Children's Books you still love to read today.

[canuck]

I have The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame on a shelf near where I sit and it is my all-time favourite book, not just a children's book.

 

[Meadow337]

oh so not just a children's book - the social commentary goes right by them. Another children's book that can only be fully appreciated when you are big is Winnie the Pooh

 

[AprilBennet]

the pide piper
black beauty
adventures of Sherlock Holmes
robinhood

 

[Meadow337]

I have just had surfeit of Enid Blyton - I reread all the Famous Five books earlier this year (or was it at the end of last year - never mind ) and now I just reread all the 'Adventure' book "Island of Adventure, Sea of Adventure etc and all the 'Secret' Book "The Secret Island', "The Secret of Spiggy Holes" etc.

I must say it was very interesting rereading them and discovering just how, not exactly racist, but patronising (as most British ppl were at that time) towards the 'natives' (and for that matter people in the books who would fall into the 'lower classes') the books are. I know its labeled racism but it's not because it's not hatred of another race. It is just rather (no less wrong) condescending. Although that isn't quite right either. Patronising? Aargh I can't find the right word. Patronising also has a bit too much of a negative tinge to it. The attitude is that of an adult towards a child, a little indulgent, not expecting too much, ready to forgive because a child doesn't know better, and an attitude of needing to take the child in hand and teach it things. Which isn't good if you are the 'child' but it isn't intended with malice and certainly no hatred. More like a sense of responsibility. I'm not defending it. It's wrong, but to just label it racism is not entirely correct either. I like words to "say what they mean and mean what they say".

 

[canuck]

I have just had surfeit of Enid Blyton - I reread all the Famous Five books earlier this year (or was it at the end of last year - never mind ) and now I just reread all the 'Adventure' book "Island of Adventure, Sea of Adventure etc and all the 'Secret' Book "The Secret Island', "The Secret of Spiggy Holes" etc.

I must say it was very interesting rereading them and discovering just how, not exactly racist, but patronising (as most British ppl were at that time) towards the 'natives' (and for that matter people in the books who would fall into the 'lower classes') the books are. I know its labeled racism but it's not because it's not hatred of another race. It is just rather (no less wrong) condescending. Although that isn't quite right either. Patronising? Aargh I can't find the right word. Patronising also has a bit too much of a negative tinge to it. The attitude is that of an adult towards a child, a little indulgent, not expecting too much, ready to forgive because a child doesn't know better, and an attitude of needing to take the child in hand and teach it things. Which isn't good if you are the 'child' but it isn't intended with malice and certainly no hatred. More like a sense of responsibility. I'm not defending it. It's wrong, but to just label it racism is not entirely correct either. I like words to "say what they mean and mean what they say".

Doesn't society evolve and many of the attitudes you speak of tend to be on their way to being corrected, except maybe with respect to women in some eastern countries this is not happening. It seems to me that prejudice, bias, racism are often difficult to wipe out and sometimes just go underground. I would think that some kind of 'pecking order' will always be with us - it certainly is in the non-human world. We're not anywhere near Utopia yet as far as I can see.

 

[Meadow337]

those books weren't written all that many years ago and the difference in attitudes is already marked. We have come a long way in the 50 to 100 years

 

[Lake Fishing Tips]

I still get a kick out of Where the Wild Things Are and The Wombat series. Yes, I discovered the Wombat series as an adult, but they are so fun!