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Original poster

to feel uneasy about my son reading Enid Blyton books

767 replies

frances5 · 22/06/2007 22:10

My son wants me to read him a book called the "Wishing Chair", I have read two chapters of it and it has a pixie in it called "Chinky". To make it worst the drawing of "Chinky" shows an elf like creature with slitted eyes. However I think my son is totally and utter oblivous to this.

Admitally Enid Blyton lived 50 years ago when people didn't know better. But do you think I am making a mistake letting my son enjoy this book? He is even trying to read it himself that he is so desperate to know what happens next.

When my son chose this book I had no idea that it had a pixie in it called "Chinky" other wise I would have diverted him towards something like Ronald Dahl.

OP posts:
ahundredtimes · 25/06/2007 12:09

My ds's read EB and Morpurgo and Horowitz, and Wilson and blah de blah just about anything and everything, so I don't much fuss about it. They have a balanced diet you see, a little fruit shoot here and there is fine because otherwise they're getting their 5 a day just fine.

Sigh, Is this all going to kick off again Quatt?

Quattrocento · 25/06/2007 12:06

uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Enid_Blyton

Quattrocento · 25/06/2007 12:06

uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Enid_Blyton

This link explains the extraordinary number of books came about.

I think that EB may also have been Barbara Cartland. Not sure about this, but I think so.

And there are lots of people who don't give their children fruitshoots.

anniemac · 25/06/2007 12:03

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ahundredtimes · 25/06/2007 12:02
oliveoil · 25/06/2007 12:02

it is reading weather atm as well isn't it?

I am off to lunch now and to hiss at a chav

anniemac · 25/06/2007 12:02

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anniemac · 25/06/2007 12:00

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ahundredtimes · 25/06/2007 12:00

No neither do mine. But they do know it is Bad to lie, Bad to eat all the food and not share, Bad to hit girls but Good to help around the house and then when all your chores are done you'll be allowed out on your own for hours and hours in a boat with absolutely no adult supervision.

poor sods.

DrNortherner · 25/06/2007 12:00

Fatty was in the secret 7 wasn't he? Didn't tehy have a club house and they'd get up in teh middle of teh night, take a torch each and go and solve mysteries.

Oh how I loved those books, and the famous 5. I'm in the get a grip cam folks. You are all barking.

Wait till your kids are 14 and reading Nuts/More (position of fortnight) you'll all be wishing they were into EB instead.

oliveoil · 25/06/2007 11:58

by children have no idea what a chav or a pikey is tbh

ahundredtimes · 25/06/2007 11:57

My god that woman could churn them out couldn't she?

Quattrocento · 25/06/2007 11:56

Lovely. Perfectly lovely.

Does anyone have issues with their children being perfectly obnoxious about 'chavs' and 'pikeys'

fennel · 25/06/2007 11:56

I think the books were always called "The mystery of the ...."

Not to be confused with "The adventure of the.... (Dinah, Jack, Phillip and a girl) or "The secret of..." (Norah, Jack and 2 others).

oliveoil · 25/06/2007 11:55

oh I loved those books

I may have to purchase them and curl up in a ball and read them eating crisps

Quattrocento · 25/06/2007 11:54

Are you sure they were not recycled famous fives?

fennel · 25/06/2007 11:53

I know the ones Olive means. The fat one was Frederick Algernon Trotteville (or similar) with a devoted little dog. Called Fatty. Other children in the 5 Find-outers and dog were Larry, Daisy, Pip and Beth. All went to boarding school and solved crimes in their holidays. Constantly in trouble with (very working class) policeman PC something who hated them and always lost. Policeman had nephew who used to visit, a nice boy but not middle class. 5 Find outers used to patronise him.

Fatty used to dress up for instance a Waxwork or a tramp.

Quattrocento · 25/06/2007 11:53

the dog was called scampi? EB is more ironic than I thought ...

oliveoil · 25/06/2007 11:52

my thread from JUNE 2005 FFS I NEED TO GET A LIFE if I am still going on about a fat kid and a shed

the Five Find outers they were called

ahundredtimes · 25/06/2007 11:51

Are you sure there isn't one out of the seven who is a little, ahem, rotund?

IcingOnTheCake · 25/06/2007 11:51

yeah the dog was called scampi! and they had a shed and a password!

ahundredtimes · 25/06/2007 11:50

God oo he sounds marvellous. Please find out who.

ahundredtimes · 25/06/2007 11:49

I never read the Secret Seven, but ds's read them to themselves. There's definitely a dog and a code word I think.

No Just William's mother was mad for bridge.

oliveoil · 25/06/2007 11:49

I will look for my old thread, he was a master of disguise iirc and had a shed

IcingOnTheCake · 25/06/2007 11:48

no, none were fat. they used to say words like 'gosh' and 'jolly good'! one of them had an annoying little sister called suzie who would try and spoil their mystery solving.