*NOW CLOSED* What's your favourite bedtime story of all time? Do tell (and you could win a bundle of children's books worth £100) *NOW CLOSED*

[JaneMumsnet]

Hello,

This October, we'll be publishing The Book of Bedtime Stories by Mumsnet and Gransnet - a collection of ten brilliant original bedtime stories written by the winners of our bedtime stories competition with Walker Books. Watch this space - from over 400 entries, former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen selected the ten winners, and the stories are beautifully illustrated by up-and-coming artists.

To launch the book, we'll be taking a nostalgic look at bedtime stories, and we'd love to know: what's your favourite bedtime story of all time?

Maybe it's one that you read were read as a child, and now read to your children? A magical picture book for babies and toddlers or a page turner under the covers, for older kids? Take a look at our children's book reviews if you need your memory jogged.

We'd love to hear what you think, so if you have a second, please tell us your:

• favourite book for under 5s (babies to 4 year olds)
  
• favourite book for 5-8 year olds
  
• favourite book for 8-11 year olds
  
• overall favourite bedtime story of all time?
  

All posters who tell us about their favourite books on this thread will be entered into a prize draw - one MNer will win a bundle of children's books worth £100.

Many thanks,

MNHQ

[missorinoco]

Under fives - One Ted Fell Out of Bed.
5-8 - I loved The Faraway Tree and The Famous Five.
8-11 - Very hard to say. I loved books - Trebizon, the Hardy Boys, the Anne of Green Gables series, Laura Inglass Wilder's Little House on the Prarie Series.

[mynameisnotmichaelcaine]

• favourite book for under 5s (babies to 4 year olds)
  

My favourite bedtime book for tiny ones is The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton. Fabulous pictures, and slightly bonkers prose.

• favourite book for 5-8 year olds
  

The Wishing Chair series, the Faraway Tree series and, for the older end of the age range, Mr Gum.

• favourite book for 8-11 year olds
  

Harry Potter, Tom's Midnight Garden.

• overall favourite bedtime story of all time?
  

It has to be The Going to Bed Book. It still comes out when someone's poorly or upset, and my kids are 9 and 7!

[Rockinhippy]

Princess Smarty Pants :)

[sharond101]

My 1 yo DS's favourite is his "I love my Daddy because..." book.

[Theincidental]

Can only currently relate to my under 5. His favourite bedtime story is The Cat in the Hat. It's the rhythms he loves.

My favourite bedtime story as an under 10 (ish) was a penguin collection of children's poetry. I loved hillaire beloc, Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, t.s. Eliot.

Still love poetry now. Soothing, imaginative and generally blissful!

[Punkatheart]

It was always Kipling for me, no matter what age. Particularly the Just So Stories. The Cat Who Walked Alone - so lovely.

[Lovescourgettes]

Under fives I completely love The Tiger Who came to Tea
Five to eight anything Finn Family Moomintroll
Eight to eleven Skellig by David Almond
Best overall Finn Family Moomintroll
The only books I never ever tire of reading over and over again!

[skyeskyeskye]

• favourite book for under 5s (babies to 4 year olds)
  

I used to read DD a story every night and she loved The Gruffalo. When she younger I used to read The Gingerbread Man to her and also lots of nursery rhymes and the Spot books.

• favourite book for 5-8 year olds
  

Now she is 5, she still loves The Gruffalo and also Room on The Broom. I have started reading bits of longer stories to her too and she loves Gobbolino the Witches Cat. She also loves listening to her CD of the Spot stories.

• favourite book for 8-11 year olds
  

As she grows up, I hope that she will enjoy the Enid Blyton stories, The Faraway Tree and the Wishing Chair, etc

• overall favourite bedtime story of all time?
  

I think so far, the favourite bedtime story of all time, is The Gruffalo.

[AndHarry]

Under 5's: Captain Pugwash. It's DS' favourite book ATM and one I don't mind re-reading yet.

5-8: Five on Finnistone Farm. It's the first bedtime story I remember my parents reading to me and my brother and I know I loved it.

8-11: Artemis Fowl. The baddie wins for once, hoorah!

