Britain's best-loved author 2008

[Eddie Muir]

That's when you weren't quite so senior, Eddie!

...Or had so many moments!

[Moonraker]

How can you "update gender and class issues"? This is how it was in GB when the books were written, for goodness sake. It is probably a good thing for references to niggers being changed, but I would say that is about all that is necessary.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I get the feeling these points haven't been well thought out, and are a little rushed and inexperienced.

Many critics exaggerate things. Do those points sum up the genuine thoughts of the writer, I wonder, or was she mainly concerned with giving her article some punch?

[Ming]

I am getting an Error 503 page from the link at the moment, so can't read it.

* Her books blame working mothers for not loving their children enough to stay at home to bake biscuits for them

* Children are not simple and needn't be patronised with simple writing

* Updating Blyton's books has corrected the frequent racist overtones but done little to address gender and class issues

1) I think they are taking the one example from The Six Bad Boys way too far. Mrs Mannering in the Adventure series is a working mother, a woman who is so busy that she couldn't "make a home" for her children and has to resort to Polly helping her out. However Enid admires Allie Mannering for her determination and hard work, and nowhere is she blamed for being a working mother. I can't recall if there are any instances of Philip and Dinah wishing she didn't have to work so hard (but I am pretty certain Lucy-Ann had such thoughts) but if there were, if my memory serves me correct, the children reinstate their admiration for such a strong woman.

2) Simple writing is good. I prefer it. It's not patronising at all, and these days Enid is extremely popular in South Asia, where English for most of us is a second language and most children don't start reading on their own till age 6 or 7, because that's how the schools progress. I've tried to get my brother to read Noddy since he was four, and just started school, but he couldn't. He didn't have the patience because, while he already knew the alphabet, his school was still just teaching them the first few letters. He is able to read Noddy and the short stories from the Award books on his own now, but anything beyond that he cannot comprehend. I also like the way he learns new words - simple words, but still new for him.

3) I think the author of the article is asking for more edits. Shame on her.