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?

[nickeldaisical]

very good impresssion Dilys

i agree, suburban
there are millions of Terry Pratchetts if he wants to continue down that line (without having to go discworld adults) - Johnny Maxwell series (Johnny andthe Bomb, Johnny andthe Dead, Only you can save Mankind); the Bromeliad trilogy (Truckers, Diggers, Wings); Dodger (which is the new one)

or Philip Reeve, whose Mortal Engines series has been reprinted recently - Mortal Engines, Predator's Gold, ?Infernal Devices, A Darkling Plain.

They've also reprinted all of the Willard Price Adventure books - they're really good :)

[nickeldaisical]

therre are loads of Rumer Godden back in print, if it that one Dianna
here

[Jusfloatingby]

I don't think it was that one Dianna, but it sounds like a lovely book.

[Thewidewideworld]

Suburban - Alex Scarrows Timeriders series is good. My 10-yr-old DD who likes boy books also loves the Percy Jackson books and The Hunger Games trilogy. Also Frozen in Time by Ali Sparkes. She's reading The Falcon's Malteser by Antony Horowitz at the moment - not all of his books are suitable for 10 year olds but this series - The Diamond Brothers - is.

[stealthsquiggle]

Jusfloatingby - your description rings lots of bells, but I can't think what the book was. I really must go and raid stare at some bookshelves in my parents' house...

[WhyTheBigGoldPaws]

I had completely forgotten about The Growing Summer by Noel Streatfield - off to hunt down a copy now as I know DD would love it - have just read her the whole of the Gemma series and The Painted Garden but surprisingly not Ballet Shoes yet. I'm determined to brainwash encourage her to enjoy the books I loved as a kid, we're on The Ghost of Thomas Kempe at the moment which she was worried was going to be scary but seems to be reluctantly enjoying! She's 10 now though and I don't think there will be enough years of me reading to her left to get in all my old favourites :(

I was asking for a particular book in Waterstones the other day and got chatting to the assistant, she was very knowledgeable, turned out she is studying English Lit and writing her dissertation on children's literature. I was both impressed and although when I was at art school I based my final major project on children's book illustration which is almost as good!

[suburbandream]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions for boys' books, I will definitely look into these - I have a sister and grew up reading girly books, so being a laydee I have no idea what boys would like

[perceptionreality]

My mum threw all my Drina Ballerina books away while I was at university and some of them now sell for a lot on ebay. I don't know why they are out of print but Dacey Bussell has now written a new series.

[Sephy]

This thread is making me so nostalgic- how about the Malcolm Savile books- detective stories about the Lone Pine Club. My mum struggled to find them for me as they were out of print mostly when I was young, but she'd lived them as a child. The couple we did have were great

[RustyBear]

The 'one end street' book is actually 'The Family from One End Street' and available from Amazon (if I'm allowed to mention that in front of Nickel) Much better to get it from a proper bookseller if you can, of course...

There was also 'Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street' and 'Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn'. The children were Lily Rose, Kate, Jo, James and John (the twins) Margaret Rose (Peg) and William, the baby.

[CMOTDibbler]

I didn't think anyone else had every read One End Street, though I'm told it was groundbreaking in having a very working class family as the main characters.

Girls Gone By are worth checking for many out of print books. They are run by an utterly lovely couple of ladies, and print runs are short as they can't afford to take risks on remainders. I am very obliged to them for many books

[EssieW]

I have a box full of Noel streatfield, drina and chalet school books. Probably Jill ones and all the Enid blyton ones as well.

I also loved Tottie by rumer godden - can't remember the story though. . Also another one by her called Greengage summer - probably for slightly older readers. I loved that book as a teenage.

Also loved Gobbolino; the witch's cat - guess that is out if print too? I have a copy though.

[DilysPrice]

The first One End St book can be ordered from all good book sellers, the sequels will need to be ordered from Amazon Marketplace or Abe, and will set you back about a tenner incl postage.

