Books you loved as a child and hope your children will love too.

[TheCortanaThatStoleChristmas]

Inspired by another thread.

I remember buying Dogger don't laugh at the title it's a lovely book! and All In One Piece before DS was born as I wanted to pass on the joy these books brought me.

He has recently read The Hobbit; Swallows and Amazons; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; Treasure Island and Charlotte's Web. Books that made my childhood.

I hope he will soon find and enjoy the LOTR books, Hitchhikers Guide, Little Women, and Goodnight Mr Tom.

I feel real excitement at the thought of my DS reading lovely books and enjoying them the way I did. Got me wondering what I might have missed though, are there other books that are wonderful for children and deserve to go on a "Books Every Child Should Read" list?

What were your favorite childhood books, and will you buy/pass them on for your children?

dementedma Mary Plain - oh yes! I loved 'the unusual first-class bear from the bear-pits at Berne'. Mary-writing, 'svisiting', 'cream buns', and the 'pomes' - very funny!

Bringing back lots of memories, loved lots of those already mentioned. Read Over Sea, Under Stone but didn't get on with the second book. Also the ones I read over and over were The Little Gymnast and all the Judy Blumes (I bought Forever a few years ago as I wasn't allowed it as a girl and read it in one day!)

oh and Paddington Bear and Narnia. DD has read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe but doesn't want to read the others. She's currently reading one of the Little House on the Prairie books lent to me by a friend. I've never read them though

Just looked on Amazon and found St Clare's books by Enid Blyton (couldn't remember the name) - loved these and Famous Five

Glad I'm not the only one who loved Emil and the Detectives! I'm still wary of falling asleep on trains (just in case an evil man nicks the notes I've pinned inside my jacket pocket...)

Marking my place :-)

This thread is great. I loved The Bagthorpes, and had forgotten about When Marnie Was There and Playing Beattie Bow.

There was a book that I really loved as a child about a girl who went to live in a caravan on her own. It was a hot summer. Perhaps she'd run away from her parents? I remember a bit where she bough a bottle of orange squash. I really can't remember anything else about it but someone here might remember [hopeful]...

Already shared and loved with dd:

Ballet Shoes
Phantom Tollbooth
Beezus and Ramona
Little House on the Prairie
The Little Princess
Wolves of Willoughby Chase
The Borrowers
Malory Towers
Famous Five
Professor Branestawm
Asterix

I am really looking forward to:

The Dark Is Rising (she's too young, I think)
Alan Garner esp. The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (see above)
The Railway Children
The Four Story Mistake
Anne of Green Gables
Little Women
Ballet Shoes for Anna
Secret Garden
The Ogre Downstairs
Charlotte Sometimes
What Katy Did
The Tripods (perhaps when she's older)

DollySisters, any of these any good to you? No 26 has a bookseller's photo, sometimes helpful... I remember a Richard Scarry book we had with a pig who went to market to buy gloves as a present for someone, but when asked what size he needed, replied: "MY size, if you please!" We loved that book, would like to have it again if anyone remembers that part?

I also loved Mary Poppins books and Bobby Brewster, thanks to the poster who mentioned him (bonkers stuff, but so-o entertaining)

McPheast we also have Tootles The Taxi (and tons of Ladybirds I've collected), my favourites are Archie The Ambulance - love the nurses' uniforms - and Minnie The Milk Float

The tiger tha t came to tea

Ooo swallows and amazons defo.

Am dying or my girls to be pad enough for Mallory Towers and Twins at St Claire's.

Am desperately trying to remember a book I read with a dragon in it - I looked at Green Smoke on Amazon and don't think it was that. I just remember there being some ovens in it and the dragons cooking the things in them? bizarre the bits you remember

My children loved the Ant and Bee books.

Glad there are other Mary plain readers out there. leonie I love your name.These old shades and Devils cub ........

mulranno,
I remember reading "Across the Baracades", I think it was the first of a series of 3 books.

It explained the "Troubles" to me in a very accessible way as a 12 year old. The books were still in print a few years ago.

Anything by Rumer Godden, especially the one about Totty in the Dols House.

BadJelly the witch by Spike Milligan - we used to cry with laughter at Dullboot the giant.

And John Mouse by Roger Hargreaves - sadly out of print now.

Thanks, stabby. I may see about one for dd2's birthday.

Only one mention of Rosemary Sutcliffe? Superb historical novels; I still re-read mine (and I'm grandma age )

TH White, The Sword in the Stone. A unique take on the Arthurian legend. And his 'Mistress Masham's Repose' (I think its called) - Lilliputian's abandoned by Gulliver in the English countryside.

The wolves of Willoughby Chase

A little princess

The little wooden horse

Gobblino

Willard Price Adventure books

All Enid Blyton except famous five and secret seven. They annoyed me!

Judy Blume novels especially Blubber and Sally J. Friedmann

I'm not religious but I loved children's bibles too. Chock full of great and shocking stories.

Laura Ingalls Wilder too. LOVED that series.

( Somewhat off thread, sorry, but dollybird I notice I have chosen a username similar to yours. Would you like me to change it when I lose my Christmas name? Please say if you want me to. I have only been here a month or so and do not mind. )