A few more of my favourite things

While some of you are no doubt getting seriously excited at Camp running about, playing dress the Squirrel and more, I've caught up with things after Tuesday's unwelcome wrist ache so this is a few days early. Never mind!

I had this for a while but forgot - typical Joanne isn't it? - to write about it with having the damaged disc on arrival to deal with.
Arrietty is  based upon the classic English children's book The Borrowers by Mary Norton, this adaptation takes the action to Tokyo where Arrietty's family are discovered in a mansion by Sho, a young boy.
The anime was developed by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi being released on dvd and blu ray January 9th in the UK.

This anime is well up to the Studio Ghibi standards being a largely faithful retelling of the original story but with a poignant ending as Arrietty realizes she and the Big People have to live alone departing with gifts from Sho.
Recommended to all.

Something else I got was this the Secret Seven Library  a ten volume edition of Enid Blyton's classic children's books using period children on the covers from WH Smiths sales. I haven't see this particular set on Amazon only the 2006 set with computer generated modern illustrations.
I read some of these at school so it's like seeing old friends.
The Secret Seven are Peter the leader, his sister Janet and their school friends Pam, Colin, George, Jack and Barbara. The Secret Seven are helped by Peter and Janet's dog Scamper.
They enjoy having adventures in a club with just seven members it's own badge and password where they solve mysteries.


It has the following adventures (roars in approval):
The Secret Seven
Secret Seven Adventure
Well Done, Secret Seven
Secret Seven on the Trail
Go Ahead, Secret Seven
Good Work, Secret Seven
Secret Seven Win Through
Three Cheers Secret Seven
Secret Seven Mystery
Puzzle for the Secret Seven


One of the great things about the Secret Seven books is how fast the plots steam along once they get going, with hardly leaving the plot of the story at all.
One of my favourites is Well Done, Secret Seven 

The story begins with The Secret Seven needing a new headquarters so they build a tree house. The mystery starts when someone secretly sneaks in the tree house and ends in a chase of two thieves.
I enjoyed this book because it was exciting making me want to read it again which for a poor reader like me good going.
As well I liked the way the clues came together swiftly once the Seven started on the right track.

I'm  slowly adding the last five stories in late 70's, 80's paperback reprints to round off this collection which while not having the nice period covers the new set had, at least keeps most of the text original baring decimalizing any reference to currency.