Other Authors I Enjoy

[Anita Bensoussane]

Besides Enid Blyton, my favourite authors as a child were E. Nesbit (I liked everything she wrote, but especially The Story of the Amulet and The Enchanted Castle) and C. S. Lewis (the Narnia books, my favourite of which was The Voyage of the Dawn Treader). What an imagination both those writers had! I also loved Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce and Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer - both are moving and thought-provoking time-travel stories. Then there was Bambi by Felix Salten (the book is even more poignant than the Disney film!), the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Helen Cresswell's series about the Bagthorpes (particularly Absolute Zero). I also loved The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Heidi by Johanna Spyri.

As an adult, I still enjoy reading children's books. I've read a few modern authors but also discovered some authors I missed out on in childhood, one of the most notable being Malcolm Saville, whose adventure stories are dramatic and full of atmosphere. I've also read some of the 3 Investigators books which are of variable quality, I think, but I loved The Mystery of the Screaming Clock - a truly puzzling mystery which kept me guessing. Yet another great read was The Adventures of a Three Guinea Watch by Talbot Baines Reed - it came highly recommended by an Internet friend and is a beautifully-structured, moving novel, wonderfully sad-happy.

Happy Reading!
Anita

[booklover]

Growing up in the early 1970s in Australia, my friends and I would alternate between the following series:

1. Enid Blyton - I started with the "Enid Blyton Rewards" published by Dean and Sons. Chimney Corner Stories was the first book I ever bought. I remember the rush of reading the variety of books from short stories like Tales of Toyland and Adventures of Pip, the large print books like Naughty Amelia Jane, the infuriating Mr Meddle and the gallant Mr Pink-Whistle, and then moving on to the older stories (from about no. 31 in the series onwards) of the Faraway Tree, the Wishing-Chair, the Naughtiest Girl, Mr Galliano's Circus, the Adventurous Four, and the Cherry Tree Farm/Willow Farm series. It all seemed so sad when the series ended at no. 45, but then Dean put out a few more to bring the total books up to 48 in the series.

I then discovered the Famous Five series which catapulted me into a wonderful world of mystery and adventure. Then there was the excitement of discovering the Adventure Series and the Barney mysteries, which I found more satisfying than the Famous Fives. There was something terribly foreboding about the donkey trek into the Welsh mountains in Mountain of Adventure! By the way, back then you could get 7 paperbacks for $5.00!

2. The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew: As a guy, gender stereotyping meant you were supposed to love the Hardy Boys. But I couldn't get into them, there was too much espionage and not enough genuine mysteries. In contrast Nancy Drew was a titian haired super sleuth extraordinaire! And the stories were much more exotic too, with clues being discovered in old trinkets and the like (Only recently did I learn to my disappointment hat these two series were mass produced by different authors operating under the one name).

3. The Three Investigators: This series was originated by Robert Arthur in the US who wrote 11 of the first 12 books before he died. There is an excellent website about the series called Tunneltwo (named after one of the secret entrances into their Headquarters). These were very clever detective stories, focusing on some unusual occurence (eg a stuttering parrot, a whispering mummy etc) that the boys had to fathom out, with Jupiter Jones as the main detective. Whether deliberate or not, there is a fair bit of Frederick Algernon Trotteville in the "stocky" (not fat) First Investigator, in both appearance and deductive prowess. Unfortunately, this series was being written whilst I was growing up so I grew out of them around about no. 25. There ended up being 43 in the series but the stories went downhill somewhat as the series progressed.

4. Narnia and Five Children and It: I tried my best but I couldn't get into them. Religious allegories - huh? They were a pale imitation in my mind of the wonderful enchanted world of the Faraway Tree and the Wishing-Chair. Hands up who thinks The Land of Birthdays was the best land the children visited?

[booklover]

I should add:

5. Willard Price "adventure" books: this is a great series of exciting and educational books about two teenagers sent by their father all over the world to collect wild animals for zoos. "Hey, Hal and Roger - go get me a hippo!" "No worries, Dad! We'll bring back a lion, a crocodile and a leopard too!"

6. the Paddington Bear series by Michael Bond: Paddington was simply delightful.

A special mention for Alice in Wonderland, which stands the test of time.

