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Original poster

Can you help create some book lists?

81 replies

stargirl1701 · 18/07/2018 17:12

I'm a primary school teacher and my school is celebrating a big anniversary next session. I run the upper school reading club (P5-7) and I was hoping to do some book lists - one for each decade the school has been open. A 'top ten reads of the...' idea. I need some help compiling the lists. I'm looking for chapter books for the 9-12 age range. I want to stick to books published in the UK.

1940s - I've got nothing

1950s
The Borrowers
Tom's Midnight Garden
Marianne Dreams

1960s
Summer Birds
Stig of the Dump
The Owl Service

1970s
The Ghost of Thomas Kempe
Charmed Life

1980s
The Indian in the Cupboard
Redwall
Moondial

1990s
The Story of Tracey Beaker
Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone

2000s
Journey to the River Sea
The Various
Millions

2010s
Goth Girl
How to Train Your Dragon
The Dream Snatcher
The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day

What would you add? I'm hoping for 10 in each decade. My childhood reading was way too heavy in the classics from pre WW2!

OP posts:
Rocinante1 · 18/07/2018 22:27

The Little Grey Men - BB (nom de plume of Denys Watkins-Pitchford). It's a children's fantasy novel from 1942.

Ouroboros · 18/07/2018 22:25

The Federation of Children's Book Groups has some book lists here www.fcbg.org.uk/booklists/ including Fifty Favourite Books From The Last Fifty Years

GettingBackToMe · 18/07/2018 22:22

Oh sorry you only want UK - didn’t read carefully enough!

GettingBackToMe · 18/07/2018 22:21

Would Pippi Longstocking be too young? There are a few ideas on this super long list: www.goodreads.com/list/show/72656.Best_Children_s_Books_of_the_1940s

yikesanotherbooboo · 18/07/2018 22:20

1960s The Silver Sword

XingMing · 18/07/2018 22:20

Sad you are restricting the search to UK published books, or I would add Anne of Green Gables
Pollyanna series.

Angela Brazil is, I suspect, long out of print. I think the editions I read were from my grandparents.

GettingBackToMe · 18/07/2018 22:17

Five on Treasure Island (1942) was the first Famous Five book - you might struggle more with the 40s as I believe wartime paper shortages had an impact on what was published.

XingMing · 18/07/2018 22:15

Definitely The Silver Sword... Ian Seraillier.

yikesanotherbooboo · 18/07/2018 22:12

1940s
The Saturdays , Elizabeth Enright

Having to pop to Hoogle dates, sorry re posting style!

yikesanotherbooboo · 18/07/2018 22:10

1970s
Carrie's War , Nina Bawden
Watership Down ?

Enjoythesilence · 18/07/2018 22:09

Just thought of another one: The Silver Sword (1950’s)

XingMing · 18/07/2018 22:06

Rosemary Sutcliffe's Eagle of the Ninth (1950s)
Just William series (Richmal Crompton)
The Hobbit

XingMing · 18/07/2018 21:48

Alison Utley: A Traveller in Time is a brilliant time slip slightly romantic novel for older girls who are accomplished readers. (1940s, or even 30s). It was a favourite of my mum's, born 1935)

The Phantom Tollbooth is slightly wacky, but funny, and good for boys too.

Phillip Reeve's Mortal Engines is exciting for both sexes.

Carl Hiasen's Hoot is a gentle environmental whodunnnit that is again a good read. Originally US, as is Phantom Tollbooth.

Get the complete works of Michael Morpurgo.

All the Narnia books.

Salman Rushdie: Haroun and the Sea of Stories (2000s) is lovely, much under-rated and should chime with sophisticated readers with Islamic backgrounds. Read aloud to DS at about 8/9 and we both enjoyed it for the exuberance of the language and style.

Ian Fleming's early Bond novels are only a bit unsuitable these days for boys of 11 who like reading.

I hope you like some of the suggestions here, and wish you well.

WinkyisbackontheButterBeer · 18/07/2018 21:37

Haha thread moved on while I was date checking

WinkyisbackontheButterBeer · 18/07/2018 21:36

Ronald Dahl s career spanned decades and could make up a few categories

The gruffalo was 1990
Bridge to Tirabithia abs Tuck everlasting were from the 1970s
Tiger who came to tea (60s)
Very hungry caterpillar (60s)
Cat in the hat (1950s)
The giving tree (60s)

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 18/07/2018 21:29

I just reread A Vicarage Family last month. Love her writing.

OP posts:
FreshEyre · 18/07/2018 21:27

Noel Streatfeild's 'White Boots' was 1951 apparently (one of my favourites)

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 18/07/2018 21:27

I thought they will have read Dahl. P4 do Dahl as a literacy topic so I imagine they will have read them all.

It's a group of very keen readers.

OP posts:
Original poster
stargirl1701 · 18/07/2018 21:26

*hard

OP posts:
Original poster
stargirl1701 · 18/07/2018 21:26

Here to believe War Horse is that old!

OP posts:
mamaduckbone · 18/07/2018 21:26

I LOVED The Swish of the Curtain!
I was going to say Narnia as well. Surely some Roald Dahl - 70s/80s.

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 18/07/2018 21:25

Yes, the first Malory Towers was 1946. Thank you.

OP posts:
FreshEyre · 18/07/2018 21:25

1960s - Ted Hughes - Iron Man

Apologies for previous typo - War Horse is 1980's not 1998's Blush

Original poster
stargirl1701 · 18/07/2018 21:23

I don't know those 1940s ones at all. I must see if the library have them so I can read over the summer.

OP posts:
Original poster
stargirl1701 · 18/07/2018 21:22

Fabulous! Thank you so much.

I feel like a dolt. Narnia! Of course! And, The Dark is Rising.

Thank you again.

OP posts:
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