Obscure children's books that you used to love

I remember there was a book I loved when I was 8 or so about a girl that turned into a bear when she ate honey (or something like that!) Ring any bells for anyone?

I have memories of getting a Puffin Annual for christmas a couple of times. Full of poems, stories and puffin cartoons - obviously pushing the Puffin publishers, but a really good read for a young bookworm. Does anyone else remember these?

If they don't have to be properly 'obscure', I loved Elizabeth Goudge's 'The Little White Horse' and 'Linnets and Valerians'. Also loved the very famous 'The Secret Garden' and the even more famous 'Heidi'.

The Children of Green Knowe is one of my all time favourite books - I managed to track down a copy of the BBC tv adaptation a few years ago as well.

Yes to Elizabeth Goudge - I re-read The Little White Horse regularly (it's one of my two comfort books - it and Cold Comfort Farm). I loved Linnets and Valerians as well.

And what about A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley?

I have lots of different ones, one of my favorites is "You are Special" by Max Lucado. The book is religious and I am defiantly not, but it has such a beautiful message that is important to kids, especially today. The pictures are lovely, but if you are interested in reading it, here is the pdf www.aikentdc.org/You_Are_Special.pdf

A less serious and more funny book is "Strega Nona".

The Silver Crown has a hugely shocking opening (which I had completely forgotten until I reread it recently).
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh is also by Robert O'Brien and is also very thought provoking and vivid.

This thread is making me so happy. And probably a good deal poorer when I search out old books on Amazon.

I loved Treasures of the Snow. I'm sure if I read it now, the bible bashing bits would overwhelm the story. But I cried and cried over it when I first read it at about 8.

Oh - The Silver Crown. I found it flesh-crawling in the same way as the child-catcher when the king says: "people are so careless with children".

As a negative, since my dd read it, she's insisted on jam and peanut butter sandwiches. Yuck.

Knock three times by Marion St. John wood. Haunting. Great novel for children

Robert O 'Brian The Silver Crown . This book was pretty scary when U was eleven. Does anyone else remember it?

Thanks jeee, that's all come screaming back to me now.

And thanks Thumb, it is appearing on my list of hidden topics under Customise, but clicking on the 'show' button isn't making any difference. At least I can find it in there though.

PageNotFound, the title came from a quote: "he who buries his brother in the ground is everywhere." The protagonist has a brother, who dies near the end of the book. But the protagonist's girlfriend's sister had a baby described as a 'Hiroshima baby', who dies as a result of severe radiation-caused birth defects. And considering I haven't read the book in thirty odd years, it obviously stuck in my mind.

The other nuclear apocalyptic book that we all read was 'Children of the Dust'. Less realistic. And having read it very recently I can say that it wasn't great. And appeared to be a fairly lame rip-off of 'The Chrysalids'.

If you have hidden it, Pagenotfound (peculiarly apposite name under the circs! ) then you have to go into Customise to unhide it. :)

ComeLuckyApril - thank you!

Okay, off-topic but why can't I see this thread anywhere? It's disappeared from my Threads I'm On list, it doesn't show up in Chat and I have to keep doing an Advanced Search on the title to find it. I thought I must have accidentally hidden it so I clicked on Hide thread hoping to unhide it and promptly got a message telling me I'd hidden it, so it's not that. Help!

Meh, cousins. Happened a lot.

came

auberginesrus Brother in the Land was one of our set texts at school - you're the only other person I've come across who has read it! Have I remembered correctly that the title come from the protagonist's mother having another baby who died from radiation sickness?

Laura the story of the girl looking for Strawberries in the snow etc. was in the (I think) blue Fairy book by Andrew Lang. There are a few and this was definitely in one of them!

Glad to see Bottersnikes and Gumbles making an appearance! one of my favourites.

I have the Olga da Polga books for DS1 to read - bought them some years ago in preparation! We have guineapigs, so hoping that it will encourage him to read them. He managed to read Paddington but I think found them a bit longwinded (he's only 7 though, plenty of time).

Also Snugglepot and Cuddlepie - I was given the album by an Australian friend of my parents, and oh I loved it! May Gibbs - classic stuff.

Also the Princess and the Goblins, and the Princess and Curdie - lovely books.

I have the Carbonel books too - I used to look longingly at the big glass decanters in the chemist shops after that, and wonder if it was all true!

And when I got a bit older, The Aunt Hill, or Seven Cousins, followed by a Rose in Bloom, written by L.M.Alcott and actually I preferred them to Little Women etc.

I think you are right SDTG, I read The Children of Green Knowe every year in December because I love the depiction of Christmas.