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message 51:
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Catherine
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Sep 24, 2013 10:01AM
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Teresa wrote: "I don't tend to reread books but have gone back to some of my favourites from my childhood such as The Magic Faraway Tree. Like Paul though I do want to reread Terry Pratchett again as I did lose ..."I love The Magic Faraway Tree. I don't remember reading it as a child, but read it to my daughter this year and we both loved it. Looking forward to reading it to my son when he's a bit older :)
Elizabeth wrote: "Teresa wrote: "I don't tend to reread books but have gone back to some of my favourites from my childhood such as The Magic Faraway Tree. Like Paul though I do want to reread Terry Pratchett again..."I was reading the magic faraway tree to my friends kids when they stayed with me, the kids loved it, I loved it but their parents hated it & were really glad I took over reading it. I felt sorry for them, how could you hate it?!!
Oh how sad. I love Enid Blyton as a child and read them to my son. When I am a gran I will be buying Blyton's books for my grandkids.
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My daughter treats her Magic Faraway Trees like they are treasures. She has a special place for them on her shelf and she actually does sometimes cuddle and stroke them! It's fabulous that the stories have stood the test of time and always will and I love the fact that the book itself is almost magical to her.
Enid Blyton was a genius.
She lived just around the corner from my junior school in Beaconsfield, but died before I was born. The house was knocked down years ago and they've called the new houses "Blyton Close/Avenue" or something!
Did anyone see that TV dramatised documentary about her with Helena Bonham-Carter as Blyton? I'm not a fan of her books (not many primary teachers are) but that was very good.
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Jean, I am very interested as to why teachers aren't keen on her books?? I had no idea!!
I LOVED pretty much everything she wrote as a child, and then didn't re-read her for a long time (until my nieces started to read her). I was deeply shocked by some of the content - there seems to be a general feeling that being politically correct has gone too far these days, but to say a lot of her work is not PC is a huge understatement! I don't remember it being so cruel either! Mr Pinkwhistle was one of my favourites as a child, imagine my utter horror when re-reading it & discovering children offering to whip a dog for being 'bad' (it was for something like jumping up at a little girl & dirtying her dress!). I had no memory of this at all - I'm not a teacher, but I can see why it would be considered un-teachable (if that's even a word) these days.
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Jean, I know that a lot of primary teachers don't like Blyton. My infant school teacher didn't, and that was over 40 years ago!
I have always taken the view that if kids are reading it's a good thing whether it's The Beano, Blyton or Proust. I read Blyton as a child and went on to read Dickens, Jane Austen, Coleridge, Shakespeare et al. for pleasure.
I always remember the complete shock I felt when a fellow 6th former announced that she had never read a book that wasn't for school. This was a very bright girl, planning to go to university and she didn't enjoy reading - she saw it as work. I thought it was very sad.
I have always taken the view that if kids are reading it's a good thing whether it's The Beano, Blyton or Proust. I read Blyton as a child and went on to read Dickens, Jane Austen, Coleridge, Shakespeare et al. for pleasure.
I always remember the complete shock I felt when a fellow 6th former announced that she had never read a book that wasn't for school. This was a very bright girl, planning to go to university and she didn't enjoy reading - she saw it as work. I thought it was very sad.
Katherine - my daughter is going through a terrible phase of not wanting to read anything. She will happily listen to me reading to her but won't read for her own pleasure at all. Hopefully she will come back to it eventually.Jo - I'm from Chalfont St Giles, originally. Just down the road from Beaconsfield! I don't remember Enid Blyton's house being knocked down but knew that it had been quite a long time ago. My mother remembered seeing the house. It's an area that still seems to attract writers and celebs - close enough to London I suppose but far enough out to be close to country. I miss the Chilterns and hardly ever go back now.
Elizabeth - I have been through that with my kids - sadly one of my boys still doesn't really read much, though the other 2 and the girls do. At least your daughter likes being read to; one of my sons didn't even have the patience to be read to, either. He does read these days, thankfully.
I think it may have something to do with the fact that my husband doesn't really read so the boys never saw it as a 'manly' thing to do. I do think that if the parents are seen to get pleasure from reading that ultimately influences them for the good.
The main reason my husband doesn't read is that he was forced to read 'worthy' literature by his parents as a punishment. He has memories of being left in the car to read White Fang while his parents went off to do something or other more enjoyable. My parents in law were seriously a bit loopy, TBH.
I think it may have something to do with the fact that my husband doesn't really read so the boys never saw it as a 'manly' thing to do. I do think that if the parents are seen to get pleasure from reading that ultimately influences them for the good.
The main reason my husband doesn't read is that he was forced to read 'worthy' literature by his parents as a punishment. He has memories of being left in the car to read White Fang while his parents went off to do something or other more enjoyable. My parents in law were seriously a bit loopy, TBH.
Where do I start, Jo? I want to answer all of you!First of all let me agree partially with Katherine. We want to encourage kids to read, and generally I would encourage all types of reading - comics, interactive books, whatever. But since there is such an abundance, do we have to select such inappropriate material?
