Enid Blyton

[Jade&Evie]

I used to LOVE Enid Blyton books and in my mum's loft I have saved all my St Claire's, Malory Towers, Famous 5, Secret 7, and Faraway Tree books.

I seriously get excited about thinking that in a few years I can read them all over again with my little girl.

The other day I was telling MIL and her friend about them saying that I'd saved them especially and her friend said I shouldn't read them to Evie because she was sexist and racist. I'm not sexist or racist and I grew up reading them!

Will you read them to your LO or do you think they outdated?

 

[X5OT]

I'll definitely be reading them to Jenna - my parents have kept all my books so will have a good collection for her

 

[mrs_tommo22]

I absolutely LOVE Enid Blyton books and cant wait to read them to my kids - i loved them as a kid!

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

I have all the 'famous five' ,'secret seven' , 'adventuroues four' , the faraway tree series and many many others
in fact i have so many it fills a massive box and if i lifted it id brake my back
Some of it yes isnt pc for this day and age but i cant remeber her being rascist and i never grew up with a racist view from reading them

I love Enid Blyton

 

[purple13]

they're stories from an age where people weren't nearly as cynical. i find it a bit sad when political correctness is driven into things that are fundamentally innocent. sexism and racism will be instilled into kids whose upbringing teaches them those things, IMO from their families attitudes and behaviour, not via stories.

i loved those books, and will definitely be reading them to my children.

 

[mrs_tommo22]

they're stories from an age where people weren't nearly as cynical. i find it a bit sad when political correctness is driven into things that are fundamentally innocent. sexism and racism will be instilled into kids whose upbringing teaches them those things, IMO from their families attitudes and behaviour, not via stories.

i loved those books, and will definitely be reading them to my children.

I know! these books made my life bearable as a kid when things were tough at home, id read them and slip into a nother world. I really want my kids to read them and enjoy them.

 

[hels]

Classics!!

I used to read them under the covers with a torch when I was meant to be in bed!!!!

Ill hope my children love these books, and reading as much as I did!

 

[jools221181]

I can't actually remember any of them but I know for sure we had them and we have turned out fine

 

[beanie]

If Seren and Cally want to read them then they can but TBH I don't think they will be that relevant to them - I remember finding some of the stories qite old fashioned (I had them all lol). I do think stories like The Faraway Tree will appealto them more though. Seren loves Noddy but reads the modern versions, the one's where the golliwogs aren't responsible for all of toy towns evils I am more then happy to see the back of that kind of thinking but am sad Noddy and Big Ears don't share a bed anymore as that is PC gone a bit too far

 

[happy-chick]

I LOVE Enid Blyton Books, I have so many in my Mum & Dads loft & will defo read them to Ellie! I even have some that were my mums when she was a kid x

 

[Jade&Evie]

the one's where the golliwogs aren't responsible for all of toy towns evils

Do you think that a child could make a link between a golliwog and a black person?! Evil characters are always dark creatures

FWIW I hate Noddy so Evie won't have them at all!

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

I may be innocent and nieve as i child it never even entered my thoughts to connect the evil golliwog as being bad because of his colour and never grew up thinking some one with blackskin was evil

do you want some of my book Jade ive got so many and no where to keep them there taking up way to much room

 

[hennaly]

im sorry to say but i think all this political correctness is a pile of bullshit
i had several staff who worked for me and at least 3 of them were called Betty, one of them was black so if asked which Betty i meant when i was refering to on e i would say 'black Betty' but i was told by senior management i was not allowed to call her that so i actually asked her what it was ok to call her and she said she was black so black Betty was fine.

 

[beanie]

there is a difference between being a dark character (I am presuming you mean dark as in character)and being black. I was scared of the golliwogs and the goblins (though thankfully don't have anything against short men with pointy noses and ears either) Some children might link them, some might not - I just don't see the point of having it in the book these days. It doesn't change the majority of the stories as I *think* it was only in one book where a golliwog was very naughty, it was mainly the goblins and the monkey's that were the naughty ones in the others.

I have a copy of Dr Dolittle from the 50's that belonged to my mum, in it the Price wishes to be white as he feels he would be better and more attractive if he was white. My mum wasn't racist, I read it and am not racist either but I wouldn't dream of reading it to Seren or Cally - times and attitudes have thankfully changed.

I wasn't that happy about Seren liking Noddy but you don't get much choice in it.

Hennally I wouldn't say *all* political correctness is bullshit, some may go above what it needs to and makes a mockery of other things but on the whole it has meant that some attitudes which were hurtful to certain groups of people have been shown not to be tolerated.

 

[Kylie1007]

I guess when I read them I wasn't aware of the issues that they are talking about when I read them but it hasn't done me any harm. I loved Mallory Towers, Famous 5 etc. so I would not have any issues with Finn reading them or me reading them to him.

 

[beanie]

I don't think I could read them out loud though, I still get the giggles about Aunt Fanny and Uncle Dick (so juvenile)

 

[Kylie1007]

I don't think I could read them out loud though, I still get the giggles about Aunt Fanny and Uncle Dick (so juvenile)

Yes I was thinking that myself

 

[chickadee1976]

Cameron has read several of Famous Five/Secret Seven by himself, they are updated versions without the sexist stuff .

He says they are boring but he prefers science fiction, i was always a mystery person

 

[hennaly]

my kids have told me they have to call it a chalk board in school now not a black board
you are not allowed to say short anymore they are vertically challenged.
why the fuck cant dads go to iceland!!!
oh and i have just given myself an afro caribean pinch!!

I think political correctness is way more than raceism, its now that you cant open your mouth without saying something you arnt allowed anymore.

 

[LisaJ1986]

If i can find mine i'll be reading them.
People have so many hang ups on being sexist or racist. They are doing it without even realising! We're gonna have a few problems anyway with Angel's surname, so i doubt books will encourage her to be racist! Her surname is Blackman! Her granddad worked for the prison service and was once asked to change his surname as some people may find it offensive! It's his name, and part of his family history, so he refused! Lots of people won't notice but the people that do make a song and dance about it!
I read these books, and had no idea that they were racist and sexist so i doubt she will!