Good Enid Blyton Winter/Christmas Reads

[RainbowJude]

No mention here of Father Christmas, so I wondered if Enid ever wrote a Christmas story; featuring Father Christmas, presents and so on, all set at the Christmas period.

Along with those mentioned above, Father Christmas also visits Toyland in Noddy Meets Father Christmas. I suppose that's more of a "behind-the-scenes" book though.



Later days
David

[Comerscroft]

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.

[Kitty]

I re-read The Christmas Book last night, and it has inspired me to go out looking for mistletoe and holly at the weekend. Really enjoyed the book, much more than on previous readthroughs, and I love Treyer Evans' illustrations. It must have been a favourite with its previous 1940s owner, as the spine is hanging off, and some pages are very frayed and only held together with transparent matt gummed paper! Now on to Antonia Forest's End of Term for more festive fiction

[lizarfau]

Five Go Adventuring Again is set over Christmas. There's no mention of Santa, but we do get the Five opening their presents on Christmas morning and doing their Christmas shopping in the days leading up to it (Anne buys the tutor Mr Rowland some cigarettes in my copy - bet she doesn't in the updates!). It's actually a really nice Christmas read.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I agree that Treyer Evans' illustrations for The Christmas Book are very attractive, Kitty. The Six Bad Boys is another book which (towards the end) shows families preparing for Christmas.

Anita

[Kitty]

The Six Bad Boys is another book which (towards the end) shows families preparing for Christmas.
Anita

That's another one to read in the very near future then - thanks!

[lizarfau]

Bimbo and Topsy has a couple of chapters set at Christmas, with Bimbo warning Bobs and Topsy not to bite Santa when he comes down the chimney. Something like that anyway.

[Enikyoga]

Since my book, The Famous Five: A Personal Anecdotage was tilted towards The Famous Five, my first bias amongst books to read for Christmas are obviously, first and foremost, Five Go Adventuring Again and Five Get Into A Fix. However, I will add on Those Dreadful Children which ends practically at the beginning of Christmas.
Stephen I.

[Muminah]

Here in Sri Lanka we don't have snow, but I always like the end of the year as it has a special snowy feeling.The television is full of Christmas Movies and Cartoons and it's always a pleasure to see a snowy effect in them.I even changed my wallpaper into a snowy picture.As for a book to read, I am going to start reading "More adventures on Willow Farm",as it has a lovely snowy feeling.

[hope189]

I'm still hunting for a good "christmassy" book. i'll probably end up reading some old classic.

[Boodi]

I also noticed in The Mystery of the Secret Room that the children take brushes and paint and make their own Christmas cards. Was this normal in those days? Why would'nt they just buy some, they were not poor.

It does seem a really nice idea though, albeit a time consuming one.

I make my own Christmas cards every year...I have been doing so since about 1989 (wow..20 years). It is much more personal and people seem pleased to receive them. It always amazes that I can invent a new card each year!! Of course it is time consuming although not exactly cheap (albeit probably cheaper than commercial cards).

As for a story with Christmas in it...what about "The Six Cousins Again"??

Cheers and merry Christmas,
BOODI

[pete9012S]

Yes its so cold dark dank,miserable,brrrr yes.....cold......

What books by Enid tap into the cold winter weather and allow us to escape into another more exciting world at this time of the year?

Can you recommend a good title,,,,,,

Heres my two choices I always seem to like reading in that bleak period between Nov and Xmas.

1.The Mystery of Tally Ho Cottage.......join the find-outers down at the dairy for hot crumpets,macaroons and steaming hot chocolate,with an excellent first rate mystery thrown in for good measure....



2.Five Get Into A Fix............Snow,real snow ..... sumptious farmhouse food with home cured ham,thick dairy cream and a cosy hut in the hills that provides a snug base for an excellent winter adventure.......






What about you........can you recommend a cosy winter Enid Blyton to read by a roaring fire,a mug of cocoa in one hand and hot buttered toast/buns/ etc in the other??

[Anita Bensoussane]

The Mystery of the Strange Bundle for me - it has cosy winter scenes, plenty of humour, things to puzzle over and hot chocolate and peppermint bull's-eyes galore.

The Six Bad Boys is another favourite, with Bob preparing to spend Christmas down in the cellar. A gripping and emotional story.

[Moonraker]

The Mystery of the Strange Bundle for me - it has cosy winter scenes, plenty of humour, things to puzzle over and hot chocolate and peppermint bull's-eyes galore.

And those red-hot braziers that the night-watchmen sit by!

[Wayne Pyer]

There are quite a few good ones to choose from, but as a child I loved the feel of Rat-a-Tat.