Brownies!

I went to badge test for the local Brownie pack yesterday. As well as testing the Booklover badge I also test the Hostess badge - that's the nice one with the cups of tea and the cakes. Unfortunately as I was doing the 2 together (multi-tasking) the girls forgot about me and although I did get a late cup of coffee I missed out on the goodies, which was a bit sad as there looked to be some nice crunchy-cakey stuff with Smarties on top. And you can't beat a cake with Smarties on the top, can you?

I've been testing the Booklover badge for 6/7 years now. In previous years almost all the girls were reading Jaqueline Wilson and J.K. Rowling. This year every single girl had chosen an Enid Blyton book as one of their favourites, which got me thinking, in a Carrie Bradshaw-type way:What has happened to give Enid such a resurgence? Is the innocent unchallenging idyll which her books represent an antidote to the ever-present restrictions and pressures surrounding children of today?(And do the publishing companies plough back the inevitable profits gained into supporting and encouraging new writers?)Enid Blyton is very very easy to knock - I must confess that I'm not a big fan - but you have to admit that if her books are still being read and loved after so many years, she must have done something right!

Anyway, back to my badge-testing. I was introduced as a 'proper author' and it was gratifying how many of the girls had read some of the 'Sleepover Club' books. (Note to HarperCollins: why did you end the series? Bring it back - please!)
As I'd finished testing each one I signed a copy of a slightly out-dated 'Little Book of Chat'. They were all fascinated by my appalling signature and one of them asked,
"Is that what you do then, write children's books?"
"Yes"
"Wow! Are you famous?"
Me, laughing: "No!"
To which another Brownie replied, earnestly,
"Well to some people you are!"
Have I told you how much I love children? Especially little Brownie-uniform-clad children!