I was a total book worm as a kid - i unfortunately dont seem to have as much time to enjoy a good back as i did back then...

what are your favourite childrens books - the ones that enthralled, enraptured and captured your imagination as a kid....

Mine were...

1. The Witches - Roald Dahl....i read that book when i was about seven and imo i was mesmorised - it was so vivid - so scarey and waht a fabulous concept - bald, square toed witches walking around as ordinary women, i just love this book

2. The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe - CS Lewis....i think this book is just absolutely magical... i must have read it a hundred times, the evil white witch, the heroic Aslan...magic

3. Matilda - Roald Dahl...i read this book when i was about 10 and just loved it. It is so clever and terribly funny...a great book for girls


Nothing stands out as clearly iand vividly in my memory as those three but if I were to pick another two..

4. A Christmas Carol ....not a children's book per say but i read it as a kid of about 10 and i just thought it was just magical

5. Danny the chanpion of the world - Roald dahl....i was a big RD fan!!!

I also used to love the Ramona Quimby books they were cool!

What are yours????

Great thread CL :)

1) Heidi - I wanted to be her! To enjoy goats milk and skip barefoot through the mountains and sleep under a patchwork quilt in the wooden loft of my grandfather's house. You can see how this would appeal to the child of a Belfast born alcoholic father who was handy with his fists can't you? Pure escapism... and I loved it.

2) Charlotte's Web - Magical. I wanted a small pink pig of my very own and must have read it a hundred times.

3) The Mallory Towers books - I so wanted to go to boarding school and play Lacross with girls called 'Clarissa' and 'Emily' and have illicit midnight feasts!

4) Famous Five series - Ohhh to have adventures like they did! Find a secret Island all of my own, be in a secret society and go on picnics with cucumber sandwiches and lashings of ginger beer :)

5) Kes - Well I guess I identified with some of the harshness of the realities of Billy's life, but again it's about escapism, Billy had his kestral and I had books! :)

~Charlie & The Chocolate Factory - by Roald Dahl

~Asterix - various

~Tintin - various

~Children's Encyclopaedia of Whales/Sharks/Dolphins/Arctic animals (complete with wonderful pictures)

~Children's Encyclopaedia of Dinosaur's (complete with more wonderful pictures)

Mine were:

The Little White Horse - wonderful story that would be fantastic as a Disney.

Snow Cloud Stallion - I coveted this book in the bookshop because of the picture on the front. Father Christmas heard me:thumbsup:

Wish for a Pony - because I did.

Show Jumping Secret - because my wish came true, but I needed to practice.

Black Beauty - it's Black Beauty!

...not that I liked ponies or anything...:blush:

Black Beauty - a little girl could not live without this book!! {LOL Fee a horse theme methinks!}
Swallows and Amazons - I still love it - the sotry where Titty Walker makes her debut - I so want to be Titty Walker!!
The 'What Katy Did [and 'Next']' stories - my wee sis was Katy and I imagined it was her.
Heidi - like V I wanted to be Heidi.
The Moomins - I got given the whole set as a child and kept them safe and I have just finished reading my books to my 6 year old and he loves them too.

The Mary Plain books, about a little bear who lived with the Owl Man (so called because he wore specs)

The 'Jill' books, by Ruby Ferguson, loads better than the upper class twittish Pullen-Thompson sisters :)

King of the Wind, forget the author but it was a psuedo true account of one of the Darley Arabians.

Just So Stories, Rudyard Kipling...magic!

Johathan Livingstone Seagull, still love this now.

M

Ooooh, I loved:

Carbonel

The Secret Garden

Swallows and Amazons

The Fantastic Four (much better than the Favous Five)

The Little Prince

I could probably go on for ever, aah the memories

Ooooh, I loved:



The Fantastic Four (much better than the Favous Five)



Nooooooooooo - I have never heard of the Fantastic Four - who were they then?? They could not have been Enid Blyton's mates - cos the Five were the ultimate bestest, closely followed by the Secret Seven - with their ludicrous passwords. No Floops don't upset me like this - who were the Four???

But so pleased you also adored Swallows and Amazons - I am Titty Walker don't you know!!!!????

