Book of the Year - large format?

[pendle]

Hello
I've been having a mid-life crisis and have been searching ebay for some of the books I had when I was a child. I've been successful with most, except for one Enid Blyton book.

The book I had never had a cover, it was red, cloth-bound and was a large, a4 style book, the spine being about a 1.5 inches thick - it was already second hand when it came to me.

I thought it was Enid Blyton's Book of the Year, but the one I've just bought is small, A5 size. However the stories in it that I remembered are the same as the large book I had.

Can anybody advise if the large book I had was a book of the year? And if so, could someone give me an idea of publication date, because although the book I had has the same content, I'm wanting to get an exact copy of the one I had!!!

thanks in advance
Pendle.

[Tony Summerfield]

No mid-life crisis, you are on the right track. It is Enid Blyton's Book of the Year that you are looking for, but you want the 1950 reprint, which had the same contents, but came as an annual-sized book in red cloth boards with a title in gold. If you go into the Cave of Books in the main website and put Book of the Year into search you will see the wrappers for both the book that you have and the one that you want. The second and third reprints are both the large edition, the contents are identical in both, it is just the wrappers which have a slight difference.

[Moonraker]

Tony's reply confirms my high estimation of his knowledge of Blyton's works. I didn't even understand your post, but Tony not only understands it, but provides the answer!

Welcome, pendle, anyway!

[Kate Mary]

Hallo Pendle,

Are you the same person undergoing a mid-life crisis, who was looking for a book about a 'Scottish girl' on Booksleuth on the Abebooks site? I masquerade there under the pseudonym of 'Lettice' and was able to tell you that the book you wanted was "Windmill Hill" by Wyn Brocklebank. I do hope you manage to track down the books you want, there is nothing like reading an old friend from childhood with a cup of cocoa at your elbow to make make any crisis, mid-life or otherwise, melt away. I speak as one who knows.

Welcome aboard,

Kate.

[Anita Bensoussane]

It is indeed wonderful to rediscover a long-lost book - like getting reacquainted with an old friend, or perhaps even better as the book won't have changed!

Unable to find my childhood copy of Enid Blyton's Book of the Year a few years ago, I ordered a copy from eBay. When it arrived I was delighted to be able to read it again, but felt sure that the book I remembered (which had no dust-jacket) had different pictures. Some time later, my mum found my childhood copy at her house and posted it to me. Hurrah! Now I realised that the edition I'd grown up with had illustrations by Eileen Soper, whereas the one I'd found on eBay was illustrated by Harry Rountree. And I hadn't even noticed until I saw the two side by side that my childhood copy was slightly bigger. The contents are in a different order and the earlier edition (Harry Rountree illustrations), despite being smaller, has a few extra poems and puzzles so I'm glad to have both.

Anita

[Julie2owlsdene]

Welcome Pendle - Nice to hear Tony has been able to identify the book you are looking for.

I didn't even understand your post.

Poor Moonraker, maybe its an age-thing

[Ming]

Welcome Pendle - hope you can find the book! It really must be lovely to find something long lost, and find it is the same as before. Very Blytonian.

[Moonraker]

Unable to find my childhood copy of Enid Blyton's Book of the Year a few years ago, I ordered a copy from eBay...was illustrated by Harry Rountree

Just had a look on eBay, there is a First Edition and a 1947 edition there--both illustrated by Rountree. I see in our Cave, the 1950 edition's cover was illustrated by Teyor Evans. Was this an annual publication, or a one-off reprinted?

[Anita Bensoussane]

I see in our Cave, the 1950 edition's cover was illustrated by Teyor Evans. Was this an annual publication, or a one-off reprinted?

I think it was a different book, The Golden Book of the Year , that was illustrated by Treyer Evans.

Enid Blyton's Book of the Year was a one-off volume, reprinted several times, containing seasonal stories, poems, plays, nature notes, puzzles, etc, for use in the classroom. Enid Blyton remarks to child readers of her autobiography, The Story of My Life: "The Book of the Year was meant for teachers to use, but you buy it and pore over it yourselves! I believe if I wrote a book on How to Sweep Chimneys you would buy it and pore over it as usual!"

Anita

[Moonraker]

Thanks, Anita. Sorry, by the way, for the typos in Treyer's name!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Treyer is an unusual name. I don't think I've encountered it anywhere else.

Anita

[pendle]

Hello and thank you for all your replies. I've found a copy on eBay and I'm just waiting for it to be delivered. I had a look for the Golden Book of the Year on eBay but it's not listed, but I think the one I've ordered is the one I want.

I've not been on abebooks, so there is obviously someone else having their second childhood!

best wishes

Pendle.