Sue has been writing about lovely, colourful Ladybird Books which set me reminiscing about the reading books we had when I was at school. We started on the Radiant Way ... Run, run to mother ... mother wearing a dress that might have been in fashion c1934. Even at four, we were aware that these books had seen better days. So had the dirty Plasticene.
After which, an unendurably long time later, the Good Readers were promoted to a grubby copy of Blue Skies. Just like this one.
By which time I was thoroughly bored and disappointed with school. Only 12 more years to go ...
My overwhelming reading book memories are about The Pirates. Roderick the Red, Benjamin the blue and Gregory the Green. I LOVED them. I would love to read your reading books, the covers are very appealing to me.
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They do have a vintage charm now, don't they? But my abiding memories are of grubby covers and terribly dull reading.
ReplyDeleteI think I must have had quite enlightened teachers. I don't remember our reading scheme but I do remember being read to a lot and being allowed to draw while I listened. Carbonel and the Good Master come to mind. The bookshelves at school were rather thinly stocked though because I also remember having to read Greyfriars Bobby when there was absolutely nothing left unread. Luckily I belonged to two public libraries and they were heavily used.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the Ladybird books link; I've now bookmarked Sue's blog. Always good to find a new one!
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of The Radiant Way until Margaret Drabble used it as a book title. I think we had Janet and John at school. My poor daughter was forced to plod her way through Roger Red Hat & Co., even though at home she was reading Roald Dahl.
These bookslook familiar.
ReplyDeleteMy mum tried to get me to read Greyfriars Bobby, Lucille. She'd loved it as a child but I never enjoyed animal stories, still don't.
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten Janet and John, Callmemadam. I think I read the Margaret Drabble years ago - but did she mean the reading books? I can't remember. Her books do tend to merge into one in in my mind!
Cait, we are clearly ladies of a certain age.