Share your FAVOURITE CHILDREN'S BOOK for a chance to win £100 to spend at Wordery

[UrsulaMumsnet]

The books you love as a child stay with you forever, they live inside your imagination and shape the way you see the world. There's nothing quite like sharing these stories with a new generation. Watching as their imaginations are captured by the very same tales of giants, magical lands and adventures that once enthralled us.

That's why this year we want to put together the ultimate children's reading list; the comprehensive guide to stories you think no child should grow up without. We'd like you to share your favourites, old or new, and tell us all the reasons why you think they deserve a place on this list.

We'll take the recommendations from this thread and scour the boards for more, to create the ultimate list of children's books. Then we'll put it to vote in attempt to find the best children's book ever written. Because well, who doesn't love a poll?

So, tell us why you think the books you love should make the list, and you'll be entered into a prize draw to win £100 to spend at online book retailer Wordery

[jaizko]

My favourite to read to my children was Puck's Peculiar Pet Shop by Dean Walley. I'm disappointed that it didn't become more popular but that's maybe not so surprising when it's actually a tongue-twisting story.

e.g. "Then, how about a Twisted Tretzel? The Tretzel's twisted like a pretzel. His wrists'll twist. His whiskers twister. He lives on wisps of twisted crispers. Forget all pets like Yatz and Gletzels. Your best bet's to get a Tretzel!"

It's certainly a very memorable book although not necessarily an easily pronounceable story. I did happen to be very good at reading though.

[BoxofSnails]

My childhood favourites included a book called or about Maisie Middleton - long before the other Maisy became popular - who 'yawned, stretched and jumped out of bed' - I can still recall the cadence of my father's voice reading it.

I loved the Swallow's and Amazon's series, and Robert Jarvis's Deptford Mice trilogy as an older child.

Reading to my daughter, we both have a love for all things Julia Donaldson and Oliver Jeffers. If I had to choose favourites they'd be Tyrannosaurus Drip and Lost and Found.

[Provencalroseparadox]

On the picture book front:

The Runaway Dinner
The Night Pirates
Tiddler

[Biffo99]

I really loved the Mrs Pepperpot series of books by Norwegian Alf Prøysen. They were so funny and imagative and are still produced today. Highly recommend these set of books :)

[arewethereyet55]

These books are treasured in my memory:
The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively, Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce, When We Were Very Young by AA Milne. I must mention the timeless classics BFG amd Matilda by Roald Dahl. When i was a young teenager the Judy Blume books were a favorite especially Forever and Are You There God? It's Me Margeret.
For my DH it was Kes by Barry Hines and I've recently read it and loved it.

[TenWineBottles]

My favourite was/is Anne of Green Gables, i was so excited to introduce DD1 to it when she was around 8, she loves it too :)

[houseHuntinginmanchester]

My two dd's have both adored 'Tatty Ratty' by Helen Cooper. Dd1 (7) was very attached to her beloved stuffed cat; it was the love of her life and had been given to dd as a gift by a visiting relative. Until one fateful day, on a trip out with dh's brother, she dropped Cat somewhere in all the excitement and nobody realised till she got home..I never did find it again, and I searched in every single shop, physical and online for months.
'Tatty Ratty' is about a little girl who loses her beloved rabbit, and the story deals so beautifully and with sensitive imagination with the emotions and moments that a child will have after losing a beloved toy they are attached to.The book has stunning illustrations and a very soothing effect (I've also read it to my reception class in the past and almost had them nodding off , gold dust I tell you) and even now dd1 drops everything and listens in when I read it to dd2. (3).
Helen Cooper, we love you.

[scrapaddict]

My favourite was always Enid Blyton's The Faraway Tree. I loved the saucepan man and the sense of adventure when you climbed the tree.
Also loved Mallory Towers though I ws very pleased I never went to boardung school! My childhood reading was dominated by Enid Blyton books and by comics such as Girl and School Friend.
Glad that my grandchildren's reading habits are much better and with a wider remit though I do wonder about the amount of fantasy they read these days whilst recognising that my choice was also a fantasy!!

[leccybill]

Goodnight Mister Tom is my favourite book from childhood. I really do think every child should read it. I've re read it many times and love it, taught me so much.

[scrivette]

My absolutely favourite book from the age of 9 onwards is 'A Little Princess' by Francis Hodgson Burnett. I still remember the first time I read it, snuggled up on the sofa and how I didn't want it to end.

As a younger child I loved Shirley Hughes 'Dogger' and I enjoy reading it to DS1 (even though it makes me cry every single time!)

[GraceKellysLeftArm]

"The Worst Witch" by Jill Murphy. I loved it 35 years ago and my DC's love it now. I was always more Maud than Mildred. :)

[LollipopViolet]

So many, a few that have been mentioned but my absolute favourites were The Worst Witch series, and The Mennyms.

