I need to note that the copy I purchased no longer has the Golliwog character in it. He's been replaced with a toy soldier named Tom.
I hadn't realized how controversial Enid Blyton's books were. I've managed to somehow, accidentally, buy just cleaned up versions of Enid Blyton where names and characters have been changed a bit. Thus, I always enjoyed Blyton and was none the wiser..
Then I was reading a Famous Five book, came across a character named Sooty and got concerned and then found the rest of the story via Google.
Before I get into all of that- if I wouldn't have known about Enid Blyton, I would have liked Amelia Jane. The stories get very repetitive, it's always Amelia doing the same ridiculous nonsense. Amelia Jane is very, very naughty. It is interesting that, much like Toy Story, the toys come to life when no one is around and then drop limp when someone shows up. There is also a cowboy doll in one of the stories.. Hmm..
Amelia Jane is much like Horrid Henry- she is consistently bad only behaving for very brief periods of time.
While reading this, it put me in mind of a book that does this better. If you like this, but, want something a little less mean and controversial- I highly recommend the "My Naughty Little Sister" books by Dorothy Edwards. I'm not sure if Dorothy was a better person or not, but, a brief google search turned up nothing shocking. The character is a little girl instead of a doll and she does get into trouble, but the story is so much more charming.
Anyhow, I generally try not to learn too much about famous authors because honestly a huge percentage of them weren't great people. I want to be able to enjoy the book distinct from the author because otherwise there will be very little older books left to read. HOWEVER, Enid Blyton mixes her views up in her stories, many of which have been doctored. If you are buying reprint Enid Blyton books for a child, I suggest a quick scan through the book at least to make sure your getting the version you expect. I was looking forward to buying some vintage versions of her works because I buy a LOT of vintage juvenile fiction. Definitely won't be buying these as the Golliwog character looks like the worst kind of blackface.
I don't believe in censoring as a general rule, however, entry level chapter books like Amelia Jane are sort of expected to be relatively 'clean'.