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Children's books

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Original poster

Obscure children's books that you used to love

661 replies

LadyPlumpington · 15/07/2015 20:06

Mine is 'The Island of the Skog' by Steven Kellogg. The DC love it too :)

What are your old obscure favourites?

Obscure children's books that you used to love
OP posts:
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PageNotFound404 · 15/07/2015 22:40

I remember Mrs Pepperpot!

I was another one who was pony mad. Anyone remember Misty From Chincoteague?

TheSquatLobster · 15/07/2015 22:39

Was it Sam's Sandwich Jo ?
Where his sister was making a sandwich but each time she added something, he put in something horrible?

Indole · 15/07/2015 22:37

Oh yes, I loved Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. Brilliant book.

mrsfox · 15/07/2015 22:37

Does anyone know Amos and Boris about a mouse and a whale? It was famous in our household for always making my sister weep at the end when they say farewell (spoiler! ) but I have never come across it anywhere else.

And the Hilda series of books by Phyllis Garrard about a sassy New Zealand school girl set in the 30s - very funny and much loved.

So many other good ones here - I'd forgotten The Tree That Sat Down and Fireweed. It's great that lots of children's classics are free on Kindle including things like Clover from the What Katy Did series.

PageNotFound404 · 15/07/2015 22:37

Yes PurpleDaisies - My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead and Green Grass of Wyoming.

moggiek · 15/07/2015 22:36

Apples Every Day by Grace Richardson. I used to get it out of the library as often as I could in the Sixties!

Original poster
LadyPlumpington · 15/07/2015 22:36

I remember Pongwiffy..... and our teacher read 'Marianne Dreams' to us aged 8 and did a special droning voice for the evil stones. That didn't freak us out at all Confused

They don't make 'em like they used to. This may not always be a bad thing.

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 15/07/2015 22:36

I was horse mad...anyone remember stories about a horse called Flicka?

5Foot5 · 15/07/2015 22:35

Pepperpot

5Foot5 · 15/07/2015 22:35

I see your Mary Plain, Fattipuffs and Thinifers and Professor Branestawm and raise to Mrs Pepporpot.

Anyone remember her? An old lady who would suddenly and without warning shrink to be the size of a pepper pot. With hilarious results.

cocobean2805 · 15/07/2015 22:35

LadyPlumpington sweet valley and babysitters club were truly ace! Did manage to mix it up with 'twins at St. Claires " and "Mallory Towers"! I loved a good boarding school yarn! Ripping jam sandwiches, super midnight feasts and jolly hockey sticks! They made me want to call my future child Prudence or Roberta! I might

misslemonsfilingcabinet · 15/07/2015 22:34

Ah, it's "Hilda's Restful Chair" bad memory

niminypiminy · 15/07/2015 22:33

Little O is by Edith Unnerstad, and there was another about her brother called The Urchin. Swedish -- a big family with lots of older brothers and sisters. Loved those books.

JoInScotland · 15/07/2015 22:33

My brother, sister and I had this book about a boy who was making a sandwich, started with bread... added one filling "and some bread" but then decided to add a different filling, "and some bread" until it was about 10 feet high. None of us have ever been able to find it. Please help! What is the name of this book?

Original poster
LadyPlumpington · 15/07/2015 22:33

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh - I always thought it was very well written considering the content!

The Lost Prince - I thought it was rather predictable but also pretty good, esp in how international it was.

Did anyone ever read about Emily Starr? Stories were by the author of Anne of Green Gables and set on Prince Edward Island. I preferred them to the Green Gables set.....

OP posts:
misslemonsfilingcabinet · 15/07/2015 22:32

HighOverTheFenceLeapsSunnyJim I'm so pleased copies still exist! Lovely book. Great thread and yes, "Carries' War" should be compulsory reading.

CallMeDollFace · 15/07/2015 22:32

I read The Family at One End Street, MrsSnufkin.

Also remember being read the following by teachers and loving them -

Gobbolino The Witch's Cat
The House That Sailed Away

and my all-time favourite...

The Farthest Away Mountain, by Lynn Reid Banks.

Happy days, lost in a book.

LauraChant · 15/07/2015 22:31

Thanks Flapping - Ireland, not an island, I see! my childhood geography was appalling.

PageNotFound404 · 15/07/2015 22:31

Flappingandflying it was Adonis and the book was Prince Among Ponies.

So many more favourites mentioned! I loved Trebizon too, up to the point the heroine gave up tennis for running, then they seemed to get a bit samey.

Kevin and Sadie - I read a couple (Across the Barricades was one, I think). I remember how real they felt compared to so many children's books.

I never read Miss Happiness and Miss Flower but I loved the follow-up, Little Plum.

Anyone else read Pippi Longstocking?

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 15/07/2015 22:31

Also loved Roger Lancelyn Green's Greek myths and Arthurian legends.

Indole · 15/07/2015 22:30

Marianne Dreams was the creepiest book I have ever read. Terrifying.

ThomasRichard · 15/07/2015 22:30

Another one: Pongwhiffy. The books followed the adventures of a filthy witch, her hamster familiar and the other witches in their coven. The first book and the one where they went on holiday to the seaside were ace.

AmazonsForEver · 15/07/2015 22:30

We have so many books on this thread!
Fattipuffs and Thinnifers
Ronnie the Robbers Daughter
Mary Plain

Did anyone read The Witches and The Grinnygog? I still have that.

fuzzpig · 15/07/2015 22:30

Understudy Magic, by Beatrice Gormley.

My mum worked in a library when I was young (still does actually... as do I :o) so I frequently got random withdrawn children's books. A tradition I am of course upholding with my own DCs!

Other ones include one about a girl called Little O who gets strawberry on her shoes, one with a little mouse called Jeremy who is called 'a muddy mouse', one about a girl who keeps using alliteration and says stuff like 'jumping Jehoshaphat!' and buys red shoes I think?!

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 15/07/2015 22:29

I loved the The Lone Pine Club books by Malcolm Savile but appear to be the only person who has ever read them. We have Olga da Polga, Moomins, Tintin, Asterix, Joan Aiken, Rumer Godden ...

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