to hate Biff, Chip, Kipper et al!

[Choufleur]

I hate, hate, hate them. Stupid bloody magic key. DS hates reading them and it's like pulling teeth forcing him to read one page let alone 32 pages of drivel.

Biffs real name is Barbara iirc.

Haven't got to that stage with DD yet but I remember reading them at school. You've brought back some happy memories for me!

I'm quite fond of them, I've had to be with having 4 dcs at a school that uses the scheme, and also being a helper at the school and reading them with other kids 3 times a week

The pervy looking bloke is the illustrator Alex Brychta, he sneaks himself into as many books as possible.

It made me lol that people think Biff, Chip and Kipper are their actual names I hope nobody has ever named their dc after one of them

They are Barbara, David and Christopher Robinson.

I hid it from him, but I admit I was proud of DS's judgement that The Magic Key books are "Sooooo boooring". It was all I could do to stifle the yawns. However, he eventually developed a soft spot for Gran, the most adventurous character of the series.

Absolutely hate them, but then DS2 doesn't like them either. He doesn't like the magic key.

I sent one book back with a note saying "I'm curious, have you READ this book? Lovely depiction of Noah saying No, I can't take your dog on board my ark, so he'll have to stay behind... and then basically Noah sails off in his ark, leaving the children and the dog behind in the flood to drown. Is this a new version of religious education? I'm not impressed."

We haven't seen another magic key book since then, they've sent others instead.

That's good knowledge headfirstforhalos!

My DD (19mo) loves these books - the Stage 1 and 2 of them. Sorry to hear the later ones get a bit irritating!

Without wishing to sound annoying; I thought that Biff's real name was Elizabeth but was known as Biff, as Kipper couldn't pronounce it when he was younger?

Hate hate hate them!!! DD3 seems to comes home everyday with a new one in her school book bag for reading and every day it's getting harder to be enthusiastic about them.... And breathe

Chauffeur - it's Jennifer and jonny yellow hat I believe

My DS loved them especially the magic key ones! I miss them now DS has finished the reading scheme. He loved Floppy as he looked like grandparents' dog and the books helped his love of reading. DH and I liked looking for the dodgy bearded bloke and I am sure there was a dog doing a poo in one of the books!

biff, kipper and chums put ds off books for life . He will not read at all now even though he grew up with books and bedtime stories

now dd2 is reading them grrrr

DS's teacher said their names all stem from I think Biff's mispronunciation of their real names, IYSWIM.

I did chuckle at the one where Chip/Kipper/Chipper swaps his bag with another boy's in the toyshop, and M&S mum realises its the wrong one when she pulls a copy of Proust out.

I take it none of you have been issued with a Daisy Meadows masterpiece then?

Five minutes and you'll be positively begging for Biff, Chip and Kipper.

Awesome work Triggles.

I miss them dreadfully. There's so much more to the books than the very simple stories. It was the humour in the illustrations that made them so much fun. If you didn't pick up on that when reading them, it's your loss.

I loved them, they did nothing to put my kids off reading, and we all love Gran (my favourite one was where they suddenly find her having tea with Queen Victoria). They were far superior to all the other rubbish we got "Fat Pig" etc.
I especially liked the jokes in the illustrations.

We bought a boxed set of them and regularly borrowed the hardback versions from the local library as well, we really loved them in our house
These versions had a number of games/puzzles in them, including trying to find letters hidden in the pictures to make up particular words. My DS loved these, and I remember my DH and I spent a whole evening trying to find a letter which we were convinced had incorrectly not been included!
I know these books are not phonically driven and, therefore, some children struggle with them for that reason (strangely my DS didn't really get on with phonic books), I think it is sad that in some previous threads people have been encouraged to bin/burn them. Surely if a child engages with them (my DS loved Floppy and learning about history in the magic key stories) they are not all bad.

This thread has made me I always fine the randomness (is that a word?!) of these books . We have just started the magic key lot and find them very strange, dd however does seem to quite like them!!!

I don't mind them although find the names perplexing. I'm more annoyed as the school's just announced that Jolly Phonic's being phased out and I've spent a pigging fortune on the workbooks and CDs.

I've just bought a load of Peter & Jane Ladybird books out of nostalgia really but for DS1 too and they're utterly lovely, gorgeous illustrations. It has to be said they do reinforce gender stereotyping pretty thoroughly. Lots of pouring tea for Daddy.

I've over 250 Ladybird books at home. They're great for school projects and it just feels jolly nice sometimes to be able to use a book, rather than the net.

Not that keen In biff and chip but they are better than Sid and nan. :o

My DS loved the Peter & Jane books too. We have now moved onto The Famous Five and Swallow & Amazons, where although there is the odd tomboy, there is much gender stereotyping

We have them too, and hate them!! Two new books a week. I know about the lost specs - but where does the magic key come into it?? (We're in between 16 page and 24 page books at the minute - so jumping around a lot).

We also have a lot of DD reading us a page of Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl or one of the other million storybooks she has at bedtime - so we don't spend all night reading aloud!! :)