To love re-reading old childhood favourites

[balletnotlacrosse]

Having found a stash of my old childhood books in my parents' attic a few years ago I have become hooked, once again, on school stories, ballet stories, etc etc and love buying old Noel Streatfeild books, Chalet School stories and so on to re-read.

AIBU to spend as much time reading children's books as adult's book and to enjoy them more just as much?

Not novels per se, but I used to love reading the Tim and the Hidden people series by Sheila McCullugh. We had them at school (Early/Mid 80s) as part of a learning to read thing, and they were actually quite scary, but really well written. The Stone people and wind witches used to scare me silly. I believe they are out of print now, and the originals are sometimes on eBay for an absolute fortune.
I still have all my puddle lane books (same author) and again, from what I recall the later books were quite dark. Might get my mum to dig them out of the loft.
I regularly re-read the adrian mole series, there's a couple of 'Point Horror' books I still cast my eye over, and just the other day I was thinking about Mallory towers, I used to read them under my covers with a torch!

I used to read a lot of the babysitter club books, but I do have trouble with the basic idea behind them from my current, adult point of view.

"My 12 yr old neighbour has started a babysitting business with her friends. WIBU to pay her to look after my toddler?"

Seemed perfectly reasonable when I was 10, but now?

YANBU.

I regularly re-read childhood favourites. I could probably recite Anne of Green Gables by heart if my life (or a large sum of money) depended on it. Other books I've returned to are the Chalet School series which I like to affectionately roll my eyes at. Tom's Midnight Garden, Charlotte Sometimes, Goodnight Mister Tom, Carrie's War.........I could go on.

I also have a fondness for reading contemporary children's literature too. There is so much good stuff out there. I'd recommend Beswitched by Kate Saunders to anyone who was addicted to boarding school stories as a child. Funny as well as moving......and I think I might re-read it shortly!

I still hate Little Women though. My younger self was right on that score.

I loved A Little Princess too, Euphemia. Have you read Wishing for Tomorrow which is a recent sequel? It certainly doesn't have the magic of the original, but it's worth reading.

Loved Wishing For Tomorrow! Thought it was true to the spirit of A Little Princess but with added bite and wit.

My copy of "End of Term" arrived yesterday!! Haven't started reading it yet as we are going away for the weekend so wanted to save it to take with me.

It's great to re read old favourites, esp to the boys

Does anyone remember the Jim Starling books? He was a young working class school boy with a gang. I loved him.

Yes. Jim Starling and the Colonel was terrific. DH remembers that one too. I think I read another one too but it didn't make as much impression as Jim Starling and the Colonel.

For fans of the Chalet School books there's Friends of the Chalet School I remember learning "kaffee und kuchen" from the books.

The Just William books are still hilarious too. Love a bit of William Brown.

Trivial fact of the day - "Gerry Goes to School" was written by the author of the Chalet School books, Elinor M Brent Dyer, for the mother of the actress Kate O'Mara, who was a child actress.

YY to Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon

I'm recollecting all my Point Horrors - currently have 55

I adore Charlotte Sometimes, a Parcel of Patterns, Tom's Midnight Garden. Also Children of Green Knowe.

Moondial remains my all time favourite book

TeeJay, I remember Tim and the Hidden People!! I was terrified after reading them and couldn't sleep for weeks yet I wanted to read more. Do you remember the one where the car breaks down on way to a party and they find a wood where all the tree-stumps have eyes?
Was it connected to a reading scheme? I remember a really spooky book about a witch who turns herself into a bird to get into the children's house. And one called the Green Gruff Grackle, about a girl who wants to dance with a monster and have him 'whisk her away forever' so she finds a stone in the woods and sings the words on it until the monster appears bit by bit eg just his feet dancing on the stone, then his knees, thighs etc... I think her brother stops her before she gets the full monster! I always thought that story had a strong sexual theme eg young virgin trying to summon up a man who will dance with her, then realising just in time she isn't ready for him!

Carries War was another creepy book, with Hepzlebar and the skull!

I have resisted reading Emily of New Moon as her fans tend to say she's a superior Anne of Green Gables. Well that may well be true but LM Montgomery books are like football teams (not that I have a football team), you pick one when you're young and stick with it without wavering.

Emily indeed. Humph.

Follyfoot series was fantastic, so was Flambards. I liked all the Pauline-Thompson sisters' pony books as well, like the one where they go trekking on moors and find some Romanian refugees fleeing from Russians! Think it was called 'Ride By Night'.
'A Day to go Hunting' was another great book (written in 50s, it was my mums old copy). 'Pony Club Team' was very funny and written with such skill. I like the way some of the old style books tell the story from the adults perspectives as well as the children's.

Eventers Dream is a good modern trilogy of horse books.

Yes that right :-) Will died, so she married Dick, divorced Dick and eventually married Mark!

Anyone remember Beever Towers? I had nightmares about Oyin the witch for years!

RedCheckedTablecloth which Geroge Mcdonald is that?

Anyone remember Rosemary Sutcliff, Eagle of the Ninth?

like others I loved ursula Le Guin and Susan Cooper.

I do this too! Have a complete Chalet school collection and they're my escape from reality, although as has been mentioned, mostly Tyrol/ Armishire.

Private, yes I remember feeling the same! It was implied she and Dick were badly matched because they were from different social classes. Didn't she fall off a horse and cart messing around with Mark when she was pregnant with Dick's baby, and then lost the baby and Dick couldn't forgive her? It's so long since I read those books but certain parts stuck in my mind.

Ooh I'm another one for Anne of Green Gables and I have the full set. They're very well read! I have most of the Chalet School ones but missing a block in the middle - Joey went from being Head Girl to being married with about 20 kids, which was a bit of a shock.

I have 1-11 of the Sadler's Wells and they're knackered in. I loved those. I don't think anybody has mentioned Heidi? I've always wanted to sleep in a hay loft in the mountains since reading it. I have all of the Famous Five books, a few Secret Seven and most of the Adventure series - I think it's the Valley of Adventure(?) when they live in a cave behind a waterfall that's my favourite. I like dens! I seem to relive my childhood while re-reading my old books. I hope my daughters will enjoy them as much as I have.

I gave all of my Point Horror/Crime ones away unfortunately, but I know they were well read by my friends daughter so they went to a good home.

The 4th instalment of Flambards was written over 10 years later. It changed Dick's character and Christina's too really, I think Peyton needed to discredit Dick to justify her marrying Mark.

But I never believed that she would have married Dick - dependable but dull I felt, and I always fancied Mark the most. I think marriage to Dick would have foundered on class difficulties and character differences anyway, without having to discredit him to achieve it.

It's weird because the first trilogy is quite left wing, and the last becomes extraordinarily snobby.

Yes I haven't seen Heidi mentioned - I have an obsession with old chalets to this day because of it.