[Rob Houghton]

I seemed to like all of the authors Anita mentions as a child. Particularly E. Nesbit, who was and is probably my best loved children's author (after Blyton of course!). I particularly loved 'The Enchanted castle' Does anyone remember the brilliant BBC series of this in the late 70's? I've been trying for ages to get this on video or DVD, but to no avail!

As an adult I still regularly read both Enid B and E. Nesbit. I also love anything by Daphne DuMaurier (esp 'Rebecca') as well as Dickens and agatha Christie. as a complete change, I also enjoyed reading 'The Silence of the Lambs' !! (A much better book than the famous film) and Catherine Cookson, too!!

But Enid Blyton will always be the best!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Robert, I remember the BBC TV series of The Enchanted Castle - the Ugly-Wuglies were excellent! My Puffin paperback copy of the book has a scene from the TV series on the front. On the back, it says: "Cover photographs show Georgia Slowe as Mabel, Simon Sheard as Gerald, Candida Beveridge as Cathy and Marcus Scott-Barrett as Jimmy." It also says that the series was produced by Anna Home, directed by Dorothea Brooking and dramatized by Julia Jones. Do you know if it was ever released on video or DVD? I also wonder which castle was used in the film. Does anyone know?

Another enjoyable BBC TV series was The Bagthorpe Saga, based on the first few Bagthorpe books by Helen Cresswell. I think it was shown around 1980. Ruth Potter played Tess, Richard Orme played Jack and Ceri Seel was William. Again, it was produced by Anna Home. Paul Stone was the director, and it was dramatized by James Andrew Hall. Does anyone know whether The Bagthorpe Saga is available on video or DVD?

Anita

[Tony Summerfield]

Hi Rob and Anita - You're on one of my pet subjects, I would also love a DVD or Video (more likely as very little has been put onto DVD) of The Enchanted Castle - I do have most of the available Nesbit's in my collection - The Treasure Seekers, The Phoenix and the Carpet (a difficult title to find) - Five Children and It, The Return of the Psammead (really this is Helen Cresswell) and of course two versions of The Railway Children. I came back from the Blyton Day to find a copy of Stig of the Dump from 1981 (the newer version never got put onto video) waiting for me (at the sorting office!), but these older videos are so hard to find and it is also quite difficult to discover just what did come out on video in the first place. A list would be nice - or are we straying too far from EB? I have quite a number of videos and would certainly be happy to list them if anyone is interested.

Best wishes
Tony

[Raci]

Hands up who thinks The Land of Birthdays was the best land the children visited?

My favourite land would be the land of goodies with the land of birthdays coming a close run second.

Although I've read some of E. Nesbits books - I've never even heard of 'The Enchanted Castle'. Another book to go on my to read list LOL! It sounds interesting.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'd love to visit The Land of Birthdays and The Land of Spells. The Land of Take What You Want sounds good too - personally, I'd take home a pile of hard-to-find books and a video of The Enchanted Castle.

Tony, I'd be very interested in a list of videos/DVDs of the progs you mentioned - and any other children's classics - including details of where I could buy some of them. Yes, The Phoenix and the Carpet was another great TV series from the late 1970s, and it starred Gary Russell as Cyril (Gary went on to play Dick in the 1970s Famous Five TV series.) It was after watching The Phoenix and the Carpet that I first started reading E. Nesbit.

I remember watching the 1980s series of Stig of the Dump too, though I very much liked the more recent version as well even though it was modernised and didn't stick to the book.

Anita

[Tony Summerfield]

I will get round to doing a list of what I have. Unfortunately my 'Phoenix' is not the Gary Russell version, but the more recent one - released as a video by Reader's Digest so never available in the shops. The earlier version is another on my wants list, but I don't even know if it was released. It is a pity that so many of these things never get onto video for example True Tilda and The Young Visitors - fortunately I now do my own homemade jobs in case they never see the light of day.

Best wishes
Tony

[Rob Houghton]

That list sounds a very good idea, Tony. Before I mentioned 'The Enchanted Castle' series on BBC TV I thought I was the only person who remembered it!! Glad some others do too.

Straying even further from Blyton (and books in general) I would love to find another BBC TV series from the 70's, called 'The Swish of the Curtain' about children putting on a show (I think it was this series that got me interested in amateur operatics!)

Another excellent series was 'A Little Silver Trumpet', which I loved, as well as a never-ending version (American import I think) of 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huckleberry Finn'. I can still remember the theme tune!!