Chatterjack is spot-on! I did the same myself recently - reread a Famous Five book and was shocked and appalled. If there's a black face you can guarantee it will be a Bad Man (in this case, a thief. Apparently the message of another book is not to leave anything valuable around if black children are there, because they will steal it. Another? "What a funny little creature!" says one of the boys when he finds a lost black child on the beach.)
Google "Enid Blyton racism" and you find lots of articles. Her home town is very divided as some regard her as an icon and others actually remember her as a "nasty piece of work" - a sexist, racist, antisemitic, snob.
"Enid", the award-winning film I mentioned, showed that her home life was very different from her public image. She was the queen of PR - and very driven. Her children hardly got to see her except in the company of a group of local children when she did public readings. Everyone's favourite auntie - including mine I have to say. I was a proud member of the "Famous Five Club"!
OK, so educationally? Her books have exciting storylines but are very restricted in the vocabulary they use. This is probably partly why kids love them of course! And no harm to read this type of easy book for pleasure, as an extra outside school. But there are other options of less socially damaging books with lots of repetition.
I feel for your husband Katherine! I haven't taught many children like that - most were inner-city kids. But I will say that I am still in touch with over 40, now in their 30's, and they are all happy individuals who've made a success of their (very different) lives. And no, they probably never read Enid Blyton. I doubt very much whether they would have many books at home, and when I took them to the library they didn't seem to choose her either. Now they are adults they will have the discernment to read exactly what they choose. And I hope that they are helping their children to choose good books too.
Look, I don't want to do a hatchet job on Enid Blyton! She wrote dozens of books and there are probably some in there which are free of this damaging potential. Your children love her? They are enthralled by her magic? Fine. But what I would say is PLEASE read the book yourself before letting your child read it. If it's inappropriate then discuss why. Put it in its historical context - discuss prejudice of all types, class distinctions etc.
Be aware!
Last year the first four or five of the Famous Five books were re-released with new covers by illustrators such as Quentin Blake. We bought these and are working our way through them. I've not come across any inappropriate material yet, and wonder whether they have been re-written to remove any racist references. Although there's a few sexist issues, where Anne is put to work cleaning, washing up and tidying for them and appears to like doing it.Enid Blyton certainly had some odd notions though. I've been reading the Circus stories to my daughter, and EB implies that circus folk are mostly dirty, and uneducated. The little girl, Lotta, was illiterate and so Jimmy's mother had to teach her to read and write. The implication being that Lotta's own parents were either illiterate also, or too feckless and uncaring as circus folk to teach her themselves or send her to school. Hmm. We glossed over that swiftly.
I think now she's mostly remembered with affection for ginger pop/lemonade and adventures in the summer holidays, rather than her racism etc, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be on our guard and gloss over/remove the offending passages.
Katherine wrote: "Elizabeth - I have been through that with my kids - sadly one of my boys still doesn't really read much, though the other 2 and the girls do. At least your daughter likes being read to; one of my s..."My husband reads as well, and my daughter sees him reading. He has mild dyslexia which means that he has always found reading more of a chore. When we first met, he didn't read at all other than technical books to do with his work, but now he's an avid reader of novels. Result!!
But that doesn't seem to have inspired my daughter to read at all. She's been caught out by her teacher recently, hiding her reading book, and her glasses, and pretending she's forgotten to bring them into school, just to avoid reading. Anyway, he's on her case now, and so are we!!!
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I spoke to my mother & she said I used to come to her with lots of questions about what I was reading - and that historical context was something she had to explain a lot with Enid Blyton, this was over 30 years ago! The racism did knock me sideways on re-reading as an adult, it seems social norms have changed massively (thankfully!) - anything considered 'ugly' would also be a 'baddy' too. Nevertheless, I still loved her as a child, and really couldn't get my hands on enough literature - I just read everything and anything I could get my paws on! Swallows and Amazons, charlottes web, fairy tales, and all the famous fives were other favourites! My two nieces (a year apart in age) were like chalk and cheese - the eldest was like me & would read as much as possible, and as widely as possible. The younger one had no time for books at all (I can't understand it in adults or children, but I suppose it wouldn't do to all be the same!) BUT she loved magazines and strangely, newspapers from really young - so they always made sure they had a daily paper to encourage her reading. I'm sure if they'd made her read it she'd have refused, but if it was just hanging around she happily read it!!
Well I am currently breathing a sigh of relief!Fahrenheit 451 is in my mind as a warning.... and I am aware that it is very easy to quench that spark of magic too, with children, which I didn't want to do.
Yes, Elizabeth, I think the worst excesses have been edited out in modern reissues.
As for some children's reluctance to read, and a sort of "reading isn't macho" attitude with some boys, I'd say just let them read what they want. A picture book about dinosaurs, an instruction book for making something ... it doesn't have to be a story book! I fully believe there's a moment when everyone thinks - oh - I didn't realise it would be fun/useful for ME. Even if it takes until adulthood.
Thanks everyone :)
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My daughter reads recipes to me, amongst other things, and our school are very good at making sure the children are keen to read non-fiction and day to day items just as much as they read fiction. We even get them to read news items off the BBC website...
