Website Additions

[Anita Bensoussane]

Terry's review of Pennant Reader Number 14 is up to his usual high standard. 'The Angry Toys' and 'Tell-Tale Tommy' are both engaging cautionary tales and Dame Dark-Eyes is a wonderful name.

Thanks, Terry - and thanks to Tony too for scanning all Eileen Soper's gorgeous illustrations. I'm particularly fond of her pictures of nursery toys.

[John Pickup]

I agree, the artwork is superb. I would love to be cared for by those cheerful nurses. As soon as I saw the girl on the bed she reminded me straightaway of Anne from the Famous Five. Great reviews, Terry.

[Moonraker]

Yes, I love the artwork - some are almost Maxey-like with a lack of background detail! I also love the one-colour illustrations. They fascinated me as a child. Good review, Terry.

[Tony Summerfield]

The last 'From My Window' in Teachers World was published on August 24th 1927 and a week later was the start of Enid Blyton's letters for children. I put seven of these letters onto the website some time ago but today I added a further eleven so that all eighteen letters from 1927 are now available if anyone wants to read them.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=334" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Katharine]

Thanks for adding them Tony. I've only read a few of Enid's articles, but it's on my 'to do' list to read them all eventually.

[sixret]

Thank you, Tony.

[Anita Bensoussane]

The last 'From My Window' in Teachers World was published on August 24th 1927 and a week later was the start of Enid Blyton's letters for children. I put seven of these letters onto the website some time ago but today I added a further eleven so that all eighteen letters from 1927 are now available if anyone wants to read them.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=334" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks, Tony. I'm going to read one every few days, including the ones I've read before. Looking at the first letter, I'm so caught up in the warmth and friendliness of Enid's chatty style that I feel like a child again! I'd love to knock on the door of Elfin Cottage using the Peter Pan knocker, explore Enid's garden, meet her pets, see her letters from readers from around the world and have tea with her. I wonder how many children did call at Elfin Cottage to say "how-do-you-do"!

Enid Blyton looks contented and most elegant, sitting by the Twinkling Pond in her chequered dress.


http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=334" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kate Mary]

Thank you Tony, I shall enjoy reading them, I've been missing the weekly TW letters every Wednesday.

[Courtenay]

Yes, thank you for these, Tony. I must say it's funny to think of Beckenham as "the Kentish countryside", but I suppose it still was back then! As I've said in the other thread about Elfin Cottage, though, I was surprised to learn it was a modern house in a village street — just from the name, I initially imagined it to be a tiny thatched cottage, several centuries old, hidden away deep in the woods somewhere...

[Courtenay]

This might have been up on the website for a while, but I just noticed this new collection that's due to be released next month: Favourite Enid Blyton Stories, as chosen by a whole range of children's authors and other well-known figures.

Here's how it's described on Amazon:

An irresistible gift book of fabulous stories by everybody's favourite author, Enid Blyton, chosen and introduced by her famous fans from Jacqueline Wilson to Michael Morpurgo, Gemma Cairney to Mel from Bake-Off.

This fabulous treasury contains excerpts from Enid Blyton's much-loved books including The Magic Faraway Tree, The Famous Five and Malory Towers, among others. Every selection is chosen and introduced by one of the legion of superstars who count Enid Blyton among their favourite childhood authors. Discover how Jacqueline Wilson, creator of Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather, was inspired by Enid Blyton to become a writer, why Holly Smale (Geek Girl) fell under the spell of the Enchanted Wood and how Michael Morpurgo thrilled to the adventures of the Famous Five.

Haven't heard of all the "famous fans" myself, and the Mark Beech illustrations again won't be to everyone's taste, but I'm delighted to see so many people — including other authors — happily endorsing Enid and acknowledging her as their inspiration!!

[Rob Houghton]

Its a real shame about those Mark Beech illustrations...almost as if he has become 'the definitive Enid Blyton illustrator' - stuck on a record track that I despise and I'm forced to 'listen to'!!

Illustrators of children's fiction often change quite rapidly, so its annoying that Mark Beech is sticking around so long!! I mean - if there was some variety - like trying a more realistic illustrator just for a year or two, I would be happy!

[sixret]

Thanks, Courtenay. Will see the stories selection before I decide to buy it.

[Anita Bensoussane]

The Favourite Enid Blyton Stories book is a nice idea and I hope some of the children's authors and other figures have gone for less obvious choices instead of for extracts/stories that are already well-known.

[sixret]

I agree. The more obscure the stories, the better. Will definitely buy the book if that is the case.

[Courtenay]

They don't have a "look inside" feature (yet?) on Amazon, but from the few images they show from inside the book, there's an excerpt from Five Go to Smuggler's Top and one from Secret Seven Adventure. There's also a mention of a Faraway Tree story... so far, so obvious. I agree, it would be nice if at least some of them have chosen less well known stories, or otherwise will young Blyton fans who already know the most famous books really be getting anything new?