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.

They're definitely not the most interesting of books, but ds2 seems to like them, so as long as we mix them up with his other reading books, I'll stand it for now!
Very sad though that Gran had to get rid of her lovely red sports car. Where's the fun in that? :)

I rather like the books and my daughter loves them. I find the names rather annoying - the argument that they are nicknames is wrong, because no-one is going to convince me that anyone ever gave the nicknames of Wilf, Wilma and Anneena to anyone! lol. We bought the boxset for my 3 year old as a present and she can read them all herself, recognises lots of the words out of context and spends ages reading them aloud to her teddy (I might like them, but once in a day is enough for me lol)
There should be more choice in a schools reading box than just these though

It is a long time since we had these but actually I remember quite enjoying them. DD also. At least there was some humour in there.

By comparison with the other set of reading books they used in Reception (Crown readers I think they were called, they had a King, a Queen, a baby a big guard and a little guard) they were positively thrillers!

I am so glad that Topsy and Tim were never school reading books. DD used to get these from the library and I hated the damn things!

Now when I were a lass we had Dick and Dora, Nip the dog and Fluff the cat.

My ds is 16 now, and this thread has made me all nostalgic.
Biff, Kipper et al.
Aww.

I like them. The ginger guy is the illustrator alex brychta, my DS loves finding him in each book. Once the magic key started cropping up my son started getting into them. Some of the stories have even started conversations about feminism between me and my DS who is six - the stories where biff could not be a knight and women could not see the olympics! I honestly don't have a bad word to say about them. Dahl is great for bedtime reading and when they are older but you need books that they can read and be challenged by but not frustrated. I think they do that.

Aargh I remember them all and they still annoy me years later! I could never work out their genders by the picture or the names which was blimmin confusing. And the stories MADE NO SENSE. Well not the magic key ones. What was that all about

At DS's school the books that some home are ones he has chosen. So we have stuff about dinosaurs or whatever, as well as the odd Biff and Chip.

I am thanking my lucky stars that they don't do reading bands. The books he brings home are varied in the level they are at.

They have guided reading in school at a certain level (I don't know what his is).

I like this system, as he is not forced into reading something he doesn't want to, and can get on with enjoying it.

Should I be chomping at the bit trying to know his level? Does everyone else get told it? Or do you look at the back of the books to find out?

Biff is a girl. Chip and Kipper are boys.

My ds loved the Magic Key books and had his own key and adventures with a friend who also had a magic key. They travelled to magic lands/ the past/ the future etc!
Ds upset when finished them. Found all the characters in 'The Time Chronicles' which he also liked but not as much as Magic Key.
The pictures were a huge draw for him- looking for glasses/ the care taker etc.

Five foot five, I read Dick and Dora, Nip and Fluff many years ago too.

I taught my DN to read using Kipper et al, and she is a qualified GP now. They have certainly been around for a long time.

I recall the Magic Key stories were very tedious. My DN loved Gran her sports car, and Floppy. We both agreed with my DN's own Gran that some of the characters and in particular the bearded man needed a "good wash and a brush up".

Happy days!

YANBU. I got rid of them in my class and will do my best to ensure he goes to a school where he doesn't have to read that drivel.
I haven't found a reading scheme I like.

Sorry, will do my best to make sure DS goes to a school that doesn't have them.

Has no one mentioned that the books are by Roderick Hunt? 'Roderick' is now my insult of choice

PS I was not implying that this reading scheme enabled my DN to become a GP. Oops

I am surprised that so many schools are still using them as they are supposed to be teaching reading through synthetic phonics.

But IME, the children love them. My two certainly did!