The Adventure Series

Four children and a parrot in eight thrilling adventures - a mysterious Island, a deserted Valley, an exciting cruise ship, a travelling circus, a strange mountain...each book provides a new setting for the children to fall into another adventure. There are always plenty of laughs with Kiki around to make sure you all "Wipe Your Feet and Blow Your Nose!" and good old Bill Smugs to save the day.

Many readers say that "The Valley of Adventure" is one of the very best of Enid Blyton's six hundred plus books for children.

God Save the King!


The Island of Adventure
The Castle of Adventure
The Valley of Adventure
The Sea of Adventure
The Mountain of Adventure
The Ship of Adventure
The Circus of Adventure
The River of Adventure

They weren't actually called the Fantastic Four, it seems, I must have called them that myself :blush:

They weren't actually called the Fantastic Four, it seems, I must have called them that myself :blush:

Oh thank the Lord!!! for that!! I thought I had seriously missed out on something spesh!! But no - I have the Valley of Adventure on the bookshelf [well one of the boys bookshelves - doesn't sit well with Sex Watching and Yung].

So Mrs Floops self confessed name changer of the Famous Enid - if there were 8 heros what would you call them?? [actually this is a scientific question - as my 6 year old has all the secret 7 and Famous 5 books - and wonders endlessly if there were 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, etc heros what they would be called???

And when I was a child there were 5 of us who knocked around together - we were the Famous Five; Bernie, Theresa, Suzi, Kate and Clare the Dog [you gotta sing it though] - Clare wasn't actually a dog she was Theresa's and Bernies little sister.

Goodness, I'd probably go for something smutty and Captain Pugwash-esque :blush:

I don't really have any memories of books from childhood.

I never was a big reader until I left home, what does that say about my mum and dad:laugh:

But I have definately caught up now for all those missed years of reading.

At one point, it would have consisted totally of horsey books, but I'll stick to two

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
The Silver Brumby series by Elynne Mitchell
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
I'd forgotten about the Island of Adventure until it was mentioned in this thread - that was excellent too.
Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis
Not a favourite perhaps, but I have fond memories of a book so politically incorrect you couldn't get it for love nor money now. The Story of Little Black Sambo.

I didn't think anyone else would know The Silver Brumby books:ohmy:

They were great!

Enid Blyton - just great, ginger beer and sandwiches just when you needed them.

The great Aslan, who everyone cried for when he made the greatest sacrifice?
*Don't forget hot chocolate and Turkish delight - I know the White Witch was a baddie - but she had taste!!*

Anyone remember 'The old man and the sea'?
Stirring stuff.

**I think we got away with not mentioning Golliwogs - terribly un pc.**

My fave books in no particular order:
---------------------------------------
*Adventures on Willow Farm - Enid Blyton (read it four times in a week when I was 7)
*The Black Stallion series (can't remember who wrote them but read them over and over)
*The Narnia books (lost count how many times I read the full set)
*101 Dalmations - Dodi Smith (read it 8 times in total when I was 7)
* Cinderella (would read it every night before bed when I was 5).

I have to say I can't list five books as I read so many when I was a child. My ideal day was to stay in bed and read book after book after book.:) I loved anything by Enid Blyton, all which have been mentioned here, including Adventures on Willow Farm Coastie. I still have all my Enid Blyton books, and they sit on the bookshelf upstairs just waiting for my children to pick them up and lose themselves in the adventures that I did as a child.:)

One book that I remember I loved was Hilda Boswell's Treasury of Poetry, which had wonderful illustrations that I could just lose myself in looking at them. I have the second edition but I want the first edition real bad as the cover is gorgeous. Problem is they go for £100+ on Amazon. I did bid for one on Ebay a little while back, but had to quit at £30.:( Maybe one day.......

I don't remember most of the books I read as a child, but the stand out ones were The Hobbit - J.R.R. Toilken
Kine - A.R. Lloyd ( I think)
The Joan Linguard Series ( Across the Barricades, the Twelth Day of July, etc)
The Narnia books (Magicians Nephew, Lion, Witch + the Wardrobe)
The Silver Sword

:offtopic:

I am looking forward, in part, to seeing the new film version of 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe'...I say in part as I'm wondering how true to the original story they will stay.....I was gutted when I saw the Disney version of 101 Dalmations the first time....soooo wrong!

Anyway if 'The Lion....' is a success no doubt it will lead to a series.....

