Thomas books. Anyone else lose the will to live/read to the end.

We have a boxed set, which has been well-used. When I had to read them out loud I'd ruthlessly edit as I went along. But I do like them, having train-spotterish tendencies. I once took a copy along to the Blubell Railway and got madly excited when the real Stepney steamed up

The original ones are bad, they're like Mafia stories about trains.

But the new ones are worse. They've randomly added in the crappest female characters ever, and the plots make no sense at all.

I assume Steve Cole is minted - DS1 went through a phase of adoring Astrosaurs, and also Cows In Action. They're ok, though, not that butch, reasonably silly.

I absolutely loathe them. Ours are all hidden on top of a wardrobe where ds1 can't see or find them.

Tankie.......I suspect by your posting name you have some owning up to do.......

My dad and dh read them once they could read at that level. So I'm guessing they were meant for boys over say 8 years old as the original stories are long and have multi syllable words.

The formulaic thing helps with confidence - once they know the characters and understand that good will triumph over evil, there will be a baddie introduced in chapter two and a chase in chapter 4 and it will all come right in chapter 8 children will overlook the odd word or concept they don't understand.

If I read chapter one of any book - ds will read the rest.

Edam!!!

So boring, too long, kids love them

(Curly, I'm bloody sure Harvey is an invention of the current owners of the rights.)

You could be onto something there, twenty - were they originally intended for infant or even junior school aged boys? And they have all that 1950s morality about not making a fuss or being sensitive or anything which doesn't really sit very comfortably with current values.

I love the original Thomas books for nostalgic reasons. My father used to run the railways (well, a chunk of British Rail) and drive steam engines so it's a piece of my childhood. My parents knew Wilf Awdry and his stories are largely based on real events.

The one about the little lost engine whose shed is covered by soil slipping down the mountain and everyone forgets that there was ever an engine shed still makes me a little moist-eyed. (Prince is living happily ever after on the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales - I'm probably the only person on this thread who cares but hey, thought I'd mention it just in case...)

Thankfully mine have grown out of the Thomas stage, but I ABSOLUTELY hated those books when they were small. I never even bought any, goodness only knows how they found their way into the house.
Tedious, hectoring, with plots as dull as dishwater.
The only reason they are successful is because of all the associated merchandise, which might be fine on its own but inevitably leads back to the original stories.
And any boys named Thomas get all this stuff thrown at them in their formative years then they end up dying to shake off the type casting ! (IME)

Twentypence, yes, what IS the draw to formulaic stories? It's like Scooby Doo - it's ALWAYS the fairground owner doing it for the insurance, yet kids still watch each episode like they have no idea whether it is a real ghost or not.

The worst thing is, I'm sure some of the stories where they're horrible to each other have in the past put ideas into my son's head where previously the the thought woudln't have occured to him.

eg. where they all laugh at Harvey and take the piss out of him because he "looks different". Not sure my son would have laughed at anyone "different" in the first place. He isn't that sort of child. And also, in the end they only accepted Harvey because they found he was useful in an emergency! What message is that sending out to kids - if a new kids starts at school and physically looks a bit different, he or she is bound to have a hidden talent somewhere and be a bit useful, so whatever you do, don't tease them as they'll make you look stupid with their astounding ability to do X, Y and Z. No pressure on the poor kid then.

I guess I am rreading too much into these stories.

You have to tell me what Steve Cole is like, ds thinks he is a genius, sample review by ds

"you see it's clever because I like dinosaurs, and I also like space and this way I don't have to choose."

"Mum I have to stay up, this book has just got exciting I know who the monster is."

All the things ds loves, same characters, formulaic story where a similar thing happens in each chapter is what makes these books boring for adults.

The problem isn't Thomas, it's the fact that it's marketed to preschoolers - who were never the target audience.

Oh and I got roped into reading fireman f'ing Sam for a while too....also dire.....

Now ds is 5 it is MUCH better.We are reading Dinosaur Trouble by Dick King -Smith and it is fun.

I know the guy who writes Astrosaurs, 20p...
Has anyone got any experience of Beast Quest? I fear it may be Rainbow Fairies for boys....

If so then
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaghhhhh

Ah well curlyhairedassassin i think he may well have been encouraged by dh and friends there - they did lots of train travel as teenagers and a couple now drive trains but obviously not steam! Worringly ds (3.2) has abit of a baddie fixation, they are always his favourite!

Postman Pat is much nicer for boys. And girls, too, for that matter.

Ds loves them, fortunately he was a very keen and early reader and can now read them to himself.

I am currently reading him the railway children, now apart from one or two beautifully turned phrases it is the most boring book I have ever read.

Just wait till you get to Astrosaurs!

When ds was 2 I discovered "Dig dig digging" and "Emergency" by Mayo/Ayliffe about,yes you guessed...diggers and emergency vehicles.If your dss are vehicle obsessed this may be a strategy to wean off Thomas.They can get tedious after the 7,00000000 reading but at least the language is more rhythmical:

Feedthegoat, you MUST be a troll. Even I know that Diesel is a very naughty engine and not to be trusted! Nothing good could possibly ever happen when he's around.

I hope your son doesn't call himself a true engine-lover - Diesel isn't even a steamie!

slaps faceblinks I think I've just been possessed by Rev Awdry.......Pass me the holy water, quick!

The engines are all really horrible to each other.