I realise this is children's literature blasphemy so please don't look if you have a sensitive disposition but...

[OrmIrian]

....I am going to come clean and say that I really do not like Roald Dahl's books. I know that children love them and I'm sure they are an excellent excouragement to reading but I can't stand them. OK, they are meant for children not adults but there are plenty of fantastic authors who write for children without everything being a written version of a cartoon, or like the script for a panto. Every emotion has to be written large - sorry for large read HUUUUGEEE! Can't children do subtelty?

I guess I'm just pd off because I can see myself having to read the f Witches again for DC no3 in the nearish future and I really really don't want to ...

I don't like Roald Dahl much either.

Surely you will read them the Earthsea books, OrmIrian, as they are obviously your sort of thing? (And mine too!)

I also like Alan Garner, and Susan Cooper.

DS has a terrible attitude towards overweight people due to Charlie and the Chocolate factory. Perhaps it was too mature for him at 3, but what he picked up on was tha Agustus Gloop was fat because he is a "bit, fat, greedy nincompoop." I've been having the hardest time to stop him from going up to people who are overweight and point-blank asking them why they are fat, and if they were greedy .

Yes I love Earthsea, somuch, obviously ! I have been thinking about it but I still think they are a bit too grown up for him. Might try in a few months time.

I think that Augustus was a thoroughly unpleasant boy morningglory regardless of his size, but I totally agree that using his size in that way was cruel.