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Original poster

Which of your favourites from childhood have you re-read recently?

59 replies

5Foot5 · 20/09/2009 16:54

I am lucky in that my DD is a voracious reader and often willing to try books I remember enjoying when I was a kid. This gives me the excuse to have them around the house and enjoy an indulgent re-read occasionally.

All the Malory Towers books have long been favourites, along with Secret Island, The Children Who Lived in a Barn and several Jennings books.

But most recently the old friend I rediscovered was Jill.

We had an old copy of "Jill and the Perfect Pony" and after reading it DD asked me if their were any other books about her. Well I could remember one or two others from when I was a kid but I did the research and found the full list (only 9 in total) and we were able to pick up secondhand copies of all of them fairly cheaply over Amazon Marketplace.

We are both having a bit of a Jill-fest at the moment and I am remembering how much I adored these years ago. I never had a pony or riding lessons but used to turn our back lawn in to an imaginary gymkhana with little jumps and pretend to be Jill!!

What childish delights do others like to read when noone much is looking?

OP posts:
neversaydie · 26/09/2009 14:53

DS and I have enjoyed the Swallows and Amazons books, and the Elinor Lyon ones about Iain and Sovra which Fidra have republished recently.

The Moomins went down well, and were among the first DS took over to read to himself rather than making me do all the work. He liked the Narnia stories, but I found that for me they hadn't aged as well - I found the religious message much more heavy handed as an adult.

I, too, loved pony books as a child, but haven't tried them on DS.

Now, he is reading to himself and I don't always vet them first either. I miss it!

MissM · 24/09/2009 19:51

So many old favourites on here - I was obsessed with the Jill books as a teenager, plus Monica Dickens - all the Follyfoot and HOuse at World's End series. Anything with horses in it basically. 'We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea' is my favourite Arthur Ransome too, but the ones I find myself re-reading every now and again are the Flambards books. In my head I absolutely was Christina, although I never fancied Mark, only Will (sob).

hotchachachaingbunny · 24/09/2009 10:28

Just found this thread again So many lovely, lovely books. I'm going to save this thread for when Dd(6) wants to try something new and my mind goes blank! She really enjoyed the film of Pollyanna, so I'm guessing Anne of Green Gables might go down well...

Do you think there are so many quality children's books now? Dd is hooked on the Rainbow Fairies books ATM, which fill me with dread every time she asks for one for a bedtime story. I would love recommendations of current children's books we should look out for. Pref. not glittery Tiara type tat!

Englishpatient I would love more pony book suggestions please! BTW, The Silver Sword was every bit as great as I remembered!

doubleexpresso · 22/09/2009 13:35

One of my favourites was / and still is 'The Family from One End Street' by Eve Garnett. Bought it for DD (6) but she's too young. So I read it again!

bronze · 21/09/2009 23:59

I'm a huge Monica Edwards and Aurhur Ransome fan but recently I've been re reading one of the series by Elinor Lyon.
During my recent sorting I found my embarrassing attempt at finishing coots in the north. I so wish he had finished it himself. Fil has a beautiful dinghy called Swallow complete with red/brown sails but I was most to find out she had a centreboard

MadBadandCoveredinSequins · 21/09/2009 23:53

Emil and The Detectives.

EachPeachPearMum · 21/09/2009 23:43

Oh yes- pigeon post is fab... I love D&D... and all the prospecting stuff...

mwff · 21/09/2009 23:20

pigeon post is the best s&a imho, although i'm surprised how much i enjoyed (and remembered of) peter duck. a touch gory for sensitive 6yo dd though. we're doing them in order, so not got to "wdmtgts" but i remember it as a good un.

EachPeachPearMum · 21/09/2009 23:05

Milly Molly Mandy (dd is 3.5) - it was lovely, and took me back to being small. Mary Plain went completely over her head though... times have just changed too much.
I also re-read all the Malory Towers earlier this year (think it was when I was pg and ill...)
Still have all my Arthur Ransomes (Swallowdale is the best!), Moomins, Chalet School, and Alan Garner books... I loved Ramona Quimby, but never owned any

pippel · 21/09/2009 22:17

Ive never read that one but Im always on the look out for good books to read to dd and shes such a good author that I think that I might have to give it a go!

