Merged with an earlier thread. - Anita I had a look at the new Famous Five paperbacks that have been published (they have probably been out for some time but I hadn't looked at them) and I did find it strange to have parents referred to as 'Mum, 'Dad', his dad etc. Somehow, I felt that the children...

At the end of Five on a treasure Island, Quentin tells George that he is very proud of her (in the orginal, he says 'you are as good as a boy!), and George is so pleased. I thin in the original illustration, George is shown standing by her father's knee, being held by him.

I see on Amazon that this book is available to buy new, having been reprinted in 2010. I would buy it but fear that the text and illustrations have been updated. As a child, I loved this book, and as others have said, the lessons that the families learn, are eternal. I liked all the characters, even...

Well, as an eight-year old, I was 'dared' to go into a neighbour's garden and pull up her flowers because we didn't like her, nor she us. Unfortunately, she caught me and I was dragged round to my house where me father answered the door to this irate woman while I cowered behind the porch. My parent...

In the original 'Five on a Treasure Island', George has gone off somewhere instead of greeting her newly arrived cousins. Uncle Quentin say 'she needs a spanking' . Later on, Julian is retrieving the metal box from Uncle Quentin's study while his uncle is sleeping in a chair. Julian says to himself ...

If you go on to the BBC website--www.bbc.co.uk/archive and look under People, you will find letters and sound interviews with EB about her relationship with the BBC.

Fascinating!! A MUST!!

I've merged your thread with an older one on the same topic, Comerscroft. - Anita

As part of the celebration of three Jolly Hockey Sticks tales, Joanna Lumley will be reading this story by Enid Blyton. I don't know this one, but sounds interesting.

Yes, she wrote a book called 'The Christmas Book' which features childern coming home from school for Christmas, and the happy family time they have preparing for, and enjoying Christmas.

There's a copy on ebay just now.

Just had a look at the orginal illustrations (Cave of books) and the picture of the boys manhandling the heavy lighhouse bell up the steep stairs, AND somehow managing to hang it on the hook, AND strike it, AND the sound being loud enough to be heard on shore over the wind and waves.............remi...

Considering that the book was written in the 1940s when most middle-class children were brought up to be polite, considerate, have manners, do well at school and not to annoy the neighbours, I don't think too badly of the Carlton children or their parents. To modern youngsters, the family is probabl...

A shame, that.

Two rhymes comes to my mind which I learned back in the innocent 1950s:

--'Monday's child.(etc)........and the child that born on the Sabbath day, is bonny and blithe, good and gay'.


-- (in the Brownies) 'We are the fairies, bright and gay. Helping people every day'

In the original book (I forget which one), the name of the school attended by George and Anne, is 'Gaylands School', which, probably at the time of writing, was intended to be an innocent name, evoking happiness etc. Given current sensibilities along with the character of George, does anyone know if...

Just listening to this revised repeat of A Fine Defence of Enid Blyton (Radio 4, last Sunday afternoon) which is very interesting.

If you want to, its available on iplayer until next Sunday.

yes, in Five on a Kirren Island, when George gives in gracefully about her father living on the island, Dick says that she is 'more like a boy than ever' . The original text read 'George glowed. She didn't want to be catty (and spiteful?) as many girls were'. This last comment has been deleted in th...

The only time I can think of when bodily functions were alluded to is in 'Those Dreadful Children' when Mrs Taggerty says ''I must take the baby in and change him". Presumably, she means changing his nappy. Mind you, as a child, I thought she meant changing him for something else! In the same b...