Obscure children's books that you used to love

[LadyPlumpington]

Mine is 'The Island of the Skog' by Steven Kellogg. The DC love it too :)

What are your old obscure favourites?

Mrs Pepperpot I remember and the Afghan hound one (we had an Afghan as DC).

also the Bullerby (Bellerby Children) tales very hard to get hold of now I think and Josephine by Maria Gripe. both Swedish

Did anyone read the Aurora series, Aurora and The Little Blue Car and Hallo Aurora! Little girl with baby brother called Socrates living in an apartment block in Norway, dad stays at home to look after them (and do a doctorate in Ancient History), mum is a lawyer? I loved them because my dad also looked after us and the pictures looked like my mum.

Also did anyone read Matthew's Secret Surprises and Where Matthew Lives? I found it charming for the chapters about everyday things like cleaning the windows, playing with play dough etc. Re-reading it to the kids, I had forgotten the bit where Daddy comes downstairs with a gun because he thinks Matthew is a burglar - bit scary for a four year old!

I am getting over invested in this thread I think! I keep thinking of books I want to share and see if anyone else read them.

A Street of Little Shops by Margery Bianco was one of my favourites. I remember the baker's daughter who took a cake from the shop window to a party only to find it was a display cake and under the icing it was just cardboard. Sadly I've lost the book now and it costs a fortune on amazon.

The Fuzzy Wozzy What Was He!

I read Mary Plain! 'Mary Plain Home Again'. Loved them.
What was the book where a girl called Elizabeth Small said her name and became small enough to go into her doll's house? I was always wary of dolls houses after reading that.

I forgot about Susan Interferes! I remember the Gascoignes and the stuff at the end about the rubbish food at their mega posh and expensive hotel. I read it when I was on holiday in the Italian Alps at the age of 12.

Oh Dancergirl that is another one I have been looking for! If it is the same one it is a Cinderella type tale of a girl living with evil stepsisters who make her go and find strawberries in January, violets in ...whenever violets are not around...Rather than saying "piss off you delusional sadists" she wanders around in the wood and finds the months of the year having a meeting and they make the appropriate month for her and she skips off back to the unappreciative sisters with a basket of violets/ strawberries/ apples/ whatever

laura I think that's the one, that definitely rings bells! But what was the title?? I've tried googling Violets in the Snow and Strawberries in the Snow but it doesn't seem to be either of those.

Anyone any ideas please?

Not Now Bernard - my 9 year old has a copy and we still love it. ^^ also to King of the Copper Mountain, Green Smoke, and Greengage Summer. We also had the Mary Plain books and WhatAMess (loved those ones in particular). Did/does anyone remember the Jennings series? They were ostensibly my brother's books, but my sister and I were always pilfering them off him.

Yes to the Growing Summer - I loved that book

Yes to the Land of Far Beyond - carrying their burdens is seared on my memory

Did any one read "the Far side of the mountain" about a boy who runs away and lives in a tree in some American mountain range, killing deer and tanning the hides. It was set in relatively modern times and fascinated me with the alternativeness.

I have just skimmed this (wonderful) thread.

Has anyone mentioned/remember reading 'The Hunting of Wilberforce Pike'?

I has on a hillwalk yesterday & on the edge of a drop I suddenly remembered all the cats ganging up on Wilberforce Pike, on Striding Edge (I think). Ring bells for anyone?

Yes I read The Far Side of the Mountain! Not very believable (especially the snowstorm section where he is trapped in the tree for days - how did he go to the loo??) but lovely to fantasise about.

The girl turning into a bear was Ursula bear books.

I prefer the non-Susan stories by Jane Shaw. Breton adventure is very funny. Susan is a little too interfering for me.

A really obscure ones I have from my Gran's house. Winning her way which is basically Daisy Pulls it off written in all seriousness, school prise about 1914.
Another one I have is called Bluebell, which is one of the typical poor child adored by everyone who comes across her. Adopted by rich parents because so adorable. Of course turns out child was stolen by gypsies and really does belong to rich parents in some way another.
But child is too saintly to live so promptly dies. Cheerful eh?

Another Irish one was Wildflower Girl and the sequels - about the Irish potato famine, orphaned children travelling to catch a boat to emigrate, having to bleed a cow for food and all sorts. My mum wanted make sure that I stayed in touch with my roots! The later ones followed the children working in the US a skivvies in the big houses.

The Uncle books by J.P. Martin. Brilliantly subversive and written by a vicar in the 1960s.

You're supposed to like Uncle but as I grew up I realised that in reality he's a peevish snob and autocrat. His arch enemy, Beaver Hateman, and his family are a great deal of fun.

It could be that private

OMG I've found it!!!!

It's called Little Sister and the Month Brothers:

www.goodreads.com/book/show/2610731-little-sister-and-the-month-brothers

Love, love love MN! Thank you

I want to buy a copy now.

Anyone else read the adventure books by John Putney. Monday Adventure, Tuesday adventure etc. And Winter Adventure, Spring Adventure etc.

Ice on the Lawn by Jill Stevens.

The Fortunes of Jacky by Katherine L. Oldmeadow.

I remember enjoying the Jennings books, the Bobbsey Twins books and Mrs Pepperpot too. Many of the others mentioned were, ahem, after my time.

Tim The Traveller by Dulcima Glasby.

It's about a cat that gets sent away to the country from his home in London and treks home to find his family.

It was published in 1942 and is actually about child evacuees but I didn't get that when I first read it at about seven because it doesn't mention the war.

It talks about bangs and houses and people mysteriously disappearing and the howl of the Great Ghost Cat which is a cat's eye view of air raids.

A very old fashioned book called 'the tree that sat down', by beverly nichols. Haven't re read it as an adult but i was enchanted by it.