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?

[Jusfloatingby]

Re my query on the dolls house book: Yes, it was definitely Five Dolls in A House. Thanks for that.
I have to say, I'm loving this thread. I didn't realise so many other people would remember the same books as I do.

[Jusfloatingby]

By the way, I am so jealous of people whose parents kept all of their childhood books. I found some of mine up in the attic but an awful lot got given away as my mother was fed up of books all over the house - and in fairness when I was in my twenties I didn't really envisage a time when I would feel nostalgic about children's books. I have held onto a few Noel Streatfeilds and found some of the Wells books, a Drina book, a Jill book, a couple of Enid Blyton's and some Bobbsey Twin books (remember them) in mum's attic recently. Also a very battered copy of Little Women. But there are loads of other books I wish I'd held onto.

[stealthsquiggle]

My parents kept all our books, but the problem is that with 3 of us, there is no real way of saying who any given book belonged to (there are exceptions, given that I was the only girl) so in an attempt to stop DB1 just taking them all they have decreed that they all stay there and can be read by visiting GC..

[deleted203]

Five Dolls in a House on Amazon for £2.28....

[sprout]

Oh, so many great memories! Can anyone remember a book set in Old Testament times, basically retelling the story of sisters Rachel and Leah? I can visualise it now in our local library... possibly "teen/young adult" section. I could have sworn blind it was called "I am Rachel" - but neither Google or Amazon have turned up anything and I'm starting to think I've misremembered it. I think I read it around the same time as "Up a Road Slowly", "My darling villain" and "See you Thursday", if that helps place it at all.

[nickeldaisical]

yes, i do.
i shouls imagine they're waaaaay out of print now.
couldn't tell you the author.

[deleted203]

I don't know your Rachel/Leah books, I'm afraid, sprout. 'See you Thursday' was by Jean Ure, and I remember reading that.

I'm massively excited today because 'Maddy Alone' arrived from Amazon! I've still got 'The Swish of the Curtain' but Maddy alone was one I borrowed from the library and only read once, about 35 years ago.

[reshetima]

sprout have you tried to see if this is a Lynne Reid Banks book (bearing in mind 'My Darling Villain', which I loved as a teenager BTW)? I know she wrote 'Sarah and after', which is about another of the biblical matriarchs - www.goodreads.com/book/show/613406.Sarah_and_after

[thaliablogs]

I'm so with all of you. I have been collecting my favourite children's books since I was a young adult, so via a combo of never selling or giving away anything, and buying the ones |I had always borrowed from the library (masha/the youngest lady in waiting) I've got a lot of the age 8 and up, (esp streatfield/forest/wynne jones/aiken/storr/farmer) but less good on the little kids ones.

By the way, did anyone know http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Sometimes_%28novel%29 charlotte sometimes was the third in a series of books about the makepeace sisters? Just found out while googling for this thread. Also that there was a version where charlotte does not get the package from Emily, which surely must ruin the end of the book?

[thaliablogs]

with link corrected http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Sometimes_%28novel%29 charlotte sometimes

[thaliablogs]

charlotte sometimes third time lucky?

[sprout]

Thanks, thaliablogs. My sister also remembered it (as "My name is Rachel") but wondered if if was Lynne Reid Banks. No luck so far, but maybe reading "Sarah and after" will trigger that middle-aged memory of mine a bit more!

[Colyngbourne]

The old Jean Ure's were really good - she lowered her target age after the 90's, I think; but See You Thursday, After Thursday, If It Weren't For Sebastian, A Proper Little Nooryeff, the Plague 99 trilogy, are really her best work. They're on my shelves still right now/

[NicknameTaken]

I used to love Helen Cresswell's Bagthorpe Saga. The earlier books in the series are easy and cheap to get, but the last book in the series, which I still haven't read, is on sale on Amazon for £197.93!!!!

[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).

[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]

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'.

[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.

[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

[Allalonenow]

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

[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.

[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).

[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?

[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!

[fraktion]

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