Maybe it's because I read these stories one after another, but I found them repetitive and rather boring... I think I might have to re-think again in a couple of years whether or not I would want to read these to my kids as a bedtime story...

Amelia Jane Series by Enid Blyton - Goodreads

Thing is, I keep on wondering what would I have thought as a child, reading or being read these stories to? I think I wouldn't mind acting like Amelia, what with the other toys being so mean, straight-laced and hypocritical! They keep on saying how bad and naughty Amelia is, and do all sorts of these bad-ness themselves to take revenge or to teach her a lesson. Also the stories keep on ending with "yes, Amelia will be good for a while, but no one believes that she will stay good!" It's such a frustrating branding of naughtiness that I, in my current thoughts and idealism, wouldn't want to imprint on my young ones (when I have them, that is!)

According to the Index Translationum, Blyton was the fifth most popular author in the world in 2007, coming after Lenin but ahead of Shakespeare. notes: The first edition dustwrapper had a plain white spine with just the 2/6 price in red on it. The 2nd edition published in February 1940 @ 3/- had a red line drawing on a white spine, which became a plain white spine for the 5th edition in March 1942 @ 4/- with the book reduced in size to 8¼ X 5¾. This was changed to a full-colour pictorial spine for the 8th edition in October 1951 @ 7/-)

Amelia Jane! by Enid Blyton | Goodreads Good Idea, Amelia Jane! by Enid Blyton | Goodreads

A soda syphon (Story #2, & #10) is a container of aerated water. If you add 'soda water' to cordial it makes it taste like soft drink. 'Effervescent' is a good one-word description. Plasticine is a kind of putty used for modelling things, as one would with clay. Children used it a lot in the past, and maybe they still do.Big? Yes, one can safely say that Amelia Jane is about the biggest toy in the nursery and that gives her an advantage because it's hard to combat naughtiness in a doll who towers over everyone else - unless there's a combining of forces. Blyton was a prolific author of children's books, who penned an estimated 800 books over about 40 years. Her stories were often either children's adventure and mystery stories, or fantasies involving magic. Notable series include: The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Five Find-Outers, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, Mallory Towers, and St. Clare's.