Would this be appropriate?

When training as a teacher in 70’s we were told not to read Enid Blyton to the children ?

I wouldn't get too hung up on it. They probably hear and see dreadful things on the news daily (Streatham stabbing?). But agree they aren't very entertaining and there is a fabulous choice for little uns now. So I'd say if there's nothing else to hand Blyton not likely to do any harm so long as you pass lightly over the physical sanction and enjoy the other aspects. But sound out the parents - they may not even think it's important.

Even though I adored Enid Blyton books as a young child myself, I think that the parents of this five year old would not approve of slippering /spanking the characters which is quite frequently mentioned as I remember. Just buy more up to date books which combine politically correct messages which is what he/she will grow up with. There are some superb books on sale with innocent messages conveyed, I saw one the other day which had won a Scottish award called Station Mouse. It has beautiful illustrations and I’m thinking of buying it for a four year old to share at bedtime. Our children adored Mog books at that age, plus The Jolly Postman type books. Leave Enid Blyton back in the 60’s to spare the parents lots of questions from the youngster.

paddyannethat brought back memories.
I used go to such a book shop in Rathmines called 'Banba'. It wasnt for classics mind you. I went through EB and lots of others. The stories gripped me

MissAdventure ?

I was never keen on Enid Blyton myself. I did try to read The Faraway Tree to my sons but they said it was 'soppy' so I gave up. I was vert sad when they could read for themselves & I did not do the bedtime story anymore,
I have read all the Julia Donaldson books to my DGC & they love them- as well as the Mr Men books that belonged to their Dads.
I am just starting to read Watership Down to the eldest of the 3 younger ones. I read it to my boys & they loved the voice I 'did' for Keeha!
My son took his then girlfriend- now wife- to see Lord of the Rings & was most upset that Gollum was nowhere near as scary as Mum doing 'THAT voice!'
There is nothing like the joy of reading to children.

My youngest two grandchildren aged 4.5 and 2.5 years have been brought up mainly on Disney books, Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler and lots of little books (can’t remember all authors), they both have wonderful imaginations and are known at preschool and nursery as Bookworms, with vocabularies above many of their peers. I think the most important thing is to nurture a love and respect for books.

Why don't you have a trip to Waterstones or WH Smith's and look with your GC for something they might like, loads to choose from and she can pick the one she can relate to.
My five year old Gd got a new book from me called cinders and sparks and was reading it to me occasionally she would stop and ask me what a word was and what it meant, good luck.

With so much brilliant reading material available, why settle for old Enid who is - by modern standards - rather dull and the writing is fairly awful. Try Judith Kerr, Mick Inkpen, Julia Donaldson, and best of all (for me!) John Burningham. Wonderful writing and fabulous illustrations which are just as important as what is written. Beatrix Potter is also a better choice. And of course, the timeless A.A. Milne if you want something a little less modern.

Can't you simply leave out the sentences you don't like and ad lib?

The OP’s grandchild is 5. A lot of the recommendations here are more for pre-school children, surely? I’m never sure what my eldest grandsons will like now at 7, 6 and 4, so pick up a few books at charity shops when I see them. The Wimpy Kid, that multi-storey treehouse series, Horrible Histories, Roald Dahl, David Williams, Horrid Henry for the youngest. They all like factual stuff as well - football, pirates, kings and battles, how sewers work. I dislike a lot of the above, but they like them, which is what matters!

I’ve tried offering the updated Enid Blytons and they’ve been met with a total lack of enthusiasm. I’m quite sad about that, as I used to love The Faraway Tree, The Wishing Chair and the school series, and so did my children.

I would not give my grandson Enid Blyton for a range of reasons. I loved the stories as a child but they haven't stood the test of time.

I wouldn't read Enid Blyton to my grandchildren and I didn't read her to my children either Becaue her books were even dated then 30 plus years ago. Also as much as I enjoyed them when I was a child it was Becaue its all I had looking at them now I don't think they are at all well written. There are much better books available now that I think your grandchildren will enjoy more.

I loved Enid Blyton in the dim and distant past but when I read a Famous Five book (bought by son) to my grandson I could see that the vocabulary is pretty limited. However GS has now read all the Famous Five series and loved them. I really don’t think children will be damaged by reading Enid Blyton provided they are given access to better literature as well. The important thing is to develop a love of reading.

Reading to a child can't be improved on , and you can always adapt as you read. The text isn't the best but Enid Blyton has that page-turning quality that makes you want to finish the story.
It is what the parents think that matters, not My Friend.

spend their childhood never reading anything else.
I totally agree with this they are all I read when I was a child and they put me off reading anything else. Becaue I found them so easy I wouldn't read anything else. And I missed out on reading some very good children's literature. It wasn't until I was an adult that I rediscovered a love of reading through Jane Austen. When I reread some Blyton as an adult I realised how badly written they were. I much prefer Roald Dahl or J K Rowling

Why not save it a bit till hes a bit older,maybe 9yrs? And still explain to him about how things were done differently then.

How about Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne - beautifully illustrated by EH Shephard - don't get the Disney version! The original books are classics and full of gentle humour. There are stories and poems - The House at Pooh Corner springs to mind and I think one is just called Winnie the Pooh. The poems may be in When we were Very Young and Now we are Six.

Agreed

Enid Blyton her books are still in print after all these years, and punishers know what they are doing, so read them to your grandchildren, and enjoy!!

I think they are a really funny adult read. I loved them as a child and the first book I read in red hardback hardly any illustrations was her Happy Story Book when I was five . To be honest elves got punished with blue ink if they stole cakes and every story had a moral and I learnt early to structure stories this way and I devoured the Secret Seven books. I picked up one from Oxfam recently 'Sleepy time stories' and it was a hoot. It starts off with mother saying that her and daddy were going off on holiday but child couldn't go because she had not been good she had to stay with frightful Aunt Sue. Can you imagine daring to say that! I never read them to my children stuck to AA Milne and Beatrix Potter and Dr Suess there was enough subversion and wit in them. But i have such a soft spot for her. My grandchildren love David Walliams....If I had my grandchildren to stay and more time with them I'm sure we'd enjoy some of them .

The Roald Dahl stories are wonderful, the enormous crocodile and George’s Marvellous medicine. Wind and the willows, Winnie the Pooh, Paddington bear, swallows and amazons, some books don’t age and are still seem fresh today.
I agree that Enid Blyton books are horrid and a bore to read as a parent. Many other wonderful classics to chose from.

Oddly enough, as I was reading through this thread. This email landed in my inbox!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I read everything I could lay hands on, including EB. And I was smacked, which did me no real harm. I was given some morality tales (I seem to remember a book by "Uncle Mac" where bad children got their come-uppance). My parents disapproved but the donor pointed out that children like books like that because all the children have their just desserts and certainly I felt the rewards or punishments were fair.