Let Blyton In!

Growing by a year

2012-01-25T01:28:00.000-08:00

A year has passed, and Lauren has sent us an updated photo of her Enid Blyton growing collection. Thank you, Lauren, and a happy new year!

An updated bookshelf

2011-01-21T22:59:00.000-08:00

Young reader Lauren Smith has sent me an updated photo of her growing Blyton collection. Here's what she wrote. Thanks, Lauren, and please send another one next year!

hello, here is a photo of my enid blyton collection again..it has grown a lot so i thought it be best that i send a new picture...i am now 14 ...i now have 89 books (i think) so that is 36 more than a little under a year ago...regards, lauren :)

A beautiful shelf from South Australia

2010-03-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

Lauren Smith, 13, South Australia, sent me a photograph of her Enid Blyton collection. Thank you, Lauren! I counted 53 books, but as Lauren mentioned, "some may be left out". Many life-long readers remember the joy of reading Blyton, whether it's sitting on the front porch with a new Famous Five, or secretly turning on a small flashlight after pretending to go to sleep. I still remember the Noddy collection we had at our public library. I used to read while walking back from the library (thank goodness I didn't bounce my head into the lamp posts!), but by the time I reached home I usually had to go back and pick another book.

Blyton at Dorset

2010-03-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

Last year I got the following wonderful account from Ms. Anne King, the librarian of an independent school in Dorset County, United Kingdom. I can only imagine the Blyton shelf, but I wish I could see it!

Greetings from Dorset in the South West of England

I am the librarian at an independent school near Sherborne. This school year (2008-9) we are celebrating 60 years of the school at it's current location, moving here just after the war in 1948. I thought you might like to know that in our school Enid Blyton is as popular now as she was in the 1940s. We have all of the St Clares and Mallory Towers books and a good number of Famous Fives and Secret Sevens and a couple of 'Naughtiest Girls' too. I have not enclosed a photo of our book shelf because I'm too embarrassed! The books have quite simply been read to destruction and will need to be replaced next year!. Perhaps it's because we are a boarding school that the books have held their appeal?

All good wishes

Anne King

Indeed, can you imagine reading Mallory Towers while being in a boarding school? Thank you, Ms. King!

A beautiful shelf from Melbourne

2009-04-24T03:53:00.001-07:00

Tania of Myrtle and Eunice, Melbourne, was kind enough to share wonderful photos of her beautiful Blyton shelf (and a great zoom-in on the "Wishing Chair").

I just returned from Melbourne a couple of months ago. Having spent a
lot of time in libraries with my daughter, in particular the one in St.
Kilda, I am happy to report that Aussie kids are still hooked on
Blyton. New prints are also available at Borders etc. I also found many Blytons in Hebrew at the Jewish Makor library in Caulfield (or is it South Caulfield? Someone help me here, please).

Click on the shelf to zoom in.

Ms. Hussain's bookshelf

2009-04-23T20:59:00.001-07:00

Natasha Hussain, the top Pakistani model/actress, has a whole Enid Blyton bookshelf in her father's home. So Natty, if you happen to read this, please send a photo. Of the bookshelf, that is. The address is LetBlytonIn@gmail.com. Thanks!

Childhood Memories from Bengal

2009-04-23T01:01:00.001-07:00

Ramnath Subramanian, a science teacher based in El Paso, Texas, found two Blyton books at a US bookstore - indeed, a rarity - and writes beautifully about his bookish childhood. I am sure this piece will resonate with many. Who knows how many other "secret societies" of kids around the world were inspired by the Famous Five!

Parlez vous francais?

2009-04-23T00:40:00.003-07:00

Montgomery County in Maryland is one of the more affluent counties in the United States. with an extensive system of public libraries.
I recently searched their catalog for Blyton titles. The search returned only 12 (!) titles in English. Surprisingly, there are 15 Blyton titles in French.
I asked an MCPL librarian about it. Here are excerpts from her detailed response:

Blyton was a very popular British author who never reached the same fame or acquired the same fandom here in the U.S. Most of her titles are out of print here. Her books are often not available from the wholesale book vendors we use.

We would be happy to request titles on interlibrary loan from other libraries in the state or beyond, if you require them...

Any of our children's librarian would also be happy to introduce you and your family to other children's authors you might enjoy.

Hey, I didn't ask for introductions to other authors, thank you very much. Just Let Blyton In!

Blyton in the Himalayas

2009-04-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Blyton is very popular in Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan Kingdom nestled in the heart of the Himalayas. This photo, showing three loaded Blyton shelves, was taken at the library of a local primary school in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. Most Blyton books in Bhutan are printed in and imported from India.

The top two shelves are loaded with titles from the Popular Rewards series. The bottom shelf has many Famous Fives and some Secret Sevens.

NYPL

2009-04-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

The New York Public Library system has been described as "one of the five most important libraries in the United States". It consists of 89 libraries (including 77 neighborhood libraries) containing more than 15 million books.

So I decided to search the NYPL catalog for books by Blyton. After all, the library system serves millions of New York children. The search returned 5 (that's five) results: There are two Secret Seven books, both in Hebrew; a Famous Five in French; one book in Russian in the Reference section ("Znamenity utionok Tim" - is this a Noddy? Please help if you speak Russian), and finally, a book in English: The Christman Book.

That's a pretty pathetic Blyton collection, given the prestige of NYPL.

Conclusion: If you're in New York and want to borrow a Blyton book, better start brushing up your Hebrew.

Please, Don't Send Money!

2009-04-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but I don't have a PayPal "Donate" button! However, I still need your help to fight Yankee skepticism and increase awareness in the U.S.:

1. Americans are not aware of Blyton or her popularity, so please send us photos of Blyton bookshelves taken at libraries, private collections and bookshops around the world. Mail your photos to letblytonin@gmail.com. Don't forget to let us know where the photo was taken, and who to credit.

2. Some parents and educators are certain that Blyton's books destroy the delicate minds of children. We are living proof that they're wrong, and we live to tell the tale. Let us know what Blyton's books mean to you - please mail your story to letblytonin@gmail.com, and with your permission we will post it on the blog.

3. Create Awareness: When visiting a U.S. bookstore or public library, ask about Blyton's books. Expect a dumbfounded stare. That's when you can give a short pitch. I have yet to find an American librarian who was familiar with her name.