Well, despite my best efforts it appears Enid Blyton hasn't quite made the cut for this one. I know it is... a great disappointment. The many years I have devoted to collecting First Edition Blytons, with the view to one day sharing them with my own children... has possibly been in vain, sniff. He has become obsessed with something else. The obsession part is all too familiar, the staying up and reading under the covers long after the rest of the house is asleep, the dreams about the characters and the nose continually stuck in a book. Meal times, in the car, walking around, you name it, there is a book in his hand! All of which is of course fabulous and I am delighted that he loves to read. Curious, I picked up a copy of one of his Beast Quest books and was intrigued. The author is Adam Blade (real name? not sure...) and he is prolific, there are 60 books in the series and counting. We have 40 of them. Hmmm, sound familiar? Blyton wrote around 800 books over a 40 year period. As Blade is only in his 20s there should be plenty of time for him to churn out some more.
Each book features a quest that the protagonist Tom (12 years old) and Elenna (his best friend) need to complete to help save the Kingdom of Avantia. There are lots of dragons, weapons, wizards and beasts to keep things interesting. The Captain clearly adores them and so I would recommend them to anyone looking for a series of books to engage a little boy starting out on their reading journey.
Ooooh, I've never heard of him, I'm definitely going to check them out :)
ReplyDeleteXav has borrowed a few of these from the school library along with Zac Powers. Boy power!!! Wish Xav was a bookworm with his head forever in a book but from birth he has not been interested in reading or books AT ALL. His head is too busy being stuck in soccer goals!
ReplyDeleteThere is still time for the famous five to become a hit!
ReplyDeleteZac Powers is cool too!
I must check out Zac Powers! Fingers crossed for the Famous Five!!! x
DeleteGreat that there are 60 in the series. My son is into Diary of a Wimpy Kid. There are only 3 or 4 in the series and he has read them all. He's also liking Freak Street but he's not as obsessed with it unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn
Be so so pleased that he is reading himself. Mine is still wanting me to do most of the work and I am hankering for the day he wants to read on his own. On the upside he LOVES all my old Enid Blytons, good to know we have more than 700 left! Perhaps start work on your little one, Bimbo and Topsy and the Naughty Amelia Jane's appeal to cheeky little boys. Oh and I agree with Deanne that Famous Five might still come. melx
ReplyDeleteThe little one is very, very into Richard Scarry at the moment but am going to start steering him towards the Blytons! x
DeleteThat is a bit sad that he isn't quite into those much loved Enid Blyton books, maybe your other little boy? It is fantastic though how much he enjoys his reading at such a young age. I have two in my house that are prolific readers and two who love anything to do with fantasy, one of them being my hubby:) xx
ReplyDeleteBeast Quest hasn't come onto our radar......yet. although there are still my two younger children who have to learn to read. Glad to hear he's a bookaholic though....such a precious gift to give a child. Felix, my 9 year old was home from school sick a few weeks ago and complaining that he had nothing to read......so I went and found 'Five on a Treasure Island'. I'm ecstatic to report that he is now up to number four....only 17 to go.....Rx
ReplyDeleteHurray!!! Go Felix! x
DeleteOh that's so sad that you can't share those books. My husband is convinced that our son (12 weeks old right now) is going to love all the same things that he loves! I keep trying to prepare him for the fact that he's going to have his own tastes in things but Hubby is convinced he can control these! I think he is in for a rude awakening!!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, for a boy I think the most important thing is to have that sparked interest in reading in general - it doesn't necessarily matter what it is that he's reading! :)
Love that your husband is planning stuff for your 12 week old already, that is so sweet! x
DeleteCute! Thanks Emma I'm always on the look out for new books for my boys, they love to read too. Do you use Book Depository?
ReplyDeleteMy little one (8) is reading a series called The Secrets of Droon (there are dozens of books in it too... Author is Tony Abbott (not the budgie smuggling pollie;). My older boy (10) is into Deltora Quest (sounds similar to Beast Quest). They also just started reading Paul Jennings; Funniest Stories & Trickiest Stories (short stories in big book).
I love that they love to read. Hope you're keeping safe from these howling winds! Have a great weekend, Jo xx
Love the book depository!!! N loved all the Deltora Quest books as well, he is actually reading the Rowan series at the moment which is also by Emily Rodda. Will have to check out Tony Abbott! x
DeleteSalut!
ReplyDeleteJ'ai un surpris pour vous sur ma blog......
Tania xx
Oooh tres excitant, vient d'aller visiter! x
ReplyDeleteOh Em, I feel for you! All my Enid Blytons are already waiting to be discovered in the playroom bookcase. I might just show one to Joshie tomorrow and see if he takes the bait! J x
ReplyDeleteThere is still time for the famous five to become a hit!
ReplyDeleteZac Powers is cool too!
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I often have the thought that the things that I am nostalgic for are things I missed out on in my childhood but knew others had or did... It reminds me to let The Munchkin experience things "now" as well as sharing the things I loved too like Enid. This however will never include Bratz dolls, Dora and a few other popular things ;) x
ReplyDeletePs. and I agree with Lisa... little boys reading are a treasure all on their own :)