Would this be appropriate?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

MissAdventure ?

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

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.

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.

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

Some of today’s children’s books are quite horrid. The ones that we had as children, and read to our children, were so much more gentle. What a shame that Noddy can’t be a ‘gay little fellow’.
When you are reading you can always leave any ‘naughty bits ‘.

Years ago we could have said "what a pity".
I suppose its now a patty!

JackyB

In the film, Titty becomes Tatty!

@monkeebeat You can now get alternative versions of some of the traditional fairy tales. Like this one
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZpYMLp1LdQ

My daughter took the book to read to KS1 children when she was on placement for her TA course. It provoked a lot of lively discussion.

There is also the wolf's version.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFPjf9cz830

Always surprising what children like. I know a 27-month-old who loves Peter Rabbit, Jeremy Fisher (especially the word 'minnow') and Timmy Tiptoes. 'Who's been digging up my nuts' strikes him as a very comical thing to say. As advised above, check with parents, try one, and use language to expand vocabulary and outdated attitudes as basis for explanation of how ideas etc change over time.

Discuss this with the child's parents. If they don't object to your explaining that children used to be spanked, then everything is all right.

I would be more concerned myself about the incident in one of the Famous Five books about the Nazi German plane .
My preference would be for E. Nesbit's books rather than Enid Blyton.

There is very little children's literature that doesn't have to be explained. I distinctly remember crying over The Water Babies by Ch. Kingesley, which was prescribed reading when I was nine.

Even Ronald Dahl has some questionable poems in ‘Rhyme Stew’, A Hand in the Bird and Physical Training to name but two.
Check them out, they’ll probably give you a giggle !

Old-fashioned as the environments are, as soon as they are old enough, I would recommend Arthur Ransome. Not least because it's always the youngest (underdog) who is the hero in the end, and this is often a girl!

And there are fascinating bits of everyday life which give plenty of information about what it used to be like.

The Lake is so uncluttered in Swallows and Amazons - impossible for kids to potter about in dinghies these days!
But 'Mummy' gave Susan food wrapped in waxed paper. That's making a comeback!

They've probably changed Titty's name though.

My 8 yr old GD loves Enid Blyton books along with many others especially David Walliams and Ronald Dayl. She knows that some things are set in old fashioned days when things were different and also that a naughty child being thrown into space forever will not happen in real life (David Walliams). Just like in children's history books a child understands that is not how it is today. I loved Blyton books as a child ( 1960's). I was never hit or spanked but the books didn't upset me. I just accepted the books as they were, a story. GD is though coming up to 9 so reads many things and can make judgements herself or discuss things. For younger children I'd just read the story and change some of it. Look at some of our much loved fairy tales .... everyone either dies, is cruel, is ill treated or suffers tragedies. Yet we read and watch films about it all with our youngsters.

If you go to any major high street bookseller in the UK, you will find lots of Enid Blyton books alongside the newer authors like David Williams (and Simon Cowell ?)
I have just bought our Granddaugher ‘The Famous Five’ as I thought she was a very good author, who I loved reading.

Does the wolf in ‘The 3 little pigs’ still fall in the pot of boiling stuff as he tries to come down the chimney?
Does the huntsman still cut out the heart of an animal in Snow White?
Does the match girl...or the tin soldier die in their books?
Does the witch get pushed into the oven in Hansel and Gretel?
Just wondering how sanitised we have to be about ‘fairy stories/olden days stories?

My grandchildren are avid readers and really enjoyed Enid Blyton as well as all the more modern writers . If necessary you can explain that some things happened in the olden days that don’t happen now.
Having just returned from the supermarket where children were rushing round regardless, including on scooters and taking things off shelves, their parents taking absolutely no notice. It was hell and a bit of “slippering” might not go amiss!
Sorry I digress.

I got Enid Blyton stories for my now 35 year old daughter when she was little. She loved them and I enjoyed them along with her. But I recognise that now a lot of things in them are considered inappropriate and non PC. Spanking etc, and calling children Fatty and so forth. They were good stories and very funny sometimes, but to be honest I wouldn't buy them for young children now. There are so many wonderful childrens books that are more up to date and suitable.

It all depends on what his parent think , if they are happy , there's no problem .

don`t children need to know what life used to be like?
recently, 22 year old gs and his gf came and asked what an oil lamp was, (ornamental one,but working) they have no idea!