There cannot be many readers who as children did not have a shelf full, or at least a library lend history full of Enid Blyton’s wonderful children’s stories. From her Famous Five, to her Secret Seven, from The Faraway Tree to the Wishing Chair millions of children everywhere have spent many a happy hour with Enid’s books.
Born on the 11th August 1897 in East Dulwich Enid always loved to write and in 1911 at the age of 14 she entered Arthur Mee’s children’s poetry competition; he was so impressed with her poem that he offered to print some of her work but her mother thought it to be a “waste of time and money”. Fortunately for children everywhere a friend’s aunt encouraged her and Enid had discovered what she wanted to become.
Despite numerous rejections from publishers Enid never gave up and eventually her first book, Child Whispers, a 24-page collection of poems, was published in 1922 to be followed by several more poetry collections and then her children’s novels beginning with the Brer Rabbit Tales and The Wishing Chair before introducing us to her amazing child characters in her most famous series The Famous Five.
Enid is a favourite author of the FRA team although we differ on our favourite series, me being a Famous Five fan and Kath more of a Secret Seven lover but we all agree that Enid was an important part of our reading childhood and here we have chosen 10 of our favourite Enid Blyton Quotes.
“The best way to treat obstacles is to use them as stepping-stones. Laugh at them, tread on them, and let them lead you to something better.”
“Leave something for someone but don’t leave someone for something.”
“If you can’t look after something in your care, you have no right to keep it.”
“I think people make their own faces, as they grow.”
“Hatred is so much easier to win than love – and so much harder to get rid of.”
“When you’re paid to do a job, it’s better to give a few minutes more to it, than a few minutes less. That’s one of the differences between doing a job honestly and doing it dishonestly!”
“Nothing like having a bucket of cold water flung over you to make you see things as they really are!”
“There’s a rainbow around every corner is a well known saying and is supposed to make negative people positive.”
“Writing for children is an art in itself, and a most interesting one.”
“You’re trying to escape from your difficulties, and there never is any escape from difficulties, never. They have to be faced and fought.”
Enid passed away on 28 November 1968, aged 71 leaving behind a legacy of literature that filled hundreds of thousands of children’s reading history. Her books have been banned from more public libraries than those of any other author and she will forever remain a contentious and divisive writer with many modern critics believing her work to be unsuitable for today’s children.
I’ve never been one fr doing as I a told and I have a Box set of Famous Five that I read to my children and will read to my grandchildren if I a lucky enough to have them.
If Enid’s quotes have piqued your interest and you want to know what the fuss is about, have a look at her bibliographies which we have linked below.
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