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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

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Original poster

Books you loved as a child and hope your children will love too.

307 replies

TheCortanaThatStoleChristmas · 16/12/2012 20:31

Inspired by another thread. Xmas Grin

I remember buying Dogger don't laugh at the title it's a lovely book! and All In One Piece before DS was born as I wanted to pass on the joy these books brought me.

He has recently read The Hobbit; Swallows and Amazons; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; Treasure Island and Charlotte's Web. Books that made my childhood.

I hope he will soon find and enjoy the LOTR books, Hitchhikers Guide, Little Women, and Goodnight Mr Tom.

I feel real excitement at the thought of my DS reading lovely books and enjoying them the way I did. Got me wondering what I might have missed though, are there other books that are wonderful for children and deserve to go on a "Books Every Child Should Read" list?

What were your favorite childhood books, and will you buy/pass them on for your children?

OP posts:
Mumlar · 16/12/2012 21:29

Anything by Shirley Hughes for younger kids. For those slightly older, The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis; the precursor of the Narnia books. Just reading it to my daughters, it is fantastic.

Devora · 16/12/2012 21:23

The Narnia books, obviously.
Charlotte Sometimes
The Dolphin Crossing
The Silver Sword
Marianne Dreams
Anne of Green Gables
What Katy Did
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
The Starlight Barking
Chalet school books
Jill pony books
Little Women
Ballet Shoes
White Skates

thegreylady · 16/12/2012 21:18

Most of my favourites have been mentioned esp by Sarah Stratton I also loved Monica Edwards,Antonia Forest,Angela Brazil[not for today's dc maybe-2 books at least have a character named Lesbia!]
E.Nesbit is a keeper especially 5 Children and It and The Treasure Seekers
My much loved Abbey books and The Chalet School series.
My dd shared many of these when she was a child [she is 38 now] especially the horse/pony books.
If I had to choose an all time favourite it would be The Wind in The Willows closely followed by Winnie the Pooh.

ohcluttergotme · 16/12/2012 21:17

I remember my mum reading me & my brother the magic faraway tree books and it was so amazing. I read these books to my now 13 yr old dd when she was 6-7 and it was really nice. Noticed when last at my brothers house he is now reading these books to my 6 yr old nephew Smile they have made names more pc, the children were called dick & fanny Blush

4boyzmum · 16/12/2012 21:16

I loved Secret Seven - in my childhood head i was the 8th member!! Also loved Folk of the Faraway Tree and all the other Faraway Tree books. The suspense of whether she'd make it down the tree before the worlds changed at the top!! And the crazy Saucepan man...what was his name?? My DS's would baulk at the idea of reading them tho...they read Anthony Horowitz. Enid Blyton wasn't as much into dismemberment if i remember rightly Shock

SarahStratton · 16/12/2012 21:16

Oooh, Gerald Durrell. I love Gerald Durrell.

mn014 · 16/12/2012 21:13

Little House on the Prairie
Famous Five, Secret Seven, Magic Faraway tree, the wishing chair
Roald Dahl books
Secret Garden
Little Women
Sophie's World
Nancy Drew
Black Beauty
Rats of Nimh

Selks · 16/12/2012 21:12

Spookysal - any age dependent on the child I think; I don't think they're particularly scary, maybe a little eerie in places. Maybe for fives and over?

HerbWoman · 16/12/2012 21:10

Another vote here for Moomins and Mrs Pepperpot, and Bottersnikes and Gumbles, although that one is out of print now.

FourEyesGood · 16/12/2012 21:07

Lots which have already been mentioned.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (or anything else) by Joan Aiken (I struck up a correspondence with her after sending her a fan letter. She was lovely!)
Judy Blume books, then Paula Danziger books, which were probably all dreadful, but I loved them.

PrettyPirate · 16/12/2012 21:03

Astrid Lindgren books - Pippi Longstocking and Ronia and brothers Lionhearts - loved them all!

galwaygirl · 16/12/2012 21:01

Oh wow, so many great books mentioned already but haven't seen The Railway Children - loved that one.

I'm building up a collection for DD (18 months so a while til she can read them). Got a beautiful illustrated copy of The Secret Garden and another lovely hardback of Ballet Shoes.
We had the Book People at work recently and I got the full Secret Seven series for a tenner- bargain!

Greensleeves · 16/12/2012 21:01

A Necklace Of Raindrops is beautiful

I Am David very powerful

does anyone remember a book called Puddles In The Lane? It was about three evacuees, it was a lovely book

PrincessMononoke · 16/12/2012 20:59

Rebecca's World,
Tom's Midnight garden,
The BFG and anything else by RD,
Moon dial,
The Chronicles of Nania.

Alonglongway · 16/12/2012 20:58

I am David - forced it onto DD1 and was relieved when she loved it too

hugoagogo · 16/12/2012 20:58

dd loved Teddy Robinson and Olga de Polga, but tuned her nose up at The Kingdom of Carbonel and Gobolino the Witch's cat. Shock

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 16/12/2012 20:57

Heidi
The Jungle Book
The Cave Twins

Greensleeves · 16/12/2012 20:57

The Silver Crown by Robert C O'Brien
The Great Ghost Rescue by Eva Ibbotson
The Amazing Mr Blunden by Antonia Barber (also called The Ghosts)
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Varjak Paw by S F Said
The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo

my two have loved all these

I am looking for similar books I can read to them, a couple of chapters each night - am starting to run out of ones I loved that I think will excite them both as well

SarahStratton · 16/12/2012 20:56

I hated Mog.

SecretSantaFix · 16/12/2012 20:56

Mog stories
Charlotte's Web
Meg and Mog
Mrs Pepperpot
Charlotte Sometimes
The Ghost of Thomas Kempe
When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit
Chalet School series
The Little White Horse
The Way to Sattin Shore
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Narnia series
My Naughty Little Sister- which I loved reading to my little sister
Sadler's Well's Books
Enid Blyton
the Katy stories
The Diddakoi
Thursday's Children by Rumer Godden

As you can possibly tell, I was a bookworm.Grin

In my case I am starting my nephew on books- he loves turning the pages, he loves me reading Dogger to him.

ENormaSnob · 16/12/2012 20:55

The Jill pony books.

The pony books with shanty the chestnut Arab.

Black beauty.

Little women.

The house at worlds end.

MNHQ
OliviaPeaceOnMumsnet · 16/12/2012 20:52

Mil keeps force-feeding us Mog, I am not wholly convinced

SarahStratton · 16/12/2012 20:52

I luffs the Moomins.

The Witch Family
Richard Scarry

Original poster
TheCortanaThatStoleChristmas · 16/12/2012 20:51

DS has just finished the Silver Sword Alma, not something I read as a child. May go borrow it from him now Xmas Grin.

OP posts:
MNHQ
OliviaPeaceOnMumsnet · 16/12/2012 20:51

@TheCortanaThatStoleChristmas

I heard Olivia, apparently Dick is now known as Rick.
This too is true. I also loved the Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken as did DH and we have copies to read to the DSes.
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