FROM NEXT MONTH we can wave goodbye to “awful swotters” and “jolly japes” – Enid Bltyon’s famous children’s books are getting a linguistic makeover.

The Famous Five are getting a 21st century dialogue update in an attempt to hook the next generation of young readers.

Anne McNeil, publishing director of Hodder Children’s Books, explained the reason behind the decision to The Guardian: “Children who read [the Famous Five books] need to be able to easily understand the characterisations and easily to get into the plots. If the text is revised [they're] more likely to be able to engage with them.”

Although a line has been drawn at entering anything too modern into the storylines (Bltyton-lovers can breathe a sigh of relief that modern slang and mobile phones won’t be making their way between the pages, for example) some are not happy about the changes.

Tony Summerfield, who runs the Enid Blyton Society said: “I am in approval of changing language which has perhaps become offensive or has different meanings, or any racist references,” he said “Certain words such as ‘gay’ or ‘queer’ obviously have different meanings nowadays and it’s fair enough to change them.”

But Summerfield added that he was “thoroughly against unnecessary changes just for the sake of it, from adults who underestimate the intelligence of children.”

While some of the author’s books have already undergone the red pen treatment over racial depictions of characters – The Three Golliwogs were axed in the 1980s, for example – this will be the first time that Blytonisms will get the chop.

Interestingly, Blyton deliberately wrote her dialogue in a colloquial way, so it would sound more realistic to children of the day -  when “golly gosh!” was a perfectly normal expression.

Critics have blasted the move, saying it will cause the spirit of the books to be lost and that it patronises children. If children do have questions about unfamiliar language, they say, it may prompt a discussion that will help the child to understand a different time.

Some changes to Blyton’s language

Mercy me! = Oh no!

Fellow = Old man

It’s all very peculiar = It’s all very strange

Housemistress = Teacher

Awful swotter = Bookworm

School tunic = Uniform

Tinker = Traveller

Dick’s comment that “she must be jolly lonely all by herself” will be turned into “she must get lonely all by herself”. And, weirdly, naming parents “mother and father” has also been deemed to confusing for young people – the publishers are going to opt for “mum and dad” instead.