Its a pity more Blyton serials werent made for TV, such as the 'Fatty' books and 'R' Mysteries...

[Anita Bensoussane]

Gosh yes - A Little Silver Trumpet is another one I recall (from about 1980/1981, I think?) I remember being annoyed because my sister and I had to go swimming one evening after school, and it meant missing the final part. I watched The Swish of the Curtain too. And what about Kizzy, The Peppermint Pig, The Secret Garden, Heidi (the very long version dubbed into English) and What Katy Did? There was also a rather peculiar serial about a boy whose baby sister was stolen (something about Adelaide Harris?) It would be great to see some of these again.

I've never seen the more recent version of The Phoenix and the Carpet, Tony, though I'd heard that one had been made. It would be interesting to compare the two. I've definitely seen two TV versions of The Treasure Seekers. One was on TV in the 1980s, when I was in my early teens, and the Bastable children in that version were played by Simon Hill, Lucinda Edmonds, Timothy Stark, Jayn Rosamond, Christopher Reilly and Jeremy Dimmick. It was produced by Paul Stone, directed by Roger Singleton-Turner and dramatised by Julia Jones. The other one was made later (probably in the 1990s?)

Anita

[Tony Summerfield]

I'm still working on my list, but it's getting a bit long so I may end up sending it attached to an email as I don't want to bore everyone else with it. I have been checking all the dates with the Internet Movie Database - an invaluable source and I have checked all the other titles that you mentioned Anita, but it only lists videos and DVDs which are currently available unfortunately - I'm sure you have also used it, excellent for casts etc. - http://www.imdb.com

I will just list videos that I have (including one or two films of children's books) - but I will leave out EB and Harry Potter as I think these are obvious!

Best wishes
Tony

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks, Tony. Actually, I didn't know about that site but I've just visited it and it's full of useful information. Just remembered Carrie's War - another TV serial made some time in the late 1970s or early 1980s, with Juliet Waley as Carrie. I saw the modern film version of that about 18 months ago and enjoyed it, though really I'd prefer to see the older one again. (When it comes to The Secret Garden, however, nothing beats the truly magical 1990s film with Kate Maberly as Mary Lennox.)

Anita

[Rob Houghton]

This topic is certainly getting some attention! I had forgotten 'Carries War' - I really loved this series, and though I quite enjoyed the more modern version I think the original was better (unless that's just fond memories playing tricks!!)

The series of 'Heidi' you speak of has been released on (multiple) videos in a series of about six or seven episodes each. I know I saw it in Smiths earlier this year. But I bet the whole series would take up a good eight or nine double videos!! It was certainly a long series, but it was another favorite.

I also enjoyed 'the Box of delights', which I already have on video. strange to say though, I enjoyed it more as a child. I'm sure I understood it perfectly then, but as an adult I find it all slightly confusing!!

Going even further back, and linking in with Blyton again, was the first version of Noddy (well, the first I remember anyway) which was narrated by Richard Briars. I came across some of these episodes on video in a charity shop.

Lastly, there was a 'puppet' version of 'Rupert Bear' too, which I really used to love. For some reason he owned a flying 'chariot' thing in it, and one of his friends was a twig like creature.

These discussions are certainly bringing it all back!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'm almost embarrassed to be posting on this topic yet again - I've always told my children I didn't watch much TV as a child!! But I definitely remember the Rupert Bear series with puppets - "Rupert, Rupert the Bear/Everyone sings his name./Rupert, Rupert the Bear/Everyone come and join/In all of his games..." There was a similar series about Mumfie the elephant. And many more classic 1970s children's programmes, my favourites being Bagpuss ("old, fat, furry cat-puss") and Mr. Benn ("as if by magic, the shop-keeper appeared.")

I was about 14 by the time The Box of Delights was on, and considered myself to be "growing out of" children's TV, but I watched it nevertheless. I too failed to follow the story - there were lots of mysterious things that were never explained. I remember the Punch and Judy Man, and an old woman who kept whispering: "The wolves are running."

Anyone remember Jackanory Playhouse, in which lots of weird and wonderful plays were performed? And what about Shadows, a series of spooky stories from around 1980?

Crumbs, we're getting rather off-topic, even for the off-topic heading of "Other authors" !

Anita