The boy in a dress

KEMP, Gene. The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler

as I can’t stand Wallliams. Or Baddiel, or most of Dahl...

'But in my house we teach acceptance'

Without exception?

Yes Walliams loathsome, vile.

Apologies for bumping an old thread but I'm currently reading this with my 6yo DD.

At first I thought the book was quite enlightened with regards to toxic masculinity, the fact that Dennis is breaking stereotypes by liking dresses and playing football...

Then last night we read a chapter where he went to school disguised as 'Denise' and went to the girl's toilets and how amazing it was- all those girls in there, brushing their hair and doing their make-up, and all fussing over 'Denise' and helping 'her' do 'her' make-up, with none of them any the wiser that he was actually male. It was like pure AGP fantasy, right there on the fucking page.

I ended up having a talk with my daughter to tell her that Dennis was being very, very naughty and that no boys should EVER be in the girl's toilets at school, no matter what they're wearing.

FFS. It'll be going straight to the charity shop when we're done with it. David Walliams is gross, and I bet his books are ghost-written.

Orchid We tried a lot at the time!

(DD is now 14 and will read stuff now, if it has magic / wolves / similar. She graduated from David Walliams to Harry Potter. From thence to Divergent, Hunger Games, and recently Mortal Instruments.)

What have you tried Teen? I have reluctant readers - maybe I could advise?

There are plenty of other books in a similar vein for reluctant readers

Well you say so. But we tried a lot of authors before we got to DW and actually succeeded.

Loathsome books, loathsome man. There are plenty of other books in a similar vein for reluctant readers

I think they are poorly written and there are some lazy stereotypes in there (Raj) but if they engage with the reluctant readers, then they are a good shout. DS (7yrs) loves them. He is the boy in the dress - dresses up on the sly, plays football etc. I just explained to him that wearing a dress doesn’t make you a woman, the boy is still Dennis. Just like me wearing trousers doesn’t make me a man.

Is that you David? I didn't buy them it was the lovely well meaning relatives trying to do nice who were robbed by the pr campaign

Oh dear. 😂

It really is just a story about a boy who likes to do his own thing which sometimes includes wearing a dress.

Both my boys loved his books when they were younger.

I don't care that Walliams doesn't write good literature.
I don't even care whether he actually writes his own books.
I don't care if he rips off plots from elsewhere.
He got my DD, and many other reluctant readers like her, to read something , and that's what matters with some children.

We had the bear who went boo - just didn’t resonate with us at all.

He gives me the complete creeps and he’s a low rent Roald Dahl wannabe. Blergh.

Is that you David?

I didn't buy them it was the lovely well meaning relatives trying to do nice who were robbed by the pr campaign.

We had a plague of Walliams at Christmas, all off to the charity shop unread

I've only ever known a couple of kids not like David Walliams books and they have been kids who are reluctant to read anything.

Maybe have a read of what the books are about before you buy in future as it sounds like you wasted your money.

Cressida Cowell may suit your immediate needs OP.

Popular, excellent and dogma free.

We had a plague of Walliams at Christmas, all off to the charity shop unread. Had a flick through the talentless mammoth one, that last scene with the queen was poached straight out of the BFG. Poor form.

Walliam's entire writing "career" is a PR experiment and nothing more.

It has been known.

I understand that David Beckham's agent called and told him he'd written a book.

This

Walliams is vile and a terrible author riding on the coat tails of Quentin Blake illustrations and pretending he is Roald Dahl. He isn't. He can't write, seems to detest women and the messages in the books are insidious and awful.

There are a million better authors out there, choose one.

and this

Before Walliams (just saying, not implying) there was Anne Fine's Bill's New Frock.

I suspect Walliams' books are ghost written as are most celeb authors.

Before Walliams (just saying, not implying) there was Anne Fine's Bill's New Frock.

I’m so sick of having the gender campaign rammed down our throats and horrified at the impact on teens and the really confusing things being told to young children about how girls can be boys etc.

I wouldn’t read it because I don’t think it’s a good book - of course if there was a boy wearing a dress I’d teach my dc to accept them.

What CountFosco said. More a case that he had to take on the disguise (wig and maybe some makeup) to wear what he wanted when in an ideal world boys could wear anything simply as themselves. I wonder if girls did the reverse to wear trousers many many moons ago.

Can't go far wrong with David Walliams

god DS and I have just finished the one about a fucking mammoth

it went on forever

we were both heartily relieved when we reached the last chapter. maybe his other books are good but I think I'm too scared by the mammoth marathon of tedium to find out soon

it gave me flashbacks to the fucking prisoner of azkaban

Walliams is vile and a terrible author riding on the coat tails of Quentin Blake illustrations and pretending he is Roald Dahl. He isn't. He can't write, seems to detest women and the messages in the books are insidious and awful.

There are a million better authors out there, choose one.

Its a wonderful book. It is about having the confidence to be yourself, acceptance and supporting your friends. Great pick by the teacher.