Biggles Flies North

There is so little good radio for kids these days that anything put out on BBC Radio 7 is worth watching out for. It is doubly rewarding when they broadcast a classic with a really good narrator. Biggles books by W E Johns are great ripping yarns that have appealed to kids for many years with tales of adventure and heroism from a simpler time.

The series 'Biggles Flies North' narrated by Michael Palin is about to be re-broadcast starting next week (27/07/2009). See this page on the BBC website for details.

Jennings and Darbishire

I have just bought the fantastic 'Jennings Goes to School' by Anthony Buckeridge to read to my children at bed time. I can distinctly remember reading these books from Didsbury Library as a child and wanting to be at Linbury Court School with Jennings, Darbishire and co.



In a similar vein to Just William Jennings always seemed to be getting into scrapes quite by accident and avoiding detection and punishment by the skin of his teeth. The books have been republished and are easily available, although it seems rather harder to get hold of the Audio books voiced by Stephen Fry.

The series starts with Jennings heading off to boarding school at the age of 10 and trying to learn the ropes and keep out of trouble both with older boys and teachers. Buckeridge obviously got well inside the heads of children during his stint as a teacher and gives some lovely insight into their chaotic minds.

Whilst some of the language feels a little archaic and the obviously upper class background of these boarding boys has caused the books to fall a little out of favour it is the way the reader gets invited into the world of Jennings that gives so much pleasure here. We logically we know he is makes little if any sense, but from the story we learn to empathise with him and are completely with him during his many confrontations with the world around him.

Descriptions of why all school food is muck but some is Wizard Muck whilst the rest is Ozard muck will have you smiling inwardly. And if the explanation of why Templeton is called Bod does not make you laugh out loud then you have no sense of humour whatsoever.

Captain Pugwash author John Ryan dies

A staple of my childhood in that 5 minute slot at tea-time just before the news Captain Pugwash is still very watchable. Telling the story of the inept Captain Pugwash and his trusty cabin boy Tom who usually saved the day these cartoons were of a low-fi era which gave a much warmer feel to productions.

Many of the animations were just cut out drawings on sticks or levers against simple hand drawn backgrounds and gave the series a distinctive 'jerky' motion

Ryan published a number of books and many series of the cartoons, fromt the earliest black and white BBC verisions up to some new cartoons for ITV in 1998.

John Ryan publsihed a number of other cartoons including the iconic Mary, Mungo and Midge.

Nature Detectives brings green issues into the classroom

The Woodland Trust runs a cool scheme to reward schools for taking part in a wide range of ecological activities, from tree planting to recycling mobile phones.

Schools can even receive free trees to be planted in their school plus resources for use in the classroom.

Schools sign up to the Nature Detectives scheme and then complete activities to achieve a series of milestones and Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.

Anything that helps children re-connect with nature and the environemnt is Great Stuff.

Build a Go Kart with the Moov

Give their brains a work out building one of four models - a go-kart, scooter, carver or trike. Then get them to burn off energy riding it outside in the garden. Perfect excerise for the mind and body!

The Moov from Berg Toys is available in June from kidEstore.co.uk.

Just William CDs

Martin Jarvis turns in a fantastic performance as William in the BBC Audio CD series of Richmail Compton's 'Just William'. He gets the tone of hard-done-by William Brown just perfect and his rants against the unjustness of the world keep our kids and us in stiches on car journeys long or short.

In 'Home For The Holidays' William holds forth on diverse areas of life, which he believes he can significantly improve upon for all concerned. Topics range from how life would be improved if we were more like lions where Aunts were concerned 'Lions have Aunts all right, it's just that if they meet them they are as like as not to fight them.'

William also believes filling Christmas Stockings with nuts and oranges and things is 'tantamount to cheatin', New Year should be moved further away from Christmas so you might have forgiven everyone for the terrible Christmas presents before having to make your resolutions and fathers should be sent to school during the holidays so they are more prepared to avenge the wrongs done to their sons by teachers as they would have suffered just the same.

Classic stuff.

Cool tunes for kids

Don't know about you but I am fed up of watered down adult music being pushed at our kids and turning them all into pop tarts! Call me an old fogey but I can remember the days of kids music made FOR KIDS! Tony Blackburn and Arnold on weekend mornings with "Right Said Fred", "The Runaway Train" and "Puff the Magic Dragon" (I am all misty eyed as we speak) - proper children's music.

I have been on a mission to ensure my own kids get some of my old favourites and they do love CDs like "Childrens Choice" even though the recordings are not really CD quality. They quite often fire up this CD on a weekend morning to raise us from our bed.

"What a shame " I thought "that they don't make 'em like this any more". But I was wrong. "Colours Are Brighter" is a great CD with a series of new songs for kids by mainstream (more or less) artists. From the bouncy "Ninja Dinosaur" (who apparently is on a mission to bring his boogie beat to the Universe) and "Jackie Jackson" to the Kraftwerk-esque "Put it away" they are all great tunes although a couple may need to grow on you.

Now a firm favourite with my children.