Blog posts of '2014' 'January'

Enid Blyton Books

Enid Blyton was a childrens writer, known as both Enid Blyton and Mary Pollock. She was one of the most successful children's storytellers of the twentieth century. Her books have been among the world's bestsellers for children since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies.  Blyton's books, which cover a broad range of genres from fantasy and mystery stories to nature books, are still enormously popular across the globe, and have been translated into almost 90 languages. She is estimated to have written about 800 books over 40 years, but is best known for Noddy, The Famous Five and The Secret Seven Series.

Following the high sales of Blyton's early novels such as Adventures of the Wishing Chair (1937) and The Enchanted Wood (1939), she became a phenomenal success in the 1940s and 1950s and skilfully built a literary empire, often producing as many as 40 books a year.

Ladybird Books

As a parent, supporting and encouraging your child’s reading development is hugely rewarding for both of you and one way to do this is to read together at home. This is where the Read it yourself with Ladybird series can help as choosing books from a series with a levelling system will help you find books that match your child’s reading skill and encourage further reading. 

Ladybird Books is a London based publishing company, publishing childrens books, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. Around 1915, was when they published their first children's books, under the Ladybird imprint. From the start, the company was identified by a ladybird logo, at first with open wings, but eventually changed to the more familiar closed-wing ladybird in the late 1950s. The ladybird logo has since undergone several redesigns, the latest of which was launched in 2006.

In the 1960s and 1970s the company's key words scheme was heavily used by British primary schools using a reduced vocabulary to help children learn to read.

In the 1960s, Ladybird produced the Learnabout series of non-fiction (informational) books, some of which were used by adults as well as children.

Today ladybird is as popular as in the past and helping children through the key words and read it yourself to progress in their reading skills. Children find the books enjoyable as they move from one level to the next level as their reading improves.

These are great books to read to children also, as there are lovely bright pictures to go with each story, therefore can be enjoyed by younger preschool children too.  Ladybird have all the classics as well as much more to choose from. 

Roald Dahl Books

Roald Dahl a novelist, short story writer, poet, fighter pilot and screenwriter. He was born in Wales to Norwegian parents, served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

He rose to fame in the 40`s with his works for children and adults and became one of the world’s best-selling authors. His short stories are known for their unexpected endings and his children’s books for their unsentimental and often very dark humour.

His books are so well written, humorous and very entertaining. Children break free from their cruel oppressors (adults) and go on to have the most amazing adventures. Goodness triumphs; revenge is sweet; evil is punished. It's no wonder that children have continued to enjoy Dahl's tales for decades, as have younger children who have and still do enjoy having Dahl's books read to them.

In all, Dahl wrote 22 children's books, including three books that were published after his death. His most well-known children's books include:

• Charlie and the Chocolate factory
• James and the Giant Peach
• The BFG
• Fantastic Mr Fox
• The Twits
• The Magic Finger
• The Witches
• Matilda

The Monkey with the Bright Blue Bottom

By Steve Smallman, Illustrations by Nick Schon

My 2 year old got this book for Christmas and himself and his four year old brother have been asking for it every evening for the last week, they love it and so do I.

The Monkey with the Bright Blue Bottom is a lovely book with fabulous bright pictures on each page, it’s suitable for 2-5 years, but also great for children a bit older to read themselves.

It’s about a Monkey who sees beautiful colourful birds “Like feathery rainbows they flashed through the air. “How come their so pretty” he thought. “It’s not fair!”

All around him are creatures of all sorts, tall, small, skinny, but none of them purple, yellow or blue.

One day the monkey comes across a paint box with brushes and so this is where the fun begins.

This is a great story which can be read again and again and has lots of rhyming throughout.