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Enid Blyton

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
What are your views on these books?

In Politics and debate we have had a rather one sided view that certain things should be banned as children may pick up on bad vibes etc (political correctness)
One of the things coming up was Enid Blytons books.

Now as a child i loved these, i ead them to my sister, little cousin and her brother all have loved them, i took my 'bedtime stories 2' book into my local school where i do my teacher training and the teacher explained that Enid Blyton books should not really be read to the children due to content, being confused at this i aked my boyfriend why ever not and he explained that for some time people have found the books to be offensive and exclusive to certain people, they have been found to be sexist, rascist and discriminatory to disabled people.

I have a collection of about 11 books, i loved collecting them when i was little with my £1 pocket money :D

But was very sad to hear that they were ver un-PC and that Noddy in particular was probably the worst.

I know this depends on the school as the most recent school i was in allowed me to read a story from one of the books at the end of the day.

But what are your views on these witty, entertaining, comical and classic childrens books?

Interesting? boring?
evil? innocent?
funny? dull?
would you say they were unsuitable?
would you allow your child to read them? if so would you have a problem with them being used in school?
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I used to love Noddy, I had my room decorated in it and I had all the videos. :yes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i grew up on enid blyton books ...don't listen to the crap of those politics forum people ...did it do me any harm?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I read one as a kid, but can't remember which one it was. All I know is that I didn't think much of it.
    I think the PC brigade is a bit overboard on trying to ban books like that. I don't think they do any harm. Kids just read them for the adventure side of it. I don't think they pick up too much of the unPCness in them, and if they do, then nowadays they know (or learn in the future) that it's unPC, and that they have to put the books into context (ie the time they were written).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by morrocan roll
    i grew up on enid blyton books ...don't listen to the crap of those politics forum people ...did it do me any harm?

    :D well! :P

    Nah i try not to listen, but i get very hurt when i am obviously not 'fit' to teach as i do not agree with them, or that Enid Blytons books should not be challenged, if i say something i am lying! :mad:

    I have read all of her books tonight and seriously cannot see a lot wrong, of course over time much has changed but so has language but that is just simply Political correctness at work!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    who didn't read enyd blyton's books? Well I did and I recomend it to every child who is starting on reading
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    Originally posted by *DEVIL*
    Nah i try not to listen, but i get very hurt when i am obviously not 'fit' to teach as i do not agree with them, or that Enid Blytons books should not be challenged, if i say something i am lying! :mad:

    who told you that?!? for one of my courses i am encouraged to read lots of childrens books (including enid blyton books) but i doubt i would be allowed to actually teach a blyton book as a set text due to the un PC-ness of them.

    i loved enid blyton, i loved the famous five and the secret seven. i have lots of blyton books still and i will pass them onto my children.

    as morrocan roll said, no harm has come to me from reading all these books.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by littlemissy
    who told you that?!? for one of my courses i am encouraged to read lots of childrens books (including enid blyton books) but i doubt i would be allowed to actually teach a blyton book as a set text due to the un PC-ness of them.

    i loved enid blyton, i loved the famous five and the secret seven. i have lots of blyton books still and i will pass them onto my children.

    as morrocan roll said, no harm has come to me from reading all these books.

    There is a threda in Politics and debate about Political correctness and how it makes a teachers job really difficult because of what we are TOLD to do, and certain little individuals in Politics have rubbished all i have said and basically said that books for phonics and Enid Blyton are wrong :rolleyes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Enid Blyton books were rubbish, everything by her was (in my opinion). But that was just me, never enjoyed any of them! Dick King Smith :heart:. I think it's going a bit far saying you can't read children these books because they are unPC. But then again, I'm not sure how un pc they are because I was never a fan.
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    Originally posted by *DEVIL*
    There is a threda in Politics and debate about Political correctness and how it makes a teachers job really difficult because of what we are TOLD to do, and certain little individuals in Politics have rubbished all i have said and basically said that books for phonics and Enid Blyton are wrong :rolleyes:

    i agree that teachers jobs will be more difficult, yes.

    and i dont think a primary one teach would survive without a phonics book :rolleyes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You can't call a fat pig a fat pig! Or an elf with big ears Big Ears!

    It's quite obvious this thread was made as a "ner ner ner ner, ner ner!" to Blagsta, but I still agree with you. To an extent. I'm on the borderline when it comes to the golliwogs. It was only a couple of years ago that I found out that people used it as a racist slur, but then I never read the books and the TV show had the monkeys in it.

    A five year old is not really going to think "Now, hang on! The normal dolls are good and like to go shopping and eat ice cream, yet the golliwogs go around stealing parcels and Noddy's hoodcaps.", unless the person telling the story actually said "the normal dollies are good, but the golliwogs, y'know the ones that look like black people? they are very, very naughty", which they wouldn't.

    The Secret Seven were still twonks though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by the doc horatio
    The Secret Seven were still twonks though.

    Agreed.

    I grew up reading Enid Blyton, not really the Noddy and other younger childrens' books but definately the Mallory Towers series, St Claire's, Naughtiest Girl, Famous Five, etc. I never really thought about them from a sexist or discriminatory point of view, but i think my mum did help with that - when she read Famous Five to me, she changed it round so that Anne and George did all the cool stuff and Dick and Julian had to stay at camp and cook!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Enid Bylton books are great, i still read them:blush:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    *GONE*
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    Originally posted by nelly_bar
    Enid Bylton books are great, i still read them:blush:

    i read the faraway tree stories again recently. they are just the best :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I used to loved them as a child. Much later in life the rather unsavoury undercurrent existent in some of her books was pointed out to me- something that had not registered when I was a child.

    She probably wasn't racist but certainly rather prejudiced sometimes... perhaps it was how many folk thought on those days. But those of you who have read the Famous Five might recall how in most instances the baddies were gypsies, travellers and foreigners. Gypsies were portrayed as dirty and very smelly... and so on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I loved her Secret Seven books, i actually think i had most of them. No matter what "mission" the seven were on they always caught my imagination.

    Well Done secret seven is my favourite of the series - maybe its because i always wanted a treehouse and that was there new meeting place. I wish i had the same adventures as them when i was younger.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ive been reading her adventure books-eg the valley of adventure
    as recommended by moi!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I loved the mallory towers and the other school books and a midnight feast was magic to me. I loved the faraway books too. I really hate the way a classic author (to me) has been outed as racist and prejudiced-I still see her as a magical kids author up there with the greats and I couldn't care less if its un-pc-enid blyton was one of my top 5 fave kids authors. Dick king smith and dahl being there too.
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