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Original poster

Which children's books do you STILL read and enjoy?

282 replies

Swizzler · 11/04/2007 19:10

Am re-reading Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising sequence and yes, it is still good

So which children's books did you enjoy as a child and still read - read for your own pleasure, that is, not read to your DCs.

OP posts:
Pannacotta · 12/04/2007 23:27

and agree that John wyndham books are great, but bit spooky for kids. Have you read Chocky? That title sticks in my mind for some reason...

Pannacotta · 12/04/2007 23:26

whoops x post, thanks though!

Pannacotta · 12/04/2007 23:26

Just found it on Amazon, its Alison Uttley who wrote the Little Grey Rabbit books, weird!

Aloha · 12/04/2007 23:25

Alison Uttley - it was really enjoyable to read it again.
Also like The Owl Service and A Pattern of Roses. Marianne Dreams is my favourite for spookiness.
I want to read John Wyndham again. NOt really a children's writer but I read them all as a young teenager.

Pannacotta · 12/04/2007 23:24

Ah that's it, thanks! Dont suppose you remember who wrote it? (will check amazon too)
Dont think I have a copy anymore....

Aloha · 12/04/2007 23:22

A Traveller In Time! Just remembered it!

Pannacotta · 12/04/2007 23:18

Aloha, can you remember now the name of the book about time travel / Mary Queen of Scots? I read that too and now its bugging me as I can't remember waht it's called, just that it really stuck in my mind....

LadyG · 12/04/2007 23:08

Oooh yes to so many already mentioned but also saw 'A swish of the curtain' reissued in Waterstones and had to stop myself buying it (economy drive) Also did anone else love 'The Saturdays' by Elizabeth Enright? Would love to read that one again...Also have a ds who's idol is Bob the builder so don't see myself reading many of these to him sadly!

TinyGang · 12/04/2007 22:55

Just William. He gets better and better.

badelaide · 12/04/2007 22:52

oh welliemum, you know it!

Do not eat this biscuit because eating green ink is bad for you.

Chocadora · 12/04/2007 21:50

I don't think old-fashioned matters a bit - just think about the old fashioned books that were old-fashioned for us and our parents - they are classics. And it is a history experience for them. It's finding the time to read them all that we find a problem as there are also so many new books that are excellent e.g. Michael Morpurgo
By the way - who remembers Anatole the French mouse and Mary Plain (precursor to Paddington), and Beebo?

FrannyandZooey · 12/04/2007 20:37

Oh I LIKE The Thuggery Affair

I love the bit where Lawrie goes off with the bloke in the cinema, pretending to be a beatnik chick

Lawrie is my favourite Forest character and that was such a brilliant insight into her head - it's an almost hallucinatory stream of consciousness

jennymac · 12/04/2007 20:33

I loved A Little Princess, Little Lord Fauntleroy, all the Anne books and the Katy books. Charlotte's Web made me blub like a baby and probably still would if I read it again now. Was flicking through What Katy Did the other day and was wondering if my 7mth daughter will enjoy it one day. It seems very old fashioned now and hard to imagine but you never know!

Washersaurus · 12/04/2007 20:33

Pollyanna, and I also recently re-read The Box of Delights which I still didn't fully understand at 30!

MrsWho · 12/04/2007 20:27

Oh how did I forget Roald Dahl!
and I used to love judy Blume books too.
I used to read sweet valley high books in about 1/2 hour and used to drive my Mam mad by getting 6 and wanting to changethem the next day

Original poster
Swizzler · 12/04/2007 19:11

Forgot about The Sword in the Stone - an amazing book. Never got on with the later ones in the series.

Didn't realise Chalet School books were so collectible - gave most of my (shabby) paperbacks to the charity shop .

OP posts:
DrMarthaMcMoo · 12/04/2007 19:01

fluffyanimal, I just read Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH to ds1 (10) - it made me cry as a grown-up too. Really good book, it hasn't palled with age.

willywonka · 12/04/2007 13:16

Of course, Harry Potter - I've moved my maternity leave date so I get a chance to read the Deathly Hallows before dd finishes for school holidays/I drop . Another book I've always loved is Flat Stanley. No great epic, I just love the book!

PinkTulips · 12/04/2007 13:11

and harry potter but lets face it nobody really thinks of them s just kids books right?

right?

PinkTulips · 12/04/2007 13:10

secret garden and the narnia books

fluffyanimal · 12/04/2007 13:09

Anyone read Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMBH (or some other acronym)? That was the first book that made me cry, when the good rat Justin died for all the others. I was in love with our head boy, called Justin, at the time.

willywonka · 12/04/2007 13:06

I still love anything by Roald Dahl. His short stories for adults are genius too but I'm currently going through the box set of his children's books my Mum bought me last year! No great surprise to hear that my absolute favourite is Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

EllieKthePA · 12/04/2007 13:04

any Jacqueline Wilson books

slowreader · 12/04/2007 13:03

Anyone ever read A Sapphire For September?
set in Australia
a wonderful book but never found out any more by the author.

hunkermunker · 12/04/2007 12:56

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, MrsBadger, do you know what it was called? I've been trying to remember for ages and searched all those "we can find any book ever printed" websites to no avail.

It bugs me, you know.

Although I'm just happy to have met someone else who's read the thing - people usually go "wassat?" - I should've rewritten it from memory and got it published