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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

books from the 1980s that no-one else remembers!

341 replies

GoldenGreen · 21/12/2010 11:22

For some reason I have been compulsively trying to track down half-remembered books that I read as a young teenager - not sure why as they are not classics but I would really like to revisit them. I had hoped my younger sister might have picked them up but she never liked the same books as me.

Does this ring a bell with anyone:

Series with the children of detectives - I think a brother and a sister and an adopted sister (her parents were police officers who died - I think she was Irish, red haired and fiery - obviously) - they solved mysteries based around school. In one they caught a vandal because of the paricular way he wrote "H". In another there was a school trip to France with an old fashioned type of Polaroid camera - this was a key part of the plot but can't remember any more!

The other book that I remember reading obsessively was a teen romance one with a girl whose parents were repressed and abusive. She was not allowed any freedom at all but managed to meet a boy and sneak out. The thing I most remember is that she had no clothes apart from school uniform so she had to embroider flowers on her school shirt when she went out to meet him.

Anyone else got any vague memories of books they once loved and that no-one else ever remembers?

OP posts:
hormonesnowmore · 22/12/2010 18:08

topsmart - was your book 'Back Home' by Michelle Magorian?

FessaEst · 22/12/2010 18:13

Wow, this has brought back soo many memories!

Hating Alison Ashley-I remember that so well, she had a pen with a gold "A" on a chain!

I loved the Family From One End Street, there was a sequel too.

Bck in a bit, DD calling...

JeanLouiseFinch · 22/12/2010 18:20

A little boy whose money was stolen (I think on a train). He met a gang of other boys who played detective with him to find out who had stolen the money. They called the plan to catch the thieves 'Operation Glazier' but I can't remember why. There was a part where they bit a coin and left teeth marks.

bruffin · 22/12/2010 18:25

That's the Otterbury Incident by C Day Lewis

littleredsquirrel · 22/12/2010 18:28

Coldtits I remember that one - no idea what it is though!

JeanLouiseFinch · 22/12/2010 18:33

bruffin thanks, I just searched for The Otterbury Incident and it is definitely familiar. I don't know where I got the stolen money part or the train from, though. I think my mind might be merging two books.

QueenOfFlamingEverything · 22/12/2010 18:34

isn't the stolen money book emil and the detectives?

JeanLouiseFinch · 22/12/2010 18:34

Oh, and obviously not 80s Grin

JeanLouiseFinch · 22/12/2010 18:37

Queen & bruffin- thank you both. I have had those two books vaguely in my mind for ages. I could never remember the plot fully though. Now I understand why I will have to read both again.

PatientGriselda · 22/12/2010 18:39

Coldtits, I think the underground going up to the air one might not be a children's book at all. I'm sure I read it as part of a collection of science fiction stories - possibly HG Wells? And the cover of mine was orange (helpful, I know)!

PatientGriselda · 22/12/2010 18:50

Was just driven to go and find the wretched thing. The one I was thinking of was The Machine Stops by EM Forster, but actually i''m not sure now it matches your description after all!

IvantaOuiOui · 22/12/2010 18:54

Love this thread! Does anyone remember

Daphnes Book by Mary Downing Hahn
Hey Dollface and Second Star To the Right by Deborah Hautzig

Memory by Margaret Mahy

If It Weren't For Sebastian by Jean Ure

I still have loads of these books, including many J Wilson early books including Waiting For The Sky To Fall. I also have Easy Connections and Easy Freedom by Liz Berry - my original 80s copy of EC and a rare reprint of EF signed by Liz a few years ago. Still read them, but VERY dodgy storyline.

Elk · 22/12/2010 19:00

Little Red Dragon - was your book 'My Side of the Mountain'.

talkingnonsense · 22/12/2010 19:07

Coldtits- could it have been city of ember? I saw the film recently and it doesn't quite match your description, but iirc, the book is a bit different?

Feenie · 22/12/2010 19:17

They were the Five Findouters, not Findouters and It (think you are confused with the E, Nesbit book 'Five Children and It'). They were Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip and Bets, with Buster the dog. The Mystery of the Missing Necklace was the waxwork one, and the other was The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat.

scouserabroad · 22/12/2010 19:22

Loved Anastastia and I'm sure I read the Silver Sword now I've seen it mentioned but I can't remember the story at all. Does anyone remember another one by Ian Serralier about a Vietnamese boy who escapes from Vietnam in a boat with a group of other people? Journey of 1000 miles I think?

There was a series about a girl and a horse who lived in the Scottish highlands, Jinny & Shantih? I used to love that and was gutted that I didn't read them all!

VivaLeBeaver · 22/12/2010 19:23

I read a book at primary school, so mid 1980s which was set in modern times. It was about a boy why journeyed through a mirror and went back to pirate type times and was a cabin boy on a ship. There were several books in the series. I have asked on MN before and noone has ever been able to help. Its been bugging me for years, so any ideas gratefully received. Smile

ravenAK · 22/12/2010 19:27

Anyone else remember 'Diana Annual 1982' (I think) & a horrible story about evil garden gnomes? Had to tape the pages shut...

Will try abebooks for 'Pauline'!

nickeldonkeybethlehemsinsight · 22/12/2010 19:33

topsmart - yours is Knock andWait by Gwen Grant.
set in north notts. she also wrote Private Keep out.
i loved her as a child.

nickeldonkeybethlehemsinsight · 22/12/2010 19:37

it's not Private keep out!private keep out is the one where they go on a day's holiday to the beach and find the unexploded bomb!knock and wait is the open air hospital in Kent!

crumpet · 22/12/2010 19:42

Tamsin and Rissa and the Pageant was "The SUmemr of the Great Secret"

nickeldonkeybethlehemsinsight · 22/12/2010 20:04

vivalabeaver - yours is the series the Buccaneers by Sheila McCulloch/McCullagh (sp?).
I've got a couple of them at home - there are 8 in the series.
fabulous series, i loved it in juniors.

nickeldonkeybethlehemsinsight · 22/12/2010 20:05

(ps, that means i've helped and therefore have beaten the enitre of MN Xmas Grin )

VivaLeBeaver · 22/12/2010 20:17

Yes, that's it. Well done, I'm so happy. Shame Amazon don't have them in stock, but maybe they'd disappoint me by not being as good as I rememebr them. Oh well.

Honestly I reckon I've started a thread about 3x on MN asking about these books and noone has ever known. Thanks!

PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 22/12/2010 20:18

The book I remember with Tamsin, Rissa and Meryon was The Midnight Horse.

I didn't realise that It was one in a big series. I would have loved to read more about them.

Look at [[http://www.janebadgerbooks this website] I've found. Only pony books, but I'm sure most of us read and loved them at some point!

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