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 21/09/2009 22:16

We've only got a few of the Greene Knowe books. I must get the rest.
I reread all the Swallows and Amazons this summer - my fave is We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea. I wish I could get the DC to read them - DD1 read the first one and gave it the thumbs down.

mwff · 21/09/2009 22:13

burglar bill asterix, swallows & amazons, all the moomin books. tove jansson is perhaps my favourite author.

HumphreyCobbler · 21/09/2009 22:12

Antonia Forest was quite brilliant.

I love loads mentioned already but have just read all the Greene Knowe series. Fantastic.

pollyperkins · 21/09/2009 22:09

Ramona the Pest series was brilliant - I can't say I'm happy with the news they're going to be on a disney channel - boo hiss. Pippel did you try The Mouse and the Motorcycle too? That was good.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 21/09/2009 22:06

I love Ramona!
I have shared my love of Lorna Hill (Sadlers Wells) with DD1 and also Angela Brazil and Antonia Forest. We both reckon Autumn Term and End of Term are the best school stories ever.
DD2 and I share historical fiction - we have just finished reading When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit together and have started The Workhouse Child by Geraldine Symons.
I love Rosemary Sutcliff and Henry Treece too and often reread them as comfort reads.

pippel · 21/09/2009 21:54

Ive just read Ramona the pest to dd1 they have never been very popular in the uk though I dont think but I loved them! So did dd, they are lovely books

they are being made in to a film with one of those disney channel girls as beezus so I think they are going to get very popular

I cant wait until shes old enough for the chalet school books!

weegiemum · 21/09/2009 21:46

I still read the Anne of Green Gables stuff regularly and am planning on introducing it to dd1 soon!

I am reading the Narnia books to her at the moment (while also reading Harry Potter to all 3) and we are on "Dawn Treader" - I keep having to stop as I am tearing up in so many places - the book was very special to me as a child as I read it while my parents were in the horrible arguing phase of splitting up! It was my escape.

Also love the Chalet School books but will not pay the extortionate online prices for them - though I have a lot from charity shops etc before they got so popular again!

pollyperkins · 21/09/2009 21:41

I just reread The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy and keep trying to get my DD to name a toy (any toy I honestly don't mind which one) Mildred or Maud. I read the whole series when I was about 8 or so and loved them.

And as for Anne of Green Gables - I loved those and reread the first 3 a little while ago. I forgot that my plan was to marry Gilbert Blythe.

Doodlez · 21/09/2009 21:31

Bought Malory Towers first term to read to DD.

I read it to myself!

Just finished reading DS's Michael Murpurgo (sp?) coz DS (aged 8!) wasn't reading it fast enuff .

choosyfloosy · 21/09/2009 21:29

I have to say though I read Carbonel and Calidor a few months ago and was deeply disappointed.

Ditto to the Fell Farm Campers books - dreadful. The Worlds End four books though were just as lovely as I remembered them, and seem even more radical now than they did then.

mankyscotslass · 21/09/2009 21:29

Recently re-read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and am reading them to my DD. I love them! And was sad to learn Charles Ingalls line totally died out when his only grandaughter died.

I still revisit the Chalet School Series, and all the Enid Blyton school books.

When I was at mums recently I dug out the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper, and the Taran books by Lloyd Alexander.

And I still love the Narnia stories.

choosyfloosy · 21/09/2009 21:16

OH MY GOD ORMIRIAN!!!!

i have been trying to remember those Rosemary Manning books for months! I loved them! Thank you thank you thank you!

off to amazon PRONTO

RosieMBanks · 21/09/2009 21:11

Oh, and anything by Noel Streatfeild or Joan Aiken...'Ballet Shoes', 'White Boots' and 'The Wolves of Willoughby Chase' are favourites.

RosieMBanks · 21/09/2009 21:08

Any of the Mary Plain books by Gwynedd Rae, or Catherine Storr's 'Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf' series. Also love Elizabeth Goudge's 'The Little White Horse', and 'Towers in the Mist', and M.M. Kaye's 'The Ordinary Princess'. Lorna Hill's ballet books have been a recently re-discovered pleasure...the 'Wells' series.

paddingtonbear1 · 21/09/2009 19:57

I also liked Anne of Green Gables..

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