Enid's longest book?/Award Books

[Anita Bensoussane]

No one in my class has ever heard of Enid Blyton, except one girl who says that she has read the Naughtiest Girl and Twiddle series (I haven't read the latter). Her favourite book is "Don't be silly, Mr Twiddle" (I ask, is this a name of a Blyton book?)

Of course it's the name of a Blyton book - who else would choose a title like that? The Twiddle books are aimed at younger children but they still make very amusing reading.

Anita

[Boodi]

Despite having read all of the Famous Five books as a child, my husband is not a great admirer of Enid Blyton BUT strangely enough he enjoyed "Don't be silly Mr. Twiddle" and used to read it to our son when the latter was little.

[Tony Summerfield]

I have just phoned Val Biro and asked him more about the Secret series. I may have got it slightly wrong before, because as yet he has not been commissioned to do the cover for the sixth book, though he is still hopeful! What he is definitely doing is 21 internal illustrations for that book. He is not doing internal illustrations for any other books in the series as he thinks that Award are keeping those with the original illustrations.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks - it's nice that you were able to ask Val Biro himself. As a child I recall liking his illustrations for The Treasure of Dubarry Castle by Lindsay Brown.

Anita

[Tony Summerfield]

Actually since I posted that I am now thoroughlyconfused.com! When I asked Val if he was doing anything to the rest of the series he told me that they were already in the new Award catalogue (2008-2009). As they always put it online as a PDF file I checked it out and indeed the five Secret books are there with slightly differently designed covers, but the same cover illustration. They are also being sold as a boxed set of five - I am not sure where the sixth book fits into this at all. It is not in the catalogue, and it doesn't look as if Award are making any effort to sell it with the other five!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

That does seem strange. Even stranger is the absence of Award books from UK shops. It's as if Award don't want people to buy them! I once checked out their website to see if I could buy a few of their short story books over the internet, but I gave up as they only seemed to sell the short story books in sets of six and I just wanted the odd title here and there.

Anita

[Tony Summerfield]

You are lucky to be offered six, when I asked the same question I was told that they sold boxes of 48!! Their sales manager told me that they have no interest in supplying two or three books here and there to bookshops, they prefer to sell in bulk and do very well in the far east!

[Enikyoga]

I remember ordering an Awards catalogue about five years ago. I still have it. So they no longer honor single titles purchases. That is quite a shame!!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Looking at Award's website again, it does appear to be the case that the short story books (Popular Rewards), although divided into sets of six, are sold in bulk - 36 books to a carton according to the order form. And it seems that Award will only sell to bookshops, schools and libraries.

However, the "How to Buy" page states:

Most UK bookshops are able to order books from us and your order should be delivered to the shop within a few days.

It will help if you take a note of the exact title and ISBN (the International Standard Book Number – on the below each book image), so that the book shop can track down exactly the book you want.

So, does that mean that individual titles can be bought after all then (by bookshops for customers who have put in an order)? I'm confused.

Click on the link to see the website - perhaps it will make more sense to someone else than it does to me! What a lovely lot of Blytonia - but can it be bought or not?!

Blyton books published by Award

Anita

[Tony Summerfield]

I am sure that you can buy individual books through bookshops, it was just that the sales manager said that they don't like it! Selling single books is not what Award like to do and I guess this is why chains like Waterstone's won't touch them.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I am sure that you can buy individual books through bookshops, it was just that the sales manager said that they don't like it! Selling single books is not what Award like to do and I guess this is why chains like Waterstone's won't touch them.

Think I'll try and order a couple through Waterstone's then, just to be annoying!

In fact, I might even order them one at a time...

Anita

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

That does seem strange. Even stranger is the absence of Award books from UK shops. It's as if Award don't want people to buy them!

A certain shop in Corfe Castle stocks just about the whole range (the Rewards on rotation and Redroofs, 6BB, H at C, etc when they are reprinted)

Award books are one of the reasons I don't tend to do mail order - they are so cheap that the postage can be the same - let Amazon & Waterstones have the hassle I think!

If anyone here is desperate for a copy of anything, please let me know in the next few weeks before I go into my winter hibernation.

http://www.gingerpop.co.uk" target="_blank

Viv

[Tony Summerfield]

I am sure that any branch of Waterstone's would get you a book, it is just that they won't order them to put on their shelves - which is a pity as Award have about 140 Blyton books in print!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks. If I lived near enough I'd buy the books from Ginger Pop, Viv - and probably also come away with several other enticing goodies from your well-stocked shop!

Anita

[Tony Summerfield]

One of the things Val told me today was that he illustrated one of the omnibus editions, The Secret of the Lost Necklace - I wonder who told Award they could change the title!!