I thought the TV adaptation of the Chronicals of Narnia, a few years back now, was excellent....lets hope the blockbusters can pull it off in equally as impressive form!

Can you remeber all seven books off the top of your head...I'm struggling:

The Horse and His Boy
The Silver Chair
The Voyage of the Dawn Teader
The Lion, The Wicth and the Wardrobe
.................ermmm....

And to think I read them and read them when I was little.....I still have them in a box in the attic....must dig them out and start them again me thinks! :wink2:

Tigger


I used to have The Treasury of Poetry by Hilda Boswell, you just reminded me.
It was probably the poshest book I had, gorgeous illustrations.
M

Kidnapped
Jane Eyre
The Little Prince
The Velveteen Rabbit

Nothing else really stands out.

I used to have a book about a boy who fell into a well....it was a Chinese story.

The boy who fell into the well was called:

Riki Tiki Tembo No Sa Rembo Chari Bari Richie Pip Perol Pembo

He fell into the well and his brother ran to tell some one but it took so long to get the boys name out that the boy almost died and so that's why now all Chinese people have short names.

I loved that story and hence I can still reel of the boys name to this day without a fail!

:offtopic:

I am looking forward, in part, to seeing the new film version of 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe'...I say in part as I'm wondering how true to the original story they will stay.....I was gutted when I saw the Disney version of 101 Dalmations the first time....soooo wrong!

Anyway if 'The Lion....' is a success no doubt it will lead to a series.....

I thought the TV adaptation of the Chronicals of Narnia, a few years back now, was excellent....lets hope the blockbusters can pull it off in equally as impressive form!

Can you remeber all seven books off the top of your head...I'm struggling:

The Horse and His Boy
The Silver Chair
The Voyage of the Dawn Teader
The Lion, The Wicth and the Wardrobe
.................ermmm....

And to think I read them and read them when I was little.....I still have them in a box in the attic....must dig them out and start them again me thinks! :wink2:

The Magicans Nephew (I read in School)
Prince Caspian
The Last Battle

Completes the set but not sure of correct order execpt Mag. Neph 1st Lion 2nd

Waylander I thank-you...I have been muddling Magician and Caspian and getting nowhere! :blush:

I read all of Enid Blytons books, from when the parents read me the tiddler bedtime stories to reading them myself.....Secret Seven, Famous Five, The Enchanted Wood and Magic Faraway Tree and then of course the Mallory Towers and St Clares books - I wanted to go to boarding school too Voicey after reading them!

I also read The Bobbsey Twins books when I was at Junior school....by the time I left when I was nearly 11 I had read every book in the library there......

I progressed to Catherine Cookson at about 12/13 and THEN I discovered Jackie Collins and Jaqueline Suzanne :naughty:, I read Valley of the Dolls when I was 13/14 I think, it made much more sense when I read it again in my 20's though :laugh:

The Narnia books, especially "The Lion The Witch..."

The E. Nesbit books, especially "The Phoenix and the Carpet"

The "Swallows and Amazons" stories

"Charlotte's Web"

"Stig of the Dump"

All the "Asterix" books

The "Tintin" books

also there was an "Adventure" series about catching animals for zoos - "Gorilla Adventure", "Whale Adventure" etc etc - loved those :)

:offtopic:

I am looking forward, in part, to seeing the new film version of 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe'...I say in part as I'm wondering how true to the original story they will stay.....I was gutted when I saw the Disney version of 101 Dalmations the first time....soooo wrong!

Anyway if 'The Lion....' is a success no doubt it will lead to a series.....

I thought the TV adaptation of the Chronicals of Narnia, a few years back now, was excellent....lets hope the blockbusters can pull it off in equally as impressive form!

Can you remeber all seven books off the top of your head...I'm struggling:

The Horse and His Boy
The Silver Chair
The Voyage of the Dawn Teader
The Lion, The Wicth and the Wardrobe
.................ermmm....

And to think I read them and read them when I was little.....I still have them in a box in the attic....must dig them out and start them again me thinks! :wink2:


Don't know how they can hope to beat the bbc version (shown in my childhood!!!). We used to watch it on a sunday afternoon in front of a blazing coal fire with crumpets and homemade cakes (the only meal that was not eaten at the table) then we watched clothes show, antiques roadshow and last of the summer wine. For some reason my memory says that it was always snowing outside when it was on - but think that this is not possible.

