Maths. It's a school subject that seems to divide people - both children and adults. Some people just hate it and find it so so difficult, yet for others, like myself, it is their favourite school subject! When you think of Ladybird books most people remember the Keywords scheme which taught children all over the country to read, they remember fondly the classic stories and also the vast array of history books that Ladybird published. They may also recall all the nature books with their amazing illustrations and the various hobbies that were covered in other series. The books that may ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Nelson
I mentioned a few weeks back that I'd found some other Ladybird titles that have recently been republish and Nelson from the Adventures in History series (series 561) is one such book. This title was originally published by Ladybird in 1957, but some time in the late 1970s or early 1980s (I'm unsure of the exact year) the book was reprinted with a different cover, giving it a look that was consistent with the new Adventures in History books that were published around that time. All the inside pages and illustrations were identical to the original 1957 version. I'm not exactly ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Junior Science – Magnets and Electricity
I'm half revisiting an old title here on Ladybird Tuesday this week. Back in early 2013 I covered Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries which is part of series 621 which was called Junior Science. In the 1980s this series was updated and reissued and the books were juggled around a little bit. Rather than the four original titles (Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries, Light, Mirrors and Lenses, Air, Wind and Flight and Levers, Pulleys and Engines) there were eventually 8 titles in this revamped series: Magnets and Electricity Light Air Simple Mechanics Simple ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Learning with Mother Book 4
This post on Learning with Mother Book 4 has now moved to Penny Plays and can be read here. ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Learnabout… Coin Collecting
Is it possible for there to be a hobby that makes stamp collecting look sexy? If so then coin collecting probably fits the bill. I kind of understand stamp collecting - all the different pictures, shapes and sizes, plus the old fashioned romantic idea of letters bearing these stamps travelling round the world in the days before email. But, to me, coin collecting just seems somewhat dull in comparison. The Ladybird Coin Collecting book was first published in 1976 and therefore covered British coins up to the then new decimal currency. As well as detailing lots of British coins up to ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Key Words Reading Scheme 2a We have fun
2015 is the hundredth anniversary of Ladybird books and that means there's likely to be many more appearances of Ladybird books in the media. It's a shame therefore that last week's Ladybird Tuesday went AWOL, but I hope this week's will make up for it. BBC Breakfast posted this video on its Facebook page earlier today and I thought it therefore appropriate to choose something from the Ladybird Key Words Reading Scheme for this week's Ladybird Tuesday. Post by BBC Breakfast. I've gone with book 2a We have fun as it's one of the series where I have copies of both the ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: ‘People at Work’ The Soldier
The Ladybird People at Work series (number 606B) has to be one of my absolute favourite ones, mainly as it just gives such a fascinating insight into what everyday life was like at the time. I find all the illustrations fascinating and they really are packed full of interesting facts - as well as a few sexist comments of the time! I've previously featured The Policeman, The Car Makers and In a Hotel on Ladybird Tuesday and if I had been planning more ahead I probably should have featured The Soldier in last week's post - after all it was the 11/11 last week. The role of a soldier is ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Shapes
This post has now moved over to Penny Reads - the new home of Ladybird Tuesday. You can read all about Shapes here. ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: Packed Lunches
I have had the most amazing couple of weeks when it comes to finding vintage Ladybird treasure. So much so that I have a pile of six new titles sat here on my desk waiting to be written about, and that's in addition to the shelves full upstairs. The book that caused the biggest response when I posted a picture of it on Instagram is the one I'm going to feature though - Packed Lunches. Forget your modern day Bento Box lunch that everyone's busy posting photos of all over social media - we're very much talking 1980s packed lunches here as this book was published in 1983. It's part of ... read more
Ladybird Tuesday: The Frozen Planet of Azuron
Let's be totally honest about this post upfront. I'm no science fiction fan at all and this is actually the kind of book I normally avoid. But, it is a vintage Ladybird book so when I found it in a charity shop it came home with me and it's certainly part of Ladybird history. The Frozen Planet of Azuron was first published in 1982 as part of series 823. The series contained a total of 4 science fiction titles (The Energy Pirate, The Frozen Planet of Azuron, The Giants of Universal Park and The Planet of Death) and each book contains a short story. The Frozen Planet of Azuron was written ... read more