Grim scary tales that taught us life lessons

I’m in Russia at the moment where, in the time of my childhood years, Five Went To A

Salt Mine if they read anything as subversive as an Enid Blyton book.

Of course, Blyton is considered unsuitable by many at home, with some even reckoning her work is CHILDREN’S books can be dark but they teach young readers valuable lessons.

In Little Red Riding Hood, they learn never to trust strangers and by reading Watership Down, they discover death and conflict.

In Charlie and the

Chocolate Factory,

Roald Dahl warns about the dangers of greed, with one child drowning in a chocolate river. Johnny

Depp starred as full of double entendres.

Complete nonsense. My favourite, Five Go To Billycock Hill, addresses modern-day issues of espionage and the media’s role in society. Honest.

Anyway, life lessons from Enid? I’ve read her books to my daughter, who now has a deep scepticism about posh kids.

A valuable lesson, indeed. Willy Wonka in the film version of the classic tale. But such edgy stories are no longer thought OK for primary school.

Children’s author Geraldine Mccaughrean says: “With a book to be sold into schools you get a list of things unacceptable.

“No witches, no demons, no alcohol, no death, no religion. It really cuts down what you can write.” Here our columnists reveal what they learned as children from famous tales, which may now be on the no-read list ....