Anyway five books from a whole childhood is hard.

I will cheat by putting the chronciles of narnia as one book.

Jane Eyre would have to go down - i read the cartoon strip, and then with the £5 book voucher that are head gave us when we left for the secondary school I bought the penguin copy and read my first "real book".

Please Mrs Butler - a poetry book with some very funny poems about school, which I still have and have started to use again as a student teacher. Comes highly reccommended if you have children.

The magic faraway tree by Enid Blyton.

The Treasure Seekers (I think by Nesbit). My mum bought it as a present for me when I went into hospital. I was quarantined in one room for a week and it was so exciting.

and i know this is a 6th but I think the series of books were called make your own adventure. You would read a page and at the bottom you had to make a decision and go to the page it said, so the book could have several different endings.

I think the series of books were called make your own adventure. You would read a page and at the bottom you had to make a decision and go to the page it said, so the book could have several different endings.[/QUOTE]

I remember these books too Becks they were really good.

My five fave books as a youngster would be:

1) the J R R Tolkein books
2) the chronicles of Narnia (especially the Lion, witch and the wardrobe)
3) The Box of Delights by John Masefield (this was a fab book my fave of all time really magical)
4) All Enid Blyton books and finally
5) I'll say this quickly as am bit embarrassed :blush: The Mr Men books :laugh:

5) I'll say this quickly as am bit embarrassed :blush: The Mr Men books :laugh:

No embarressment needed. My nephew loves the Mr men books. And as a student teacher I have already started using them as they are a great tool in teaching the littlies moral education.

I read all of Enid Blytons books, from when the parents read me the tiddler bedtime stories to reading them myself.....Secret Seven, Famous Five, The Enchanted Wood and Magic Faraway Tree and then of course the Mallory Towers and St Clares books - I wanted to go to boarding school too Voicey after reading them!

I also read The Bobbsey Twins books when I was at Junior school....by the time I left when I was nearly 11 I had read every book in the library there......

I progressed to Catherine Cookson at about 12/13 and THEN I discovered Jackie Collins and Jaqueline Suzanne :naughty:, I read Valley of the Dolls when I was 13/14 I think, it made much more sense when I read it again in my 20's though :laugh:
LARF we have followed an almost identical literary path. Did you then move onto Harrold Robbins??? I did.

My path would have carried on if my brother hadn't introduced to me to a different road. For my birthday one year he bought me Oliver Sachs- An Anthropologist on Mars and Perfume by some french bloke, both of which I loved, changed my course for ever.

No embarressment needed. My nephew loves the Mr men books. And as a student teacher I have already started using them as they are a great tool in teaching the littlies moral education.


Thanks Becks don't feel so bad now my embarrassment has abated slightly :laugh:

I actually bought the full collection because I had loved them so much when I was little, for my eldest and these have been passed down, well read to my little one who absolutely loves them too, and thinks Mr Tickle is the bees knees.

Mr bump was always my fave :blush:

Cheeky.....

My fave of the Mr. Men will always be... MR SMALL...I love the story when he falls into the sweetie jar! :)

Ooooh I forgot 'The Water Babies' - this made a real impression on me, though I think it scared me slightly. I remember the name of the character "Mrs Do as you would be done by" particularly.

I used to love Charlie and the Chocolate factory, but I think the book was called "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory"
I loved the Enid Blyton Books - The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, all the Wishing Chair books, all the Faraway Tree books. Oh, and does anybody remember Mr Pinkwhistle - also by Enid Blyton?

Oh, and does anybody remember Mr Pinkwhistle - also by Enid Blyton?

I most cetainly do!!! I was an avid Mr Pinkwhistle fan and in fact I think I still have a Mr P book somewhere You have great taste LB, he rocked :thumbsup:

I used to love Charlie and the Chocolate factory, but I think the book was called "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory"
I loved the Enid Blyton Books - The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, all the Wishing Chair books, all the Faraway Tree books. Oh, and does anybody remember Mr Pinkwhistle - also by Enid Blyton?

