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Original poster

Favourite but obscure

82 replies

littlebillie · 29/10/2017 01:15

The same modern books come up as favourites for the modern childhood I want to hear about books that are probably out of print but well loved. Mine are

Trebizon series
The tree that sat down
Heidi
Turpenny Feefo and jinks

OP posts:
OrlandaFuriosa · 31/10/2017 01:09

Yes to The Children who lived in a barn.. I bought a haybox on the strength of it!

If The Great House is Cynthia Harnett, then yes to that, though I love The Woolpack, Stars and Stripes and The Load of Unicorn even more.

The Criwn of Violet by one if Geoffrey/Henry Treece/Trease,

What about The Secret Garden and A Little Princess? Obscure now?

comeagainforbigfudge · 30/10/2017 20:24

I was just looking at them bless but I should really look for it in the house first. There may be a box or two never unpacked from moving in 5 years ago Shock

BlessYourCottonSocks · 30/10/2017 20:18

Fire and Hemlock is probably my favourite Dianna Wynne Jones - fudge it's going for a penny (+ postage) on Amazon if you feel like re-buying it!

comeagainforbigfudge · 30/10/2017 20:17

Fire and hemlock. No idea what happened to my copy but the story still pops up in my head every now and then

BobbinThreadbare123 · 30/10/2017 20:06

Tamora Pierce- Alanna stories

Time40 · 30/10/2017 20:01

Elidor by Alan Garner is a truly wonderful book. All his children's books are great, but that one is his best, I think. The Owl Service is a close second.

Another of my favourites is Green Smoke by Rosemary Manning (about a Cornish dragon who once knew King Arthur).

BlessYourCottonSocks · 30/10/2017 19:49

Knock Three Times. Fabulous and scary - originally from the 1920s. I loved it as a child and still re-read.

Ghost in the Water was good too. Joan Aiken now very underrated I think, and Alan Garner. Anyone remember 'A Haunting Air' by Barbara Freeman. Also a lot of short story collections by Ruth Ainsworth like 'The Phantom Cyclist' .

EnglishRose1320 · 30/10/2017 13:30

The children who lived in a barn
The follyfoot collection
The great house

Enb76 · 30/10/2017 13:25

The Cave by Richard Church, 1950

It's brilliant but I imagine the language would be a bit old fashioned for today's young readers.

"When Jim found an inviting underground tunnel near his aunt and uncle's summer home, it followed of course that investigation was in order. Jim and his four companions, after careful two day preparation, begin the perilous descent into the deep caverns. This is no picnic romp, for in the dank, river-made labyrinth the boys escape death by inches several times. Adult thrills and chills with some psychological upsets as the boys change leaders. The supposition here that a group must have a strong leader -- is perhaps somewhat too military, but this is superior suspense."

bookworm14 · 30/10/2017 13:22

A lot of these are still in print. The first few Trebizon books were reissued quite recently - I reread the first one and it holds up pretty well.

OrlandaFuriosa · 29/10/2017 22:02

Yes to the Streatfeilds, Forest, sally’s Family by Gwendoline Courtney.

Also Rosemary Sutcliff, the Roman ones and The Rider of the White Horse.
Auntie Robbo.

Thing is, most of these weren’t obscure in the 60s and 70s

BitOfFun · 29/10/2017 01:06

Ooh, here's a treat! The children's TV drama of Ghost In The Water...

mousemoose · 29/10/2017 01:56

Yes all the kingscote ones, Antonia forest (end of term etc)

Little white horse but in some ways even better, in green dolphin country

Susannah at boarding school

Trebizon

The pineapple tart - not really kids but vvg for tweens/teens

Original poster
littlebillie · 29/10/2017 01:52

Some of mine are now worth £ but I wonder who would buy them the Heidi ones are beautiful books

OP posts:
Original poster
littlebillie · 29/10/2017 01:49

Just remembered the weird stone of brisingamen

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Witchend · 29/10/2017 01:48

Lone Pine Series by Malcolm Saville
Monica Edwards set especially White Riders
Antonia Forest (particularly "The Players Boy" and "The Players and the Rebels")
Violet Needham
The Black bog Mystery (Lane Mitchell)
Demon Island (Cedric Baldock, I think)
Fred and I series
Brat Farrar/Daughter upon time-Josephine Tey
Bannermere Series by Geoffrey Trease
Gwendoline Courtney

And lots more. Mostly sitting on my bookshelves. Wink

Original poster
littlebillie · 29/10/2017 01:48

We ❤️ballet shoes and the rest of them

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SeaToSki · 29/10/2017 01:45

Ballet Shoes. By Noelle Stretfield

BitOfFun · 29/10/2017 01:44

Blimey, I'll tell you the story of Ghost In The Water for nothing Grin

Original poster
littlebillie · 29/10/2017 01:33

Owl service 👍

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OrlandaFuriosa · 29/10/2017 01:32

Ooh yes Phantom Tolbooth
The story of Ferdinand the Bull

OrlandaFuriosa · 29/10/2017 01:31

Heidi plus sequels
Charlotte Sometimes
Stig
The good master, the singing tree
The wheel on the school
My friend flicka
The silver sword
The dolphin crossing
Little white horse
Holly and ivy
Green Knowe
The Owl service

CoffeeAndEnnui · 29/10/2017 01:30

The Story of Holly and Ivy
The Tyger Voyage
The Phantom Tollbooth
Struwwelpeter

Original poster
littlebillie · 29/10/2017 01:29

Ghost in the water £430 for an edition on amazon 😮

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