[stealthsquiggle]

There are loads of Malcolm Saville books in my parents' house if DB1 hasn't pinched them I loved those books.

[Goatbongosanonynous]

Jusfloatingby that has been tickling my brain... Then suddenly popped into my head while watching tv tonight. Do you mean Five Dolls in a House by Helen Clare?
I loved Malcolm Savile too. He is def on my list for DS when he is old enough.
There were the Cherry books by Will Scott too, e.g. The Cherrys on Zigzag atrial. Saw one on That Website for £600!!!

[niminypiminy]

The Uncle books by JP Martin. Uncle and Uncle Cleans Up were republished a few years ago, but the rest of the series - including the marvellously namely Uncle and the Treacle Trouble are incredibly sought after and expensive. (if you haven't heard of these fantastic books, they are about a millionaire elephant who lives in a castle made up of skyscrapers and wages a constant battle against a crew of baddies headed by a character called Beaver Hateman. Surreal doesnn't really do justice to them.)

[deleted203]

I've got 'Charlotte Sometimes'. Justfloatingby they were 'The Family from One End Street', 'Further Adventures of the Family...' and 'Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn'. I loved them too! (And still have them). Lots of us seem to have loved the same books. I loved Noel Streatfield and 'The Swish of the Curtain' books. Loved the Sadlers Wells stories. Also the 'Jill' books and the Gemma stories. Also have all the Beverley Nichols. I really liked the Antonia Forest 'Cricket Term' 'End of Term' etc - and the one I'm missing is 'Peter's Room' which I never got to read as a child. Cheapest I have found it is about £60 (gulp). I am so fortunate that my mother never threw any books out and I still have (and re-read) all my childhood books. It's the ones you loved from the library that I keep trying to track down! Lots of these books are still in print but try abebooks.co.uk for second hand/out of print books.

[deleted203]

Oops, missed a page, somehow! Justfloating I think it sounds like 'Five Dolls in a House' by Helen Clare. The dolls were Vanessa, Amanda, Lupin, Jane and Jacqueline - and they had a monkey that lived on the roof and was naughty. The little girl that owned the dolls house used to shrink and go and call on them, saying she was their landlady. Does that sound like it?

I loved Malcolm Saville's Lone Pine series, not keen on the other ones as much. Joan Aiken anyone? Loved the Wolves of Willoughby Chase series particularly. And 'Midnight is a Place'.

[EugenesAxe]

I second or third Whatamess.

For me it HAS to be the Ladybird Talkabout books, and Garden Gang books. Doing fairly well out of second hand stalls, and the fact my DM and DMIL still have all the ones DH and I had as children.

Several picture Puffins: Leo The Late Bloomer. The Wind Blew. The Chick & The Duckling. All still at M&Ds house but would be nice to have a copy here. Rosie's Walk is fucking boring compared to the Wind Blew; both Pat Hutchins. I don't understand.

[AnotherCerealNameChanger]

Bottersnikes and Gumbles

[AnotherCerealNameChanger]

Oh and all the Joan Aitken, Alan garner, Susan cooper, the tree that nvere sat down trilogy.

Also I have the original tottie book, one end street books and for the fans of Thomas kempe dont forget the revenge of Samuel Stokes!

[deleted203]

Oh yes! Susan Cooper and Alan Garner for definite! And Narnia. And Diana Wynne Jones and The Children of Green Knowe. I could go on for ever, sigh....Bagthorpes, anyone?

Also, am I the only one who, when very stressed, can retreat with a quarter of sweeties and happily re-read these books? I'm nine again, la, la, la, and I don't have bills/mortgage/housework/teenage kids/ to think about.

[DilysPrice]

The majority of Cooper, Garner and Aiken's books are still in print and freely available to order from bookshops or A**n.

Tree That Sat Down will need to be bought secondhand though - a tenner if you're lucky.

[BardOfBarking]

'The seven times search' I ache for this book.

[steppemum]

Dianne 2000

was it : Five Dolls in a House? I have it upstairs, my dds are not inerested