To think that some children's stories are awful to read aloud?

[VioletBam]

Enid Blyton I'm looking at you.

Also...while I love My Naughty Little Sister...the way the stories are written are terrible to read out loud.

It's a very specific style that author has....sort of child-like...Enid bloody Blyton though!

Just churned my way through 2 chapters of The Magic Faraway Tree and God! It was hard going.

Those short sentences...how she mentions everything umpteen times.

Things from my childhood that I hate:
Mr Men
Beatrix Potter
Enid Blyton (especially for girls)

I agree Tyrannosaurus Drip is dreadful to read aloud. Also not a fan of the pirate dinosaurs or rainbow fairies.

Thomas the tank can fuck off too.

Well, much as I hate to criticise children's author royalty, I found the BFG painful to read with 'I is not ' etc. It's a lovely story, just maybe not have to read out loud.

On the positive side, the book with no pictures is a laugh the first 25 times

Chicken Licken leaves my jaws aching and mouth absolutely parched. noticed the books in the children's section of the library seem to be 80% rhyming these days which I CANT STAND. Half of them don't work with our accent and they're tedious as you guess what's coming next (or is that the point?) AND there's a disproportionate number of bear stories, also what's with all the Oliver Jeffers knock off Illustrations and text? (These issues have been bothering me for a while, sorry)

I was reading some Japanese folk tales to my kids (they're half Japanese), and had to stop on the popular ones about raccoon dogs as they have magic ball sacks that they can stretch and make into things like boats and parachutes...

Phlebasconsidered: how did you manage to read gangsta granny as a class book? Did you not just start sobbing at the end? Both DH and I did. We had to take it in turns to read it as it was so awful. Not because it's so beautifully written (I totally agree with your description).

DP laughed at me when I shed a tear reading Paper Dolls to DD last week. I'm glad I'm not alone.

Oh god yes! DS has asked for the whole fucking collection of Mr Men books for his birthday. And YY to the elephant and the bad baby. I used to make my granddad read it over and over to me as a child. He hated it and introduced my son to it, I can only presume to get his own back! It takes so long, I always have a really dry mouth afterwards!

So interesting how our opinions are different on this. I adore reading Tyrannosaurus Drip and, especially, Jack and the Flum Flum tree but dislike Julia Donaldson in general. I am delighted when the DC choose Charlie and Lola books as I love reading them aloud.

Also love Just William and Naughty Little Sister for reading aloud. Faraway Tree, WishingChair and Naughtiest Girl - ugh!

I loved Ant and Bee as a child and have bought lots of them to read out loud to the dc. Plenty to look at on the pages and none of this turning the page every five words making for really stilted reading (Mr men and Julia Donaldson, stand up!)

Hate reading Mr Men and Thomas. LOVE elephant and the bad baby. And anything by Shirley Hughes.

The noddy books are horrific. Actually they're awful whether you read them out loud or not.

I do not enjoy Enid blyton's style of writing, and particularly not the horrible, meandering plotting. Or the hitting you over the head with 'moral' messages I don't agree with at all.

Reading the Princess Poppy books make me want to shoot someone.

Stepaway, I am hardened. Once you have read Kensukes Kingdom and Warhorse, Gangsta Gran is nothing.

This last half term at least 4 of my class were furious at Kensuke. They should be inspired to feel.something by books.

I use "Once there were giants" a lot in class and I confess it does make me weepy.

Love the Elephant and the Bad Baby.

I don't really like any of Julia Donaldson but could get on board with T Drip and Jack and the Flumflum tree.

Love to read all of Dr Seuss, the Just So Stories (brilliant - love these) and the A A Milne poems from When We Were Very Young. Anything with a bouncing rhyme scheme is good. Also Pass the Jam Jim and the Giant Jam Sandwich (but of a jam theme).

Paper Dolls makes my DH cry, I love Lucy and Tom; hate Mr Men. Lame storylines.
I read Kensuke's Kingdoms to Yr 6 classes for years, always had to hold it together.

The only books I will refuse to read are the Sir Charlie Stinkysocks books. They give me a headache and a dry mouth.

What age would you say my naughty little sister Is for?

I agree, but not the two you mention. I found those pretty good for reading out loud.
The ones I found hard are those with lots of dialogue, which is fine when reading to yourself, but you kind of lose the drift reading out loud.
"Oh mummy, can I please..."
"Well, we'll have see if you've tidied your room."
"I have, I have"
"Almost done."
"I'll do it so quickly..."

Totally makes sense. But when reading aloud it's like a load of disjointed sentences. Some authors I love for reading to myself, just don't read out loud at all.

The early Topsy and Tim books are not the most exciting books.....but every infants class I ever taught as a supply teacher absolutely loved them, and each time I went into our local primary, eager little voices would ask "Have you brought Topsy and Tim??"

I loved the Rev Awdrey train books as a kid (bit geeky, still am) but read them to myself. When my mother tried to read one to my own kids, she had to hurl it away in disgust, as she said it was like trying to read a Haynes manual aloud.

Quentin Blake is a joy to read aloud. We all adored "AllJoin In"

Yy to Wind in the Willows. So long and dreary, dull dull dull.
Started reading it to dd as convinced her to start reading some classics. After about halfway (a week or so), we drifted away from it. She mentioned it again and asked me to start from the beginning, I nearly cried. We managed one chapter.
I have shoved it under my bed.

The other one I agree with is Bear Hunt. Such a clunky book, you think it's going to settle down into some kind of natural rhythm. You're wrong. Have never understood its popularity, it's such an ugly sounding story!

I can't stand reading The Jolly Postman aloud. Perfectly happy to read the story but the dc want to hear every word of every fucking letter I may skip bits

Also they've just got a few books by Anthony Browne from the library. Not loving those at all