl; The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, C S Lewis; Black Beauty, Anna Sewell; Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne.

Nearly nine out of 10 adults felt their reading experiences as a child helped shape the person they are today while about two in three agreed their favourite book helped them to read and write.

Plan UK chief executive Marie Staunton said: “Books and reading clearly have a fundamental impact on our lives and play a crucial role in education.”

The charity commissioned the research to mark the launch of its Education for Girls Facebook App, designed to help some of the world’s poorest girls complete their education.