Oh, I was just going to say no-one's mentioned Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, fab book but the follow up Charlie & the Glass Elevator was a bit of disappointment. I bought the tape version for Katie and she loves it, can't wait to see the film version with the delectable Mr Depp! :wub:

Floopy - It was the Adventurous Four. Could not pick a favourite from Enid Blyton as I loved them all.

Charlotte's Web - we got this at school in Primary 5 and all the girls cried at the end.............I think most of the boys did too!!

The Hobbit - loved this book, have read a million times!

The Lion, etc, etc has got to be up there.

Loved the Mallory Tower series and St Clare's and like Voice, I so wanted to be sent to boarding school and have midnight feasts.

Anyone remember Mr Twiddle, he was funny!!!

I would love to be a kid now, just to see what my take on Harry Potter would have been.

Edited to say: Just remembered Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys mysterys, they were fab too. Didn't they make this into a series and the guy Parker somebody or other who is....or was married to thingymajig.... you know who I mean, Kirstie Alley or am I just wittering........ :w00t:

Just thought of another book I loved.
Mr Meddle. I think this was by Enid Blyton too. Who remembers him? I bet V of R does. :D
I think him and pinky were friends too. :)

Ooo Conrad War.....I still have a copy somewhere...oh that's it now I have to dig it out from the loft box and read it again!

No seriously....I have an urge to rediscover this book from when I was 10 and read it again and if I don't immediately find it when I get home I will not sleep tonight because it will bug me! :sad:

Enid blyton series

I used to love Charlie and the Chocolate factory, but I think the book was called "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory"


Nope - the book was called "Charlie & The Chocolate Factory", and the film was titled "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory"

....and Bella, I gave it a wee mention - it was included in my own top five.

No idea why they had to have different titles though.

".....'cos I've got a goooolden ticket in my hand......."

Just thought of another book I loved.
Mr Meddle. I think this was by Enid Blyton too. Who remembers him? I bet V of R does. :D
I think him and pinky were friends too. :)

Mr Meddle, Yes I do!

And weren't they always very well turned out these gents? Mr P always wore a suit and I think a pocket watch too.

Ahh LB, you are flooding me with memories! :)

Nope - the book was called "Charlie & The Chocolate Factory", and the film was titled "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory"

....and Bella, I gave it a wee mention - it was included in my own top five.

No idea why they had to have different titles though.

".....'cos I've got a goooolden ticket in my hand......."
Ahh yes. :) I remember now.
Needles to say, I owned both the book and the film (and I still do) :D

V of R - They were weren't they. Mr Meddles Mischiefs and Mr Meddle Muddles were the ones I had, although I'm sure there were more in the series.

Thinking back, I think most of the characters in the books by Enid often had dodgy names (sometimes racist) :unsure:

Mr Meddle Muddles


I had that book!! Feels funny to see it written down all these years later!

LARF we have followed an almost identical literary path. Did you then move onto Harrold Robbins??? I did.

My path would have carried on if my brother hadn't introduced to me to a different road. For my birthday one year he bought me Oliver Sachs- An Anthropologist on Mars and Perfume by some french bloke, both of which I loved, changed my course for ever.

OMG I did Cat, how funny, he was a rude and racey writer wasnt he - the one I recall was about Jamie cant remember what the book was, but it was pure filth, just what a strict catholic teenage girl with raging hormones needs.....NOT :laugh:

Sadly :unsure: I DID continue on the path of filth......and Im still on it :w00t:

PJ has just reminded me....

Did anyone here read 'Forever' when they were in their early teens.....The guy called his willy Ralph....it was the closest thing you could get to porn in the school library and you were only allowed to take the book out if you were at least 15!!

I don't know anyone who actually read the whole book...we all simply skimmed to the 'naughty' bits! :naughty:

playing Dol's game.......

I was still Queeenie back when this thread was at its height........

I have been looking in the charity shops for Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree or Enchanted Wood, ready to take on holiday to read to my mates son...... hopefully without sniggering each time I have to say the words Dick and Fanny :ninja:

I'm smiling as I re-read this thread...some great memories of the books I once loved...:)

What books do you remember reading at school?

I remember reading:

Romeo & Juliet
MacBeth
Buddy
Kes
Cider with Rosie
and one about a kid whose dad pouched pheasants and broke his ankle and smiled with his eyes...:unsure: