It was very good, but for some reason, it just didn't seem to capture my imagination as much as some other children's books that I've read. Maybe it's because I just came off of reading a couple of Roald Dahl books that are just so edgy and humorous that The Enchanted Wood seemed bland in comparison. ( )

The Enchanted Wood (#1) by Enid Blyton is a children’s classic fantasy originally published in 1939. I was able to find a 2002 uncensored copy to read FREE online at BooksVooks.com. What a precious and creative story! You have three siblings: Jo, Bessie and the youngest Fanny who’s family is moving from the city to the country. They are excited because they discover an “enchanted” forest at the back edge of their property.

The story is focused around the Faraway Tree, so named because, as it is the tallest tree in the forest, it reaches beyond the clouds and the world above it is constantly changing to different fantasy lands. The kids discover and eventually befriend all the inhabitants of the tree...pixies, fairies, and, of course, the happy, go-lucky Moon-Face. At the top of the tree is a ladder that allows entry through a hole in the cloud and into the wild and unpredictable, forever changing fantasy lands. Each day or week, or even just a few hours, the land above changes, potentially locking you in until it would eventually come around again to the Faraway Tree. Some fantasy lands are good and some are bad. In either case, the kids were on an unforgettable adventure with their new forest friends every time they entered the forest and climbed the tree.

NOTES ON CENSORSHIP OF BOOK

I have not verified and compare today's version with the original, but, apparently, cancel culture has got a hold of this book. The author has been labeled a sexist, homophobe and racist and many changes have been made to her book. The names of the characters have been changed from Fanny to Franny, and Dame Slap to Dame Snap, who doesn’t go around slapping the naughty pixies and fairies in the school of discipline for all their wrongs on one of the fantasy lands that Jo, Bessie, Fanny and their forest friends were trapped in for a little while.

‘Some' don't now appreciate the way the brother, Jo [not Joe], who was also apparently the oldest of the three children, seemed always to be in charge of his two sisters. Being the oldest, why wouldn’t he be more responsible for his two sister’s well-being. Is this why she's now marked as a sexist?

‘Some' feel the youngest sister was fat shamed for helping herself to too many toffees "because she was a very greedy girl"...as most young kids are when face to face with delicious candy. I have 10 grandchildren, and I have to put my foot down all the time and say, "That's enough!" No shame there. That's just the nature of kids. Yes. They are all greedy with candy and want more and more!

Okay. So she used the word "queer" a few times. But, she always used it in the right context. The true, original meaning of queer means 'odd' or 'strange'. The author spoke of some of the fantasy lands as being queer...because they were (very strange). The Saucepan Man, with all of the pots and pans attached to his body, was one queer man (odd, strange). There is absolutely nothing suggestively evil by her use of the word queer. The author also talked about “crackers” that had legs and were playing chase with the kids and forest friends in one of the fantasy lands. When caught, they would pop, kind of like a firecracker, and expose a prize inside. The crackers were laughing and happy and so, yes, she used the word “gay crackers” (Chp. XXIX, p. 127). I sure hope these two words used in their proper context weren't the conditions for calling her a homophobe. More ridiculousness!

As the two sisters and Moon-Face take a train to Goldilocks and the three bears home for help in saving their brother from Snowman and the white polar bears in one of the fantasy lands, they passed through three train stations: Golliwog, Crosspatch and Bear stations. GOLLIWOG* is the issue. The author writes: "...three golliwogs got into their carriage and stared at them very hard. One was so like Bessie's own golly at home that she couldn't help staring back." (Chp. IX, p. 38 in online edition). Hmmm...Now, I would say this right here might actually be a bit racist, and it doesn’t really add to the story at all. MAYBE, that would be the only thing partially justified to be removed from this children’s classic fantasy book. The other option is to not buy the book for your child OR maybe be encouraged to write your own book. But, I don’t agree with making so many changes to any author’s work. Otherwise, everything in the novel, as it is only fantasy, is a great reading adventure for all young readers.

*GOLLIWOG - This is the first I ever heard of a golliwog. I had to Duck Duck Go the meaning of the word. Golliwogs were fabric rag dolls depicting images of black people: black body, frizzy hair, wide black eyes with white rings, and big red lips. It was created by cartoonist, Florence Kate Upton, in the late 19th century. After World War II, the doll became popular and was a substitute for the soft teddy bear for a short period of time, but then later was considered racist. ( )

I think I would have enjoyed an original version of this much better. I don’t like the illustrations, they’re too modern and not particularly nice. This is childhood viewed through very rose coloured glasses but lots of magical fun. ( )

Originally published in 1939, Enid Blyton was an early writer of tween fantasy. Jo, Bessie and Fanny are three kids who move from the town to the countryside that borders on a mysterious wood. While exploring in between daily chores, they discover brownies, pixies and elves, and a magical tree containing all sorts of characters. What really makes the tree magical is the various lands that can be accessed at the top of the tree, and we follow the three kids on various adventures in these places. A bit tame and out of date for today's readers. ( )

This gets a high score from me, mainly because at the age of about 10 or 11 this series started me off being interested in books. My head flew up in to that magical land, and even now I can remember the characters and some of the stories that took me to, well, Faraway places. Thank you, Enid, for starting my journey. ( )