Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

What are the boy equivalents of Little House on the Prairie/Anne of Green Gables/Malory Towers/Judy Blume>

84 replies

BellaBearisWideAwake · 15/07/2011 20:42

You know, the books where you end up reminiscing about one night with friends and everyone has read them.

(I appreciate I am generalising heavily about boy and girl books, apologies. Just had a bit of a sad moment when I realised that having no girls I am less likely to pass these stories on to my children)

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
BuntyPenfold · 18/08/2011 12:46

I second many of these; I loved the Willard Price books but they can't have dated well.
Anything by Jan Mark is good, especially Under the Autumn Garden, Thunder and Lightning.
Susan Cooper Dark is Rising series.

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder - full of wonderful descriptions of outdoor adventure, followed by sumptuous home made dinners to re-energise for the next day.

BelfastBloke · 26/07/2011 07:57

I remember a rising sense of panic when my class were asked at age 9 to name our favourite authors, and I said 'Willard Price' when called on first (thanks to alphabetisation), and then every other kid in the class said 'Enid Blyton'.

I can't remember if I changed my answer, but I remember I wanted to.

Hardy Boys
Three Investigators
Black Stallion
E Nesbit
Roald Dahl
Just William
Jennings
Worzel Gummidge
Tolkien
Narnia

but also
Malory Towers
St Clare's
Sweet Valley High
Judy Blume

I read everything except Swallows and Amazons, which I could never be arsed with. James Bond books taught me a lot, too early.

goosiegander · 26/07/2011 07:44

The Mr Majeika by Humphrey Carpenter
Just William books by Richmal Crompton
Roald Dahl books

mk3 · 23/07/2011 21:52

YY to Willard Price. My ds (7) likes Ramona, particularly the funnier ones and just read Stig of the Dump.

How about The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall and maybe The Ghost of Thomas Kempe and The Revenge of Samuel Stokes?

pinkthechaffinch · 18/07/2011 12:21

its not it's

pinkthechaffinch · 18/07/2011 12:20

ponders you jam your thumbs into its (double layered) eyelids as hard as you can. It will then open it's jaws in pain, and you can swim to the surface!!

Birds of Paradise can be caught by sticking chewing gum to the branches they roost on Grin

Himalaya · 18/07/2011 12:03

By the way we found the cereal box book, it was 'The Serial Garden' by Joan Aiken

Colyngbourne · 18/07/2011 11:49

The fourth book in that series is even more difficult to find cheaply, The Wickedest Witch in the World. No luck so far.

I read the Laura Ingalls series to both my boys - that kind of pioneering tale is fascinating to any child; even though there might be a bit about dress-making in the later books, there are also descriptions of building a railroad and houses, and the gritty life of near-starvation that happens in The Long Winter.

My brother and I read Biggles, The Hardy Boys, Willard Price, Alfred Hitchcock's Investigators, Alexander Kent's sea-faring adventures, lots of Heinlein and Asimov. But Arthur Ransome would be good too.

In Willard Price, Underwater Adventure (no.3), the scientist who is assisting Hal and Roger, who gets his foot caught in a giant clam, drowns, although he attempts to hack his foot off with a knife against the rising tide. The baddie, Skink, is caught.

Takver · 18/07/2011 09:22

Sorry, Mountain of Magic, not Mountain that moved. For some reason the other two are vastly expensive on Abebooks/Amazon, but that one not (maybe everyone else remembers the title wrong too Grin )

Takver · 18/07/2011 09:18

Miranda, you're thinking of The Stream that Stood Still I think (there's also the Mountain that Moved and the Tree that Sat Down)

Takver · 18/07/2011 09:17

Himalaya, I started a separate thread here in the hope of someone spotting it - nothing as yet though.

SevenAgainstThebes · 17/07/2011 23:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HumphreyCobbler · 17/07/2011 22:09

I really think that Elidor and The Owl Service are MUCH better books than the earlier two SevenAgainstThebes - he really gets into his stride with these.

Do agree with the EarthSea trilogy, I adore these books.

MirandaGoshawk · 17/07/2011 21:40

I loved the Just William books & I'm a girl too! Also E Nesbitt, Five children & It etc. Although they might (sadly) seem a bit dated to modern children.

Also one by Beverley Nicholls (who's a man) about going underwater in a stream & meeting all the creatures. Can't remember what it's called.

Ponders · 17/07/2011 21:39

pink, what do you do if grabbed underwater by a croc????

Himalaya, I have been googling for you (am too old to have known it) but can't find anything Sad

Himalaya · 17/07/2011 21:31

Bumping in the hope that someone remembers the cereal box story- I Want to know the name of the book!

pinkthechaffinch · 16/07/2011 21:54

Robert C o Brian is good for both genders 'The Silver Crown' and ''Mrs Frisby'

yy to Willard Price

I know what to do if grabbed underwater by a crocodile and I also know how to catch a bird of paradise alive.

(Cannibal Adventure)

celadon · 16/07/2011 21:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IsItMeOr · 16/07/2011 21:48

DH and I both enjoyed reading John Wyndham growing up (Sci-fi).

iheartdusty · 16/07/2011 21:15

yes, I remember that cereal packet book ...but what was it?

SevenAgainstThebes · 16/07/2011 21:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

saltyseadog · 16/07/2011 19:48

Shadowmancer also brilliant.

Original poster
BellaBearisWideAwake · 16/07/2011 15:54

Yes, I certainly don't think there are books for just boys or just girls. But I do suspect very few boys read, say, the rainbow fairy books or whatever that nauseating series is called.

OP posts:
mankyscotslass · 16/07/2011 15:36

What about the Susan Cooper Dark is Rising series?

Or the Lloyd Alexander Taran series?

YY to the Alan Garner books too.

AlwaysbeOpralFruitstome · 16/07/2011 15:32

My brothers and I would interchange books, never really thought about them being boys/girls books. I hope that isn't what is happening as children will be missing out on some wonderful stories.

How about The Johnny Maxwell trilogy and the Diggers/Truckers/Carpet People
series by Terry Pratchett.