All-time favourite: Probably The Hobbit. When I was 10 my teacher read a chapter a day to the class. We were absolutely spellbound.

[Legoheadnat]

The oldies are the best,

The Giant Jam Sandwich(read to me when I was little in the 70's)
The Tiger who came to tea
The Hungry Caterpillar
The Gruffalo

[joanofarchitrave]

• favourite book for under 5s (babies to 4 year olds) - The Fierce Bad Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
  

• favourite book for 5-8 year olds - You're a Bad Man Mr Gum by Andy Stanton
  

• favourite book for 8-11 year olds - More than a Few by Joan Aiken
  

• overall favourite bedtime story of all time? - The Butterfly that Stamped by Rudyard Kipling

[muddledsheep]

Under 5's - a difficult choice between each peach pear plum, room on the broom and the tiger who came too tea...my 3 year old loves them all :)

[muddledsheep]

Oops, the tiger who came to tea!

[FidgetPie]

Under 5s - Peepo (my mum read it to my little brother and now I read it to DD)
5-8 - Teddy Robinson (my dad read this to me and now we read it to DD)

Over 8s - anything, rather than books you repeat again and again

Overall - Brambly Hedge books - they are lovely and calming and all end 'and all the mice were fast asleep' or words to that effect - as an adult I still read them if I am struggling to sleep

[Patilla]

My favourite story for all those ages is 'You Are Special'by Max Lucado. A beautiful message to send your children to sleep with'

[belleandsebastian]

under 5....the snail and the whale
5-8 .... the gruffalo
over 8 ... storm (forgot the author)

fave overall has to be the snail and the whale

[Sarahplane]

Under 5s No Matter What, we're going on a bear hunt, where the wild things are, Dogger.

5-8s The jolly postman, Magic faraway tree, BFG, Charlie and the chocolate factory.

8-11s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Overall favourites are No Matter What and Dogger

[Sconset]

Under 5s - Peepo, without a doubt, Dogger a close second. I always seem to get something in my eye whenever reading either of them aloud.

5-8s - Pippi Longstocking - such lovely, madcap adventures

8-11s- Harry Potter- so much suspense, and fantastic storytelling

Favourite from my childhood- Mary Plain, but I don't think you can get these anywhere now!

[lagoonhaze]

The tiger that came to tea every time!

[firawla]

under 5s, thomas the tank engine collection
over 5s, magic faraway tree

[RedlipsAndSlippers]

For every category it's Giraffes can't Dance. Love that book, to the point were DD occasionally has to prod me for something different. After that its The Tiger Who Came To Tea.

[VeryDullNameChange]

Loads, but some of my very favourites are a bit less well known.

Under 5s - Naughty Bus by Jan Oke. A picture book with photos that doesn't look like anything else
Age 5-8 - Bottersnikes and Gumbles by SA Wakefield. Australian classic that's been out of print for years
Age 9-11- Ballet Shoes, I can recite whole chunks of it

Overall - The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas. Read it to DS god knows how many times and the scene with the rhinoceros cracks me up every single time.

[Spirael]

My DD is only just 3 and the bedtime stories she likes are: Dinosaurs Love Underpaints, Pirates Love Underpants, Gruffalo/Gruffalo's Child, The Hungry Caterpillar and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.

When she gets a bit older, the ones I'm planning to share with her from my childhood are: Meg and Mog, The Worst Witch, The Magic Faraway Tree, Roald Dahl, Narnia, Harry Potter, Magnus Powermouse, My Naughty Little Sister and The Railway Children.

There are probably others I've forgotten that will suddenly come to me later!

[chocolatecheesecake]

DD is 3 and her favourites include Dogger, Peace at Last and Peter Rabbit. Currently it's Chu's Day which is about a little panda who is always on the verge of sneezing - but bad things happen when he does. Cue lots of "a a a aaaaa.....no" or "a a a aaaa CHU" coming out of DD's room as she chats herself to sleep!

[SolomanDaisy]

2 year-old DS really loves Michael Rosen books, Bear Hunt, Happy Harry's Cafe and Our House in particular. He also likes the 'How Does a Dinousar' series, particularly at bedtime. And the Gruffalo and Tiger Who Came to Tea. We both know the words to all of those.