Billionaire boy etc David Walliams

[russetbella1000]

Does anyone else think his books are rubbish but more than that really quite misogynistic? A child in yr 4 was reading from Billionaire today and a reference to pg 3 of the Sun and models being thick etc...
I seem to remember the 'granny' book-can't remember the title- was similar. Definitely a dim view of women-really uncomfortable listening to a 9 year old reading it.

It really annoys me that such drivel is considered ok!?

[goingmadinthecountry]

I can't stand them either.

[Scarydinosaurs]

He doesn't even write them.

Absolute trash.

[Tigresswoods]

What do you mean he doesn't write them?!

[doublesnap]

Agreed. They aren't worth the paper.

[Sleeperandthespindle]

Awful, aren't they? We were forced to listen to an audiobook of one of them as DD had to read it for school (and we had a long journey). Repetitive, formulaic, dull, fattest, sexist nonsense.

[OhtoblazeswithElvira]

Agree. They are repetitive, dull, try hard with the synonyms and trying to be Roald Dahl (ha!), and his nastiness shows through.

[SunnySomer]

Wholly agree. I find them deeply unpleasant, unfunny, very poorly written and plotted and refuse to buy them.

[megletthesecond]

Can't stand them (not a teacher). Don't think he writes them either.

The dc's love them but I've got away with not having to read them. They've read then out loud to me though.

[dangerrabbit]

@ tigress - he pay someone else (a ghostwriter) to write them, then puts his name on it for the publicity. Most celebrities "write books" this way.

[oklumberjack]

danger, I work in the same field as DW and indeed work for the same publisher. Although you're right that lots of celebs use ghost writers, I can assure you DW does not.

[doublesnap]

I'd almost rather than he did use a ghost writer TBH then I'd maybe think he wasn't a misogynistic prat who thinks he can try and emulate Roald Dahl. His books can never come close to Roald Dahl and are peddling his unpleasant views of society and are verging on sexism and racism.

They should have no place in schools except to be critiqued.

[missyB1]

Nearly as bad as Horrid Henry.

[Charlieismydarlin]

Much as love Roald Dahl, his books are fairly sexist too.....

[doublesnap]

Agreed that Roald Dahl books are sexist but they are a product of their time and we can explain that can't we? Swallows and amazons, black beauty, little women, Jane eyre etc are all sexist and can prompt a discussion about what it was like for women then but children know that DW books are written now in an age when those sexist views are not acceptable to adults but children can take them at face value.

[Scarydinosaurs]

ok I would check that. All ghost written.

[Scarydinosaurs]

double is right. Context is everything.

[BagittoGo]

He doesn't use a ghost writer he co-writes his books with other writers. Look it up he doesn't hide it.

[russetbella1000]

Phew, not just me then...
I wonder how many parents are aware of just what's in some books. I'm generally 😳 when I listen to children reading their 'own choice books' dodgy stereotypes being reinforced on every page ☹️.

...And don't get me started on The Wimpy Kid 😬

[oklumberjack]

Bagittogo, can you tell me where to find this info?

[Crusoe]

Having seen the state of hundreds of school libraries I can guarantee that you have loads of books that are far more sexist and poorly written than those by David Walliams.

[RandomDent]

I have found my people. :o My class asked me to read one so I did, then quietly forgot about it two sessions in. It was awful, and went on about posh snobby kids from the local private school.

[Almahart]

We had a whole holiday with them in audio book. They are awful, badly written misogynist crap

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

Awful.. I cannot believe they are so popular. Racist as well.

I can't get past little britain anyway but hate the books and the audio books. Some of the jokes are written for people who grew up in the 1970's and 80's which is really lazy children's writing.

I am not a fan of Badiel, Whimpy Kid, Jacqueline Wilson either.

Piers Torday and Lauren St John are my current favourites. Anyone else care to share.... always looking for new recommendations.

[contemporaneouscontemps]

I started reading one of these with DS and flicked through to the end
pretty rubbish, its going to vanish