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Children's books

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Original poster

What books did you love as a child that really DON'T stand up to re-visiting?

89 replies

Takver · 16/12/2012 21:49

Mine is "Children on the Oregon Trail" - our teacher read it to us at primary school in the top class and I loved it, we made maps of the children travelling across America etc etc. I tracked down a copy for dd and was sadly disappointed, partly because I had thought it was a true life story (it isn't) and partly because it just wasn't as good as I'd remembered.

Any others?

OP posts:
MoaningMingeWhimpersAgain · 20/12/2012 09:19

Mrs Pepperpot stories. I loved them, bought them for DD. Ever so dull in hindsight.

Original poster
Takver · 20/12/2012 09:09

GreatCongas, I've got quite a few Biggles books, I have to say I found the first one amusing on re-reading recently just because of the amazing slang. I think even in memory that one was less horrendously sexist/racist though as there just aren't really any women in it and they have quite a respect for the German pilots.

OP posts:
TenPercenter · 20/12/2012 00:49

I hate Mr Men books, so right, they are tedious in the extreme. I want to get dd famous five books as I adored them, I fear they will not stand up well.

Although I read "The Death of Grass" recently which features a lot of sexism/racism but still loved it (obviously not a children's book though).

TheWombat · 20/12/2012 00:19

Oh no! I adored Green Smoke :(

GreatCongas · 20/12/2012 00:18

I've got boxes and boxes of biggles books. When I read them I knew they were dated and could overlook some stuff but tried retreading recently and I can't get passed the racism and sexism at all

joanofarchitrave · 20/12/2012 00:08

Green Smoke and Dragon in Danger. I loved them. They are very, very dull and unimaginative.

defineme · 19/12/2012 23:52

The Narnia books-the tedious religious stuff/uptight kids went totally over my head as a child!

WorkingtoohardMama · 19/12/2012 23:51

Flat Stanley - loved it when I was about the age ds is now, bought it for him and what a load of crap!

IrrelevantElephant · 19/12/2012 23:51

Sweet Valley Kids/Teen/High. They seemed so grown up and got up to so much fun stuff, now re-reading it I'm like "you are 13 FFS, like that could happen!"

SledYuleCated · 19/12/2012 23:48

One called The Rainbow Garden or something similar. Spent a couple of years tracking it down because it was the first book that made me cry andninwas desperate to reread it. Got it and realised it's swivels evangelical and overly religious and a bit crap Xmas Sad

comeonbishbosh · 19/12/2012 23:43

And Mr Men!

So eye catching when I was small, so tedious to read to DD now. Makes you realise how far picture books have come in the last few decades.

TheElfOnThePanopticon · 19/12/2012 23:24

I saw the header and immediately thought of Children of the Oregon Trail, too. I loved it in primary school, but found the racism shocking when I reread it aged 18.

comeonbishbosh · 19/12/2012 23:17

Heidi. Sadly, on re-reading, I realise it's a thinly disguised religious tract!

lljkk · 17/12/2012 14:01

Phantom Tollbooth and A Wrinkle in Time: both fell flat when I reread as an adult. And I completely don't care about Where the Wild Things Are although it was my absolute childhood fave.

Dogsbody, on the other hand, is still wonderful, even better than I remembered.

DD just got Are you there God It's Me Margaret from library, will have to see what I think of that.