to feel uneasy about my son reading Enid Blyton books

[frances5]

My son wants me to read him a book called the "Wishing Chair", I have read two chapters of it and it has a pixie in it called "Chinky". To make it worst the drawing of "Chinky" shows an elf like creature with slitted eyes. However I think my son is totally and utter oblivous to this.

Admitally Enid Blyton lived 50 years ago when people didn't know better. But do you think I am making a mistake letting my son enjoy this book? He is even trying to read it himself that he is so desperate to know what happens next.

When my son chose this book I had no idea that it had a pixie in it called "Chinky" other wise I would have diverted him towards something like Ronald Dahl.

I would love to, kimi.

But who is he/she?

kimi you said ginger beer!! I am completely offended by that, being of the red haired variety lemondade for me please.

Cant believe this thread is rambling on. Still of the opinion that if ds pick up an EB in library then I will let him read it. I enjoyed them growing up and think I am a pretty decent person. I am confident that I would be able to address and issues that come up from reading her books. Have to say I dont care for the name Gwendoline Mary tho thanks to EB

Have read the whole thread, I wouldnt like to be uneducated before entering a debate!
Can I add since when did the sheep cloning factory make pink/multicoloured sheep.
I am currently in a battle of wills with my 2yr old that it is baa baa black bloody sheep.
Does that make me racist???? or grounded in reality.
Also has any one read Tracey Beaker. Now that is appaling. as is my spelling.
Ps I love EB my 7yr old said it was boring. I cried in shame.

ronshar, I would cry with you.

What a world!

Desiderata....I cannot believe anyone would think you are racist!

Ridiculous.

some people like to be over sensitive and make ishoos out of nothing.

Cannot believe chinky is derogatory either and I am no racist.

Sorry awen [kimi hangs head in shame] although DPis a red head so I am a ginger lover

Desi Rhodan wrote children's sifi that some could interpret as being a little on the fascist side.

I don't like the underlying assumpton by some posters that having read EB once, children will never read anything else or will take on board the set of attitudes in the book and not form their own opinions on literature or anything else. I read a lot of EB's works but since then I've gobbled up several hundred books in the interving 30 or so years and reread several dozen of them as well, some more than once. By the age of 10 I was tackling the easier books by the Bronte sisters, having perhaps dealt with EB 2 years earlier. She's just one author that a child might encounter int their lives. Children will form their own tastes and for myself, I never liked any book anyone tried to 'guide' me into. But that could be just me .

In the 1970s my sister and I would reverse the names and read the books out loud (they were so sexist so we'd get boys doing cooking and crying etc). It was great fun. They were just books of their time. I like some of the morality actually and the fact they call parents mummy and daddy as our children do - so in some ways they are more similar to us than other "right on, working class" etc stuff.

Thank you, Collision.

Yes, there are about three people on MN who think I am. That said, they're always in the minority on posts.

I can take it, because they're wrong. But I do worry about other people they might accuse, who might be younger, for instance.

It really is a lot of bollocks.

bookwormmum - I liked your post very much

DS1 age 11 is very in to Artemis Fowle, Darren Shan, Horowitz [sp] as well as just about everything else he can get his hands on.
He is looking forward to the new Harry Potter, and like asomov, he has read EB and Anderson.

He even read a spot of Richard Dawkins and some Stephen Hawkins.

humph at kimi [poke tongue out emocion]

I dont have a huge chip of ginger nut biscuits on my shoulder

will ginger beer help with morning/all day sickness?

Desiderata, I think you talk a lot of seance and are not at all racist.
Now why did you let the sodding dog get the ginger beer? His pee will burn now.

Yes ginger really does help with sickness.....

Xenia that made me laugh

Kimi - Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawkins??!! Blimey - bright child there!

At the risk of being accused of being gingerist. All things ginger are supposed to help with the vomit problem.

I had a brief history of time on audiobook.

Didn't understand a word of it.

Was brilliant - sent me straight to sleep, my brain just shut down.

Would recommend it for insomniacs

Lol!!! Audiobooks wasted on me though

I liked Xenia's post; it almost summed up Enid's appeal ... and thanks to others on here too for a nice, EB evening.

I really must go to bed now.

As Vera Lynn famously said .........

sorry didn't think

ronshar you are soooo gingerist!!! All shops here shut and I need ginger beer...

they'll be blue birds over the white cliffs of dover.

Nice fluffy image there.