The Mennyms was so popular at my primary school there was a waiting list for it in our school library. I loved the idea of these rag dolls that live this completely secret life, and go about their business in the real world, without people realising what they truly are. I loved some of the situations that arose, and as a 9 year old it was my first glimpse into the world of adults, but in a way that I could still access and understand.

I ended up with the whole series of books, and now I really want to dig them out and read them again!

[SerenityReynolds]

My favourite story growing up was "The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark". I loved the way it gently made the dark seem exciting etc rather than scary and it was very funny too. I loved the interaction between Plop and his parents, especially his Dad. We also had a Paddington story collection which I loved.

For DD, I love the Large family books, especially "Five Minutes Peace". I also really liked "The Cat, the Mouse and the Runaway Train". Lovely use of language and illustrations

[HairsprayQueen]

My favourites are the 'What Katy Did' books, particularly 'What Katy Did at School'.

I love how relatable the personalities are despite it being such an old book, I love the humour from Rose Red. It's warm and comforting. I re-read often.

[skyeskyeskye]

I loved the Ballet Shoes series, and Enid Blyton especially the "Adventure" series as others have mentioned and also loved Famous Five and St Clare's and Mallory Towers.

The Narnia series was a big favourite and DD 7yo is reading my boxset now.

I was pony mad and loved the "Jill had a pony" series. I also loved the Silver Brumby series.

[SymphonyofShadows]

The Saturdays, I loved that book. I found a copy just before Christmas in amongst some things of my late DF's. He must have bought it and forgotten to give it to me. It made me really happy as he was a voracious reader and passed his love of reading to me.

[IkeaTetris]

My absolute favourite book as a child was The Kelpies Pearls by Mollie Hunter. It captured my imagination in a way I never thought possible and made me in to the avid reader that I still am today.

[petitdesastre]

Some of the books my daughters would choose as favourites they thoroughly enjoyed are:
"Because of Winn Dixie" by Kate di Camillo, a heart warming, unsentimental story of friendship, second chances and personal growth. It's generally aimed at 9/10+ depending on the child's sensitivity, as there are a few references to adult problematics (alcohol and a minor incident with a police officer). The references are not too direct and the book is written in an approachable manner.
"When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" by Judith Kerr, a personal account of the historic events preceding the Second World War in Germany from the innocent, transparent and often endearing view of a young Jewish girl. The book speaks directly to children, in a way that inspires and brings empathy, understanding and a whole lot of much anticipated smiles and good humour.
In fact, there are lots of classics we love. It's very hard to narrow it down: All Rumer Godden's children books, "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane", by Kate Di Camillo, anything by Dick King Smith and Roald Dahl, "Charlotte's Web", by EB White, E Nesbit...

[darlingred]

Love, love, love Stick Man by Julia Donaldson. Beautiful, clever story capturing life from a stick's point of view. The illustrations by Axel Scheffler really bring the story to life.

Enjoying sharing this story with my children who like to list all the ways a stick can be used.

Highlights family life and can be used as a Christmas story with the appearance of Santa.

My DH and I took the kids to see the Stick Man stage performance which they loved and we watched the TV adaptation over the Christmas period which was excellent.

Highly recommend Stick Man.

[Pixle]

It was always Roald Dhal, I read all of his books, even the not so famous ones. My favourite was Esio Trot

[Tanaqui]

Howls Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones- a perfect book by a fantastic author- funny, touching, a light nod to traditional tales but truly original.

Of those above- ballet shoes, and Shirley hughes, fantastic books. I also loved The Saturdays! And how about My Naughty Little Sister- the best chapter book for reading aloud ever!

[Chiddles09]

A Child's Garden of Verse by Robert Louis Stevenson and Winnie the Pooh (of course) for reading to children when they are little.

Also, we love We're Going on a Bear Hunt and You Choose for great interaction and lots of audience participation!

As they get older, and start to read themselves, I think that the Paddington stories are great for early readers (and still funny of you're sharing the reading).

Harry Potter is a must. I am so jealous of my children, who are getting to tear through each book as soon as they want to, when I had to wait for each one to be published!

I also love the When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit trilogy from Judith Kerr for when they are a bit older.

[Kraggle]

My favourite is the Harry Potter series. When I was little it was Phoebe and the hot water bottles.

For my daughter now who is 2.9 her current favourite is Mogs Christmas and Mog the forgetful cat, we can both also recite the Gruffalo!

[Isis1981uk]

Carrie's War by Nina Bawden was my favourite

[ButWaitTheresMyrrh]

As a child I didn't care about books at all until I discovered Goosebumps, aged 8, and they started a life long passion for reading.
I still shiver a little thinking about some of them!
It's so hard to say just one, but 'The Ghost Next Door' was fantastic.

My own DD has just turned two and she adores books already. We read for hours every day. The first book I read to her, at 2 days old, was Dr Seuss 'Oh, The Places You'll Go'. She loves it and it's one of her first choices from her bookshelf (Closely followed by 'Room On the Broom'!)