The trouble is that if you look back at books in general there are going to be issues that readers are going to feel uncomfortable with. I can't remember thinking anything bad about the Blyton books when I grew up but then both my neighbours were from Pakistan and there was a family from Africa just a few doors down. Race was never an issue at home so I guess I never picked up on it in the books.
I had more exposure to gender-defining books in childhood than books on racial prejudice. I was raised in the civil rights era in the USA and my parents were very young and progressive so there was never any racially prejudiced material around at home or in school. I still have a hard time processing that prejudice exists; every time I encounter it I am thrown off guard, it's so far outside my experience. It was harder to reconcile the role of women in the books I read as a youth. Fortunately many of the books had tough little heroines, though they did always seem to end up "happily married" at the end.
That's interesting ch. Enid Blyton sadly stumbles at both blocks though, and from what Elizabeth has said the gender stereotyping has not been edited out in the reissued books.I must say I find plenty of culprits of sexism in modern fiction too though.
I still love the Pullein-Thompson books and would love to see them published on kindle! Also the Jill Crewe books - I reread the first 3 a couple of years ago and loved them every bit as much as I did when I was younger. I have also just reread the James Herriot books - they are possibly my favourite books of all time. Now for some new ones though - am almost finished the second book in the little girl lost trilogy by Phil Martin and really enjoying them. :)
Jennifer - I can't find Jill Crewe on Goodreads and don't think I know of her. Can you do a link? Or mention a title please?
The books are by ruby ferguson-she's on good reads! The first book in the series is called Jill's gymkhana, the second is a stable for Jill!
Jean wrote: "I find plenty of culprits of sexism in modern fiction too though"I agree with you on that point. Additionally, my attitude is that of radical feminism, not progressive feminism, so my alarms are constantly going off!!
Jean wrote: "That's interesting ch. Enid Blyton sadly stumbles at both blocks though, and from what Elizabeth has said the gender stereotyping has not been edited out in the reissued books.I must say I find ..."
Who do you think are the worst modern culprits? I haven't read any of his novels, but I've heard Martin Amis's name mentioned elsewhere along those lines.
Jennifer - sorry - I thought she was an author. Duh!ch - agree with caution but it would need a whole new thread.
Elizabeth - new thread needed for that too!! Though actually I was still thinking about children's books and all the "pink"ness.
Jean wrote: "Elizabeth - new thread needed for that too!! Though actually I was still thinking about children's books and all the "pink"ness."Ughhh - pink books for little girls. They just seem to be drawn to them naturally, however hard you try and attract their attention with something else. We have a whole shelf load of Rainbow Magic stories. All pink and glittery.
And yes, a thread on sexism in modern literature - why not? Anyone want to start one?
OK done. My first ever thread! Kind of wish it wasn't such a biggie though.
Good luck. Lots of scope for controversy :)
That's what I meant. Couldn't I just start one about what we had for breakfast or something?
As if diet isn't controversial! No worries, discussion is healthy and interesting ;)
Jean wrote: "That's what I meant. Couldn't I just start one about what we had for breakfast or something?"If you want to!!! Not a lot you can say about cornflakes that could offend!
I'm now re-reading (read: studying!) The Essential Reinhold Niebuhr. He's interesting if somewhat ponderous.
If you want to!!! Not a lot you can say about cornflakes that could offend!"I am offended by cornflakes :D
Hello, newbie here :-) I'm a 73 year old retired English teacher, so for 31 years I constantly re-read all the books I was teaching to high school students in MI.For my own loves, here are the ones I've re-read more than three times:
The Lord of the Rings
His Dark Materials
American Gods
Harry Potter Boxed Set
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Thursday Next Series, including: The Eyre Affair, Lost In A Good Book, The Well Of Lost Plots, Thursday Next, Bookworld, Something Rotten, Characters In The Thursday Next Series, First Among Sequels, Specops, One Of Our Thursdays Is Missing
Never Let Me Go
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
I obviously want to live in an alternative universe! My grown children say I should be Professor Minerva McGonagall at Hogwarts :-)
Looking forward to this group.
Welcome to the group Julia. Good selection of books. I hope you'll enjoy being a member of the Book Vipers :)
Welcome Julia - my daughter is an English Teacher in the Channel Islands.
Thanks for the kind welcome--I've enjoyed the threads I've been visiting. And best of luck to your daughter, T4bsF :-) I'm one of the lucky people who loved all 31 years of my career. Imagine getting paid to work with the wonder of words!
Elizabeth wrote: ":D"Welcome, Julia! I hope you can find more time than I to contribute to discussions. Between working, writing and reading, it's tough.
I hear you, Jan--I never even tried goodreads until I retired! Good for you for juggling so much--and this group seems fine about people coming in and out as they can :-)
I used to reread the entire Anne of Green Gables series every summer. I have reread several other books for no reason in particular.
I went to a new library that opened in january but I didn't know about it till last week and I found one of my favorite books, one I had read when I was in high school: Felices Dias, Tio Sergio. And I decide to buy it as a birthday present for myself so I will be rereading it this month :)
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Felices Dias, Tio Sergio (other topics)American Gods (other topics)
His Dark Materials (other topics)
Harry Potter Collection (other topics)
The Lord of the Rings (other topics)
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