Opinions: Should 'outdated' children's books be re-written?
JO GATES, 19: I devoured Enid Blyton books, but I knew they were fiction. Modern Judy Blume books are all boyfriends and snogging. If I ever had children I'd rather they were reading about ragging in the dorm and midnight feasts.
ALEX PERKINS, computer programmer: I've just read my first Noddy book. It was awful. The Policeman Plod syndrome is tyranny - do something wrong and you get whacked. The children were fascinated by it though. I wouldn't buy that kind of book. All our books are PC - but not PC Plod.
RAYMOND BRIGGS, writer and illustrator of children's books: It's nice to read books in original form, as long as you tell children they were written when people thought very differently. My latest book was tidied up - I had an obnoxious little rat of a bloke saying 'I can't stand foreigners' and then he listed them, frogs, wogs, krauts, eyeties and so on, and this was thought very off.
STEPHEN SPENDER, poet: Things should not be altered, because they belong to their time and a certain period. If there is an offensive reference to 'nigger' or something similar, there should be a footnote at the bottom, and perhaps an introduction putting it into its context.
MARGARET LALLY, bookseller: The fact behind a lot of this re-writing is simple: new, re-worked editions of established works make a great deal of money.
JOSEPHINE PULLEIN- THOMPSON, children's writer: I've written over 40 children's books and I find I have to up- date them from time to time. The use of words changes, and slang can begin to sound absolutely ridiculous. But I'm against sanitising children's books - after all, fat children like Billy Bunter exist. You can always give them a loveable character.
JONATHAN LACY, 4: I quite like Noddy, but my favourite is Thomas the Tank Engine. He's funny.
ALAN DAVIDSON, children's writer: There is far too much patronising of children already. How would you like a book of yours chopped around?
PENELOPE LIVELY, novelist: Good books don't worry about being correct. I certainly wouldn't read Enid Blyton to my children because the books are inadequate in plot, theme and characterisation.
JO DOUGLAS, consultant child psychologist: My daughter brought home a book from school about a little girl lured into a living in a cave with a strange man. She ended up looking after him, washing the floors etc. I complained to the school: children's books should reflect contemporary social trends, and not perpetuate out- dated stereotypes.
(Photograph omitted)
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies