Look what's NOT back in print...

[forgottoremember]

I'm feeling v frustrated that so many books I loved in childhood AREN'T in print, and are only available for insane amounts of money second hand.

For eg
Tilly's House
books by Gunilla Wolde (Thomas bakes a cake etc. etc.)
Benjamin and Tulip

Why is this? Why aren't they republished?

What are your other longed-for books, that can't be got without (not quite) a second mortgage?

[deleted203]

Was it Anthony? Gosh...that makes even more sense as to how disappointed we were about the willy . We'd all loved him best in Brideshead.

[wearymum200]

I also remember being freaked out by the post apocalyptic ones (another grown up in the eighties child here).
On my current wishlist for republishing are Ronald Welch's historical novels. Ds1 loves the ones I have managed to get my mitts on (our local charity shops are fab), but most are £70 plus. Some are in the library ,but a good number are not.
Girls gone by is a good source for old books, also Fidra books republishes some oldies.
What we really need is for all these old favourites to be available as "print on demand"

[Colyngbourne]

It was Anthony Andrews in "Z for Zachariah", not Jeremy Irons. I think those early Eighties years were full of nuclear terror - Threads and the like - it felt quite appropriate at the time.

Puffin Plus were good in a time when YA fiction was beginning to find a voice of its own.

[comeonbishbosh]

I am one of the lucky ones with hoarder parents. When mum finally moved last year my sister got her mitts on a good amount of furniture and the 'Christmas Crockery' (yeah, whatever) but I Do NotCare because I got custody of 'The Pirates under the Deep Green Sea' by Eric Linclater which was my absolute favourite book for ages. Fantastic adventure story with a beautiful inked map in the covers. I shall at some point also be smuggling out BB's 'Little Green Men' and 'Down the Bright Stream'.

For Ant and Bee fans I have news! Was randomly given one (the tainbow) for DD by an American friend. Maybe they are still in print there? It appeared to be brand new.

[Stiffybyng]

I adore the Bagthorpes. I must get my missing ones from Amazon. I have a feeling I actually own that last one but I may be wrong. DSS got the unabridged audio version of Bagthorpes V the World from the library at the weekend and I am eyeing it covetously.

I cannot believe anyone would tamper with the ending of Charlotte Sometimes and I am rather horrified that I've been recommending it to adult friends, and buying it for them, in such an altered state.

[Aethelfleda]

Ooh, post apocylyptic whotsit! children of the Dust by Louise Lawrence was a heebie jeebie inducing read. Also A Rag A Bone and a Hank Of hair by ? Nicolas Fisk, was it? I think it was one of the "puffin Plus" Teen series.

[deleted203]

Brother in the Land! And Z for Zachariah! If you grew up in the early 80s they force fed you post nuclear war literature left, right and centre I seem to remember.

We read Z for Zachariah at school and then watched a film of it which starred Jeremy Irons, which I chiefly remember because he jumped into a stream at one point and it was the first ever willy we'd all seen, aged about 13. And it was very disappointingly small.........(although to be fair, Jeremy, it was probably very cold in that stream). I'll throw you another one, folks. Anyone remember 'A Quest for Orion'?

I am hugely fortunate that my parents kept everything, and I've just eaten a Walnut Whip and finished reading Milly Molly Mandy to DS2 (7), who is loving it. The book was my mother's when she was a little girl, and then ours, and now all the DCs have been through it. I LOVE the original books we've got.

And yes, I've read the Bagthorpes' as an adult and hugely enjoyed them still. Please tell me I'm not the only person who reads my favourite kids books again and again.......

[MorrisZapp]

The Worst Kids in the World! That was my first Amazon purchase! Was so thrilled to find it.

I remember exact lines from it, like the kid who said his dad hangs about the house in his underwear.

Such a funny and touching book. The bit where Imogene Herdman (dressed as Mary) cries at the end of the nativity play absolutely kills me.

[TunipTheHollowVegemalLantern]

Yes, Brother In The Land was terrifying. It was one of the few books I wished I hadn't read.

[Aethelfleda]

Ooh so many cool books! CharlOtte sometomes is fab.

I have a 1960s two book set called The Swing in The Summerhouse amd the Diamond At the Window (at least I hope I do, in the attic! ) they were great concepts.

And does anyone remember StarStormers about a group of children who built their own working spaceship out of junk and then went on a series of adventures?!?!

[Matsikula]

Just looking through this thread is making me feel misty eyed. I don't have any of my childhood or young teen books (except a copy of Voyage of the Dawn Treader I used all manner of devious methods to get my Mum to buy). All my books came from the library. Can't blame my parents for this, we were a big family and I was a seriously voracious reader.

The ones I remember loving which are mentioned here are the Saddlers Wells ones, the Four Storey Mistake and the Saturday Club, Charlotte Sometimes, Felicia the Critic, the Family from One End Street, and also the Trebizon books. I would love love love to own some of these, but I don't have any girls (or shelf space) so I am not sure I can justify it. Maybe a little Christmas present to myself.

One book I definitely wouldn't buy is Brother in the Land by Robert Swindell. It was set in the aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse. It kept me awake at night for weeks afterwards. Even googling the plot synopsis just now made me shudder. anyone remember it, and was it that scary or was I just a freak?

[Napsalot]

I too have searched for What A Mess in the past -I feel like I have found kindred spirits seeing that others also miss it!

I think of it a lot as I clear up all the darn toys and mutter whatamess

[HumphreyCobbler]

Have any of you read the Bagthorpe Saga as an adult? Just HILARIOUS. So much I didn't get as a child.

[bialystockandbloom]

Oooh I loved Ant and Bee! Remember vividly the one about the chalk (red and white). Wasn't Ant always getting one over on Bee? I'd love to know if you can get hold of any now.

[fraktion]

Oh and for much smaller children but dies anyone know whether Ant and Bee (who lived in a Cup) are still in print?

[fraktion]

I used to love the Jinny books - a devil to ride?

I have a complete set of Chalet School, some in double

I would love to get all the Antonia Forest books - I only have Autumn term.

nickel I need to talk to you, I think!

[TunipTheHollowVegemalLantern]

I was flicking through Felicia The Critic the other day, wondering if dd's reading was up to it yet because she keeps criticising everything and would benefit from the moral lesson.
It's a v funny book.

Anyone remember The Worst Kids In The World?

[deleted203]

Morris They are Paul Zindel....I loved Mary Mary (and it was my childhood nickname!). The Diddakoi was Rumer Godden and I liked that too.


BloodyBridget Nooooooo! I LOVED Guy best of all! He was sort of Mills and Boony domineering male which really appealed to me aged 12 ish. (And he does grow up to be kind, patient and calmly male).

[Viviennemary]

I used to like a series of books about John and Mary By Grace James. They were very old even when I was a child so I expect hardly anybody will remember them.

[Allalonenow]

Oh yes! Sebastian was lovely, but my favourite was Marcus from Eagle of the Ninth!

[MorrisZapp]

Amazing thread! I had almost all of these, although I never did the Ballet Shoes thing. I'll fling out some more titles, see what sticks:

My Friend Mr Leaky

Felicia the Critic

King of the Barbareens

The Diddakoi

The Saturdays (same kids as Four Storey Mistake)

Private, Keep Out

Mary Mary

That Crazy April

Pardon Me, You're Stepping on my Eyeball (whole lot of these by Paul Z...?)

The Christmas Bower

[Bloodybridget]

I have spent a small fortune trying to collect childhood favourites; have a complete set of Ruby Ferguson's Jill books, which I still like a lot for their humour and lack of sexism, but I have to say the Lorna Hill books I once adored are truly dreadful on the whole, especially those featuring Guy Mannering who is a patriarchal, domineering pain in the butt (however, reading them in inner London in the 60's did make me long to visit Northumberland, and when I did it was even more wonderful than I'd imagined).
Can't understand why Girls Gone By have not reprinted all Antonia Forest's novels, and kept them in print. Am still short of 3 and would have to shell out about £100 for each.

[deleted203]

Loved Sebastian too! I think I have all of the 'Sadlers Wells' books, but they deteriorated slightly (IMO) as they went on. I really liked the first ones best. Also loved the 'Dancer' ones better, starting with 'Dancing Peel'.

[Jusfloatingby]

I've just reread A Dream of Sadlers Wells which I bought on Amazon. I really enjoyed it but had forgotten there was so much about horseriding in it.
Sebastian really was lovely wasn't he .

[deleted203]

OMG nickname! I haven't read that one either.

BUT.....I just found Bottersnikes and Gumbles upstairs in a box and I'm going to re-read it!

(Maddy Alone was a bit disappointing, TBH).