Which books from your childhood would you like to re-read?

[Idontknowhatnametochoose]

I'm feeling quite down lately and been thinking I'd like to re visit some of the books I loved as a child. At the moment I want to read...

Enid Blyton:

Adventure series, starting with The Island of Adventure.
St Clares series
Mystery series starting with The Burnt Cottage.

Patricia St John:

Treasures of the snow
The Tanglewoods Secret

Jill Murphy:

The Worst Witch

Just wondered if anyone else is re - reading old books?

When Hitler stole pink rabbit was a favourite by Judith Kerr?
Also Mary Plain by Gwynedd Rae about a little bear.

I could have guessed you like The Family from One End Street! 🤣

It’s a Monica Edwards, but I can’t remember which one. Leave it with me a minute….

i was in correspondence with Malcolm saville for much of my childhood! I loved the lone pine series and there used to be a few pages at the back of the books advertising others in the series and it said “you can write to Malcolm Saville” at an PO Box address. So I wrote to him aged about 8 in 1977, from suburban Canada, and blow me if he didn’t reply. I have a feeling he had a Surrey address but maybe it was Sussex… I’d only been to England once at this point. So we swapped letters about every 3 months or so (airmail post was slow) talking about his books, and then I ghosted him when I was about 12, poor man.
he was very charming and kind.

I'd quite like to re-read the pony books by the Pullein - Thompson sisters (Diana, Josephine and Christine)and Ruby Ferguson. I was pony mad as a child and teenager, and although I don't ride any more,I still love horses.

It's ringing a bell with me, but all I can say is it isn't Monica Edwards or the Pat Smythe Three Jay Series. I didn't really get into horse stories except them.

I don't think Monica Edwards does ever use sheep rustlers, unless you count when the sheep are (briefly) stolen in No Entry. Which is a bit surprising considering the potential there with either the Punchbowl ones or Castle Farm and all the other animals they saved/rescued etc.

Horses (Wish for a Pony, Cargo of Horses, Hidden in a Dream, No Mistaking Corker)
Racehorse (Midnight Horse)
Hoopoes (Strangers on the Marsh)
Seagulls (and other sea birds) (Operation Seabird)
Cow (Cownappers, Punchbowl Midnight, No Entry)
Pigs (No Entry)
Deer (Punchbowl Midnight, The Outsider)
Cat (Summer of the Great Secret)
Dog (A Wind is Blowing, Killer Dog)
Pine Martin (Fire on the Punchbowl)
Dolphin (Dolphin Summer)
Puma (The Wild One)
Fox (Punchbowl Harvest)

But a surprising dearth of sheep, other than No Entry, when they are taken to cause issues rather than anything more sinister. There was a lot of potential there for sheep rustlers.

I bought them from my church shop when I was a child. I think I read most of her books and took so much comfort in how she showed the characters struggling with how to be a good person, forgive, have courage etc. Not preachy at all just really beautifully written. Her books have stayed with me over the years.

So many of my childhood favourites already mentioned! 😍

I loved LM Montgomery books - obviously Anne, but also the Emily series, The Story Girl, Jane of Lantern Hill, The Blue Castle.

All things Enid Blyton.

Recently reread the Rose Wilder Lane books and I still really enjoyed them.

Children of the New Forest, The Secret Garden, The Railway Children.

James Herrriot.

Just William and Jennings series, these made a good change from the Enid Blyton all girls schools.

Liked the Chalet School but some of the later ones got weird.

Recently got stuck jnto reading a load of picture Bunty and Mandy annuals from circa 2000 onwards and loved them as much as I did back then 😄😄 also made me very happy that my 8 year old dd thought they were great! The 4 Mary's and Miss Angel anyone?!

@reallyalurker
Cold Christmas - I think that might be Nina beachcroft? She wrote some great books - Well Met By Witchlight was one of my favourites but she wrote lots of good books - under the enchanter is great, a spell of sleep, a visit to folly castle - I want to re-read them all now!

I don’t know Malcolm Saville’s books but this is such a lovely story.

Reading this has made think about how many of my favourites that I've shared with my DC.

I'm another one who loved Diana Wynne Jones as a child from when I first read the Magicians of Caprona. DS1 & I read a lot of her books in lockdown (and I'm currently rereading the Merlin Conspiracy at present). Howls Moving Castle & the Dalemark Quartet are my favourites (although I really don't like the ending of the Crown of Dalemark).

I bought myself a box set of the Little Hpuse books as I loved them as a child & ended up reading them all to my DC as DS2 was really fascinated by the homestead building / horse taming etc.

The Chimneys of Green Knowe is another one that I loved as a child & really enjoyed rereading. As a child, I sensed just how awful most of the adult characters are, but as an adult reader, it is so clear just how morally bankrupt most of the adult characters are and that gives the book so much energy (although again I'm not keen on the ending).

All the Anne books by LM Montgomery
The Emily books by LM Montgomery
All the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I know she is now controversial now but if you accept they were stories of the time they are worth a read
The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
The weird Stone books by Alan Garner
The chalet school books by Elinor Brent Dyer

Also the Redwall series by Brian Jacques.

I haven't read Howl's Moving Castle but I wanted to comment that the Studio Ghibli animated film of it is brilliant.

I just came on to say that I was wrong-it’s not Monica Edwards, sorry😥I think I was misled by the muffled hooves in The White Riders, which made a great impression on 8 year old me!

Famous fives
the adventure series
what Katy did series
little women series
heidi
the secret garden
the worst witch
Milly Molly Mandy

I’m currently reading When hitler stole pink rabbit with my son who’s 9. It’s very long and he’s getting bored but I love it

As a older child/teen

judy blume
Norma Klien
virginia andrews
point horror

@WarmPeer I read two of these only but loved them, couldn't get hold of any others as a child. One of them had been given to my mum as a school prize. I think that it was called Cherry Ames Private Duty Nurse. Did you read the Sue Barton nursing books?
Love this thread, recognise so many books.
The ones I've reread as an adult are the L M Montgomery "Anne of..." books. They are a comfort read to me.

Any of KM Peyton's books.

Reading was such a wonderful escape for me as an unhappy child and it still is.

Thanks for the lovely thread OP

Mine had belonged to my auntie . I read the Sue Barton ones as well and was obsessed with becoming a Nurse. I was a teacher in the end!

The Magic Faraway Tree
All of Ruby Ferguson's Jill series
The Worst Witch
Some
Of the Pullein Thompson sisters pony books

I've lately re-read two childhood favourites, Elizabeth Goudge's 'The Little White Horse" and "Henrietta's House". Both are utterly class-ridden but still a good read.

Also YY to Mary Plain mentioned by @Zoopet

Muffled hooves was in Summer of the Great Secret with the smugglers' horses that Tamsin sees going up the road.

Aw so many memories in this thread! I would also like to read the little house books again. Also had completely forgotten Noel streatfield/ ballet shoes! I would also love to read:
toms midnight garden
moondial
any of Leon Garfield’s books or ghost stories
also, for younger kids…Shirley Hughes my naughty little sister stories and Beatrix potter and for teens I capture the castle.
I love the wind in the willows and have read it a few times as an adult…such a comfort read!