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Original poster

Any children's books you want to ban?

96 replies

pointydog · 21/04/2007 10:05

Do you try to stop your child coming into contact with books that you do not approve of? Are there any you ban from the house?

I know someone who does not want Horrid Henry in the house.

I think this is extreme.

OP posts:
joash · 21/04/2007 17:39

October - Little Rabbit Foo Foo is brilliant. GS loved it when he was smaller (he's only 4 now).

AllBuggiedOut · 21/04/2007 17:43

Agree, Little Rabbit Foo Foo is brilliant. I remember it as a song from my days as a brownie!

Would also ban Thomas the Tank Engine. There are too many well written, interesting children's books around to waste time reading such dross...

rabbleraiser · 21/04/2007 17:47

I love the pictures, but Noddy's a boring little bugger.

rantinghousewife · 21/04/2007 17:57

Nah, I don't ban, cos I had an above average reading age, I never read age appropriate books anyway. Altho' Charlie and Lola irritate the hell out of me, the grammar is appalling.

Pruni · 21/04/2007 18:25

Message withdrawn

motherinferior · 21/04/2007 18:40

I would very very very much like to ban those Fairy books. Utter tripe.

Original poster
pointydog · 21/04/2007 19:32

yeeeessss, I may have bought dd1 a few pullmans...

OP posts:
Marina · 21/04/2007 19:50

Pph, I am sure I read somewhere that Animal Ark is a mechanistic franchise whereby the books are written to a predefined format and paid for by the yard
I am sure it is Animal Ark...so Lucy Daniels might be a man in Aberdeen and a granny in Taunton and a student in Harlech...
I agree with MB. I do a lot of steering with ds, who is an able reader at seven and keen to read stuff I am not sure about such as Young Bond and tbh Stormbreaker.
So I have never encouraged Enid Blyton or Horrid Henry but I'd never bother banning them. It just makes them much more attractive. I can remember dodging smugly past my mum with an armful of Malory Towers from the library and then feeling really let down at how rubbish they were

slowreader · 21/04/2007 20:15

You are right about Animal Ark- I knew one of the editors. She told me that the name Daniels was picked because it came next on the shelves alphabetically to Dahl. Who was most pop. children's writer at the time (pre JKR I suppose). They are written (she said) by authors who are 'resting'.

fennel · 21/04/2007 20:53

Haven't banned anything but am very glad that no Rainbow Fairy or Animal Ark book has yet entered our house.

My just 7yo dd1 likes Jacqueline Wilson, but so do I. She reads the simpler ones which I think are age-appropriate for her, they tend to be about things like step-families or jealousy of younger siblings.

And we're all very much enjoying the Narnia stories despite a few iffy bits.

peachygirl · 21/04/2007 20:59

A convoluted link but the sister of one of my best friends writes the fairy books. I'm not sure exactly which ones. She writes other fiction and has a 'chick lit' book coming out soon

northstar · 21/04/2007 20:59

aDad, I mainly read this thread out of interest in seeing if anyone else felt the same about the Large family. A Piece Of Cake is the worst, if I have to read it I adapt it quite radically tbh! I don't really like any of their stories, but I think (don't want to disturb ds by checking) she wrote "Whatever next" and it is just about our favourite story ever atm!

controlfreaky2 · 21/04/2007 21:05

did ecercise ruthless banning policy when dss smaller and i had to read to them (would "loose" any books i hated to read so much they made me shudder)..... so no topsy and tim, thomas, mr men or winnie the bleedin pooh here. now they can cut out the middle (wo)man tis liberty hall!

controlfreaky2 · 21/04/2007 21:05

did ecercise ruthless banning policy when dss smaller and i had to read to them (would "loose" any books i hated to read so much they made me shudder)..... so no topsy and tim, thomas, mr men or winnie the bleedin pooh here. now they can cut out the middle (wo)man tis liberty hall!

controlfreaky2 · 21/04/2007 21:05

oops

Pannacotta · 21/04/2007 21:07

Dont know about banning, but I def wont be buying any Enid Blyton or CS Lewis books either, can't stand them!

Pannacotta · 21/04/2007 21:08

oh yes, no mr men either, woudl have to give these away if we were ever given any!

Glassofwine · 21/04/2007 21:10

DD1 is reading Millie Molly Mandy at the moment and she likes us to read a bit to her sometimes. I'm pleased she's enjoying it, but it's a total pain to read aloud as the words Millie Molly Mandy come up in nearly every sentance.

slowreader · 21/04/2007 21:13

And Little Friend Susan...

luckylady74 · 21/04/2007 21:14

my 2 yr old dd received barbie 'books' for her birthday - they're now known as the 'rubbish' books and i won't read them. they don't even have pictures where anything's happening, let alone an actual story.

Lact8 · 21/04/2007 21:21

Anything that is based on a TV series/film. I always think they are just there to make money, that whoever is writing them has never thought that some poor sod is going to have to read this out loud and it will be painful.

Another vote for Thomas, hate, hate, hate them!

chocolattegirl · 21/04/2007 21:32

Glassofwine - I read MMM to my niece once and nearly suffocated myself trying to get to the end of the sentences before drawing breath. There's a world of difference between writing for reading and writing to be read aloud .

I read books about a girl called Drina who did ballet, when I was about 11/12 -anyone have any idea who wrote these? I think my dd might like these in a year or two.

swedishmum · 21/04/2007 23:40

"Lucy Daniels" lived opposite my sil before she moved abroad so I can confirm she's a real person. Agree that her books are shite though.
Yesterday in the bookshop dd (3) introduced Dirty Bertie to me. Not sure why all books aimed at children need to involve eating bogies. She knows the book from pre-school.

LRK · 22/04/2007 00:38

Have not banned any books, but been very selective about what I read aloud...
Absolutely hate Thomas; pointless/nasty/crude /awfull to read aloud from.

My 6 yr old daughter however LOVES the nearly equally pointless Fairy stories, however they have been the main drive in making her read on her on, so I've let her... sloppy Mum as I am!

Pruni · 22/04/2007 06:26

Message withdrawn