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.

Some states in the USA still burn Darwin.
The more you read, the more you learn, and to have an objective view you have to read all sides of a discussion not just the side you are on.

Ok I know that's a little more advanced then the name of a pixie in a childs book, but I think this debate has gone many ways nows.

EB books were magical. As a child, I loved them and I didnt pick up any negative connotations at all that I carried into everyday life, thoughts like that just didnt enter my head. If my dad, whilst reading the book to me had read the word chinky - then paused to give me a talk about why it wasnt a word to be used in polite conversation etc - then it would probably have become an issue but in Enid Blyton books the story simply washes over the child (which, to my mind, is exactly what a storybook should do) and I dont believe the details are absorbed in the adult way in which it is being suggested.

Some think they are dross which is fair enough. Boring old world if we were all the same.

awen - I was sending myself up. Not very successfully. SM is right though about becoming entrenched and the discussion in fact going round in a vicious circle.

Someone will come on in a minute and say "I read EB and loved her and I am not a racist" which really doesn't advance the discussion on how to guide our children's reading if indeed it is possible or desirable to do so. The OP makes the assumption that it is possible and desirable, as had I but BWM made me question that.

I think some people just want to take away childhood all together, yes we need to guide our children, but we do not need to indoctor them with our thoughts on something anything and everything from a young age.
Baa baa black sheep only becomes a issue of race to a child if you make it one, as does names in books, to the child its a made up name there is no need to tell them it can be used in a derogatory manner, chancer are they will never use it as such.
DS1 heard the word n*** being used by someone and ask what it was, I explained to him what it could be used to imply but did not tell him he was not to use it,[although I would not have been happy if he had] he worked that out for himself, he was about 6 at the time.

Obviously up until a certain age, we have to choose our childrens reading material but after that who are we to tell them what to read? Would you like to be given a selection of books deemed suitable to you? Who decides?

Let me see Enid or playboy.......

Yes binkle but what sort of age? I mean DD is pretty well fully autonomous and she is 9. She thinks EB is total rubbish so that suits me. I don't like buying her some of the things she likes - for example the nth Simpsons book - not really books IMO - but I feel I ought to get at least some of them.

Still buy all my son's books for him and he is 7. With the exception of Horrid Henry he will not read them anyway.

i read EB and loved her and i am not a racist, quattro. but like bookworm i was well over her by the age of 9, having finished all the malory towers and st clares books. i might add i've read all your ee nesbitt's and arthur ransomes etc etc as well. i then moved onto georgette heyer, more lovely spriggy muslin trash, and then i rememeber spending my 1st year at secondary knee-deep in Bronte country, daph du maurier and, yikes, stephen king.

Do you know that out of all these posts the OP has posted twice.

You've answered your own question, Quattro. That's how it works in your family. Like you say, you're not over keen on some of your daughter's choices but you support her right to choose. Think we are in some kind of agreement there. It's not for me to say what age really, I suppose from when they can read. Of course, we can guide them as to the level of reading material they would be able to tackle of course, but not necessarily the content.

Quattro - didnt get it re sending yourself up. Am a bit tired tonight Think I might go to bed in a minute. My ds is the same age as yours and loves reading horrid henry, I think what really pleases me is that he voluntary enjoys reading. Often he will read in the morning before school and I have to read him at least 2 stories or chapters a night. HE also likes the calvin and hobbes comic books (i secretly like thm too).

After I read enid blyton I remember I read a fair few catherine cooksons (was about 13 when i started reading them) There was some norty bits in them too.

Kimi - think ds would opt for playboy he saw front cover of FHM in newsagents and said very loudly look nekid layyyydeeess mummy.

Awen, DS2 [age 6] loves boobies expect to find playboy under his bed long before DS1

Oh it's got nicer in here now - become more of a chat about kids and books again.

I recently started reading the magic faraway tree to dd, i remember finding it magical and enchanting as a child. It was actually dull and in places a bit nasty and we gave up half way through. My kids can read them if they want, I did enjoy them up until about age 8. - they won't become racist obviously, whatever they read - they can choose what they want, but they will always have me droning my guardian reading liberal blah blah views at them.

Quatt I agree with alot of what you've said further down in the murkier bit, but couldn't for sentences as i was gnawing my keyboard with irritation at some of the other posts.

ok, someone has started a thread about being uncomfortable with child reading bible. Decided to post here cos that is obv a send up thread. Ds has a child bible (he asked for one) and asked why god killed so many people. I found it really hard to explain, so said that these are stories from long long ago and what people believed at the time. It doenst mean that everything is exactly how it says. I used geneisis as an example as ds knows about the big bang theory etc so therefore doesnt bleieve the god creating out of clay with his hands story as a literal thing iyswim. Anyway, I found the childrens bible far more challenging in terms of questions etc than any other book we have read together. (he wanted me to read the 'whole' childrens bible which we did overa period of time) I am glad we did as gives him a undersatnding of christiantiy. altho not actively 'religios here think it is healthy ds explores religion. He has recently had a childrens book out about hindism. He felt sad they shaved their heads (he has a thing about growing his )

We are reading the time apprentices at the moment DS2 and I and it is very good, DS1 read it in a day, It follows on from the time wreccas and is a really good book.

nite all x

Both my boys have a bible and we have read them together, we still read the Easter and Christmas story's at Easter and Christmas to give these events there true meaning.
DS1 ask many more questions then DS2 and the ones I could not answer I got DS1 to put to our priest and to DP (who is a non believer) both sides of the discussion.

I think my mother was probably uneasy when I read Thorn Birds when I was 15. And I was uneasy when she read my copy of Lace a few years later!

You've just put the thorn birds theme tune in my head and now I will never get rid of it!

I'm on a roll......

I have only skimmed the thread as too scary for me but can somebody please tell me
What's wrong with Michael Morpurgo.
Or St Michael of Murpurgo as he is known in this house.

Ham roll or cheese roll????

Oh I loved lace......

I heard that tune on the radio a couple of days ago - somebody requested it. oh Meggie, Meggie...

Now Michael Morpurgo CAN write.

And before anyone pounces on me asking who am I to judge, I am not alone in this view ...

God I am all dizzy from thread hopping, so Quatto can I say here like Dan brown, [good read on the tube].