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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

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Which book(s) made you or your child love reading? Tell us for a chance to win A Child of Books goodie bag including book caddy!

144 replies

SorchaMumsnet · 07/09/2016 10:14

From picture book giant Oliver Jeffers and typographic artist Sam Winston comes a magical and unforgettable new story - which will encourage readers of all ages to question, explore and imagine.

A Child of Books tells the tale of a little girl who sails a raft across a sea of words and invites a little boy to come away with her on an adventure through a land of stories.

The book uses Oliver’s signature handwriting and artwork together with Sam’s typographic landscapes, shaped from printed extracts of 42 classic books and lullabies.

To celebrate the publication of A Child of Books, just tell us the book (or books) that first made you or your child love reading. Post your answer here for a chance to win a signed copy of the book, a limited edition print and tote bag, plus a brilliant book caddy to store your books at home.

This discussion is sponsored by Walker Books and will end on 5 October

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Which book(s) made you or your child love reading? Tell us for a chance to win A Child of Books goodie bag including book caddy!
OP posts:
lottietiger · 13/09/2016 08:36

My 3 year old is massively into books and will always choose one over a toy if he has the choice. He loves the rhyming style books like cat in the hat and Stick Man, Mr Men books and Thomas Tank. He also loves things like the Gruffalo, Charlie cooks favourite book and Harry and the Dinosaurs, well most things really! :)

searchingforcalm · 13/09/2016 10:33

I can't remember a time when I didn't love books! I remember my teacher reading "My Naughty Little Sister" and have happy memories of reading Enid Blyton and, later, The Chronicles of Narnia. For my first child, the "That's Not My..." and Hairy McLairy series were firm favourites followed by Julia Donaldson and Judith Kerr books as she got older. As a very young child, my son loved Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury - I used to have to read/recite it every night! The Very Busy Spider and The Hungry Caterpillar were also firm favourites. A Child of Books looks magical!

ann28 · 13/09/2016 13:06

The Gruffalo - a firm family favourite!

sadiewoohoo · 13/09/2016 23:59

It started off with my old set of The Munch Bunch books. He loved them!

mishknight · 14/09/2016 21:06

I used to love Goosebumps books. My little girl have just discovered and loves Horrid Henry books

DollySaffy · 14/09/2016 23:02

Anne of Green Gables

simone12345 · 15/09/2016 15:57

FOR ME MY FIRST BOOK WAS THAT I WANTED TO READ AT AGE 15 WAS GONE WITH THE WIND AS MY MOM SAID IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET INTO READING READ A GOOD BOOK THEN YOU KNIT FEELS LIKE SO THAT MINE MY GRANDAUGHTERS AND MY CHILDREN LOVED ALL THE DISNEY BOOKS

beckyinman · 15/09/2016 23:24

Room on the Broom

sweir1 · 16/09/2016 19:08

i used to love point horrors

SHORTMAN · 16/09/2016 19:35

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton - we used to get a chapter a day in school and I couldn't wait to read the books myself. I have just bought them for my grand daughter and hope that she will love them too

NerrSnerr · 16/09/2016 19:38

My Naughty Little Sister got me into reading. Was the first 'proper' book I read.

thestylethatdecadesforgot · 16/09/2016 19:45

There are so many! I loved Just William, Famous Five, Secret Seven, Mallory Towers, The Chalet School, Anne of Green Gables and all the follow-ons , Little House on the Prairie and the others LIW wrote. When I was small I loved Alfie and Annie-Rose an the illustrations are so evocative even now. When I was a young teen I started on Dickens and Bronte etc from my mum's much-loved collection of classics and got hooked on them too.

My oldest is six and reads for pleasure now, I just got her a set of Roald Dhal books after she started with the BFG, she's besotted me I often find her tucked up in bed reading RD under her breath in the middle of the day when she's disappeared!

KeepOnPlodding · 16/09/2016 20:14

It was the Horrid Henry Early Readers that got DS into reading.

They were the first 'chapter' books that he wanted to read by himself and the first books that he read with a torch under the covers because he wanted to find out what happened next!

pixelwife · 17/09/2016 14:09

My son was a reluctant reader but Hairy McLary changed that! He loves reading now! Funny stories that get going quickly really engage him now.

bigarse1 · 17/09/2016 14:18

hairy maclary for all of mine! they love them, join in with them and then go on to read them!

windowmouse · 17/09/2016 15:14

Matilda got me reading as a kids because it made books seem like an adventure, lovely story

HollybearFluffpuss · 17/09/2016 18:06

The first book that properly made me love reading was Lady and the Tramp - a little golden book. I was in awe of it and picked it after winning a reading competition in school. It was my pride and joy for a long time. You dont forget that feeling.

Dolallytats · 17/09/2016 18:13

For me, The Faraway Tree, The wishing Chair and The secret Seven all sparked a love of reading.

My eldest isn't interested in reading Shock but my younger two like a book. DS loved books by Nick Sharratt-Octopus Socktopus (one of my favourites too!!) and Pants. He also liked any book that features farting, bums, snot and any other gross bodily function. The joys of an 8 year old boy!!

DD is 3 and loves pop up books or books that you look through holes, lift flaps, poke your finger through etc.

hutchy73 · 18/09/2016 21:28

The mr men books - my dad used to buy one a week with the weekly shop , then moved in to Enid blyton , Judy Blume and Adrian mole .
My son now loves the mr men too and when he finds a good book reads it time and time again!

shadydelta · 19/09/2016 19:28

I started reading to both my children as babies. My daughters favourite first books were the Hairy Mclary from Donaldsons Dairy she would screech with laughter when we acted out the cat noises for bad cat Scar Face Claw who chased all the dogs away. We still have the books now and read them at bed times now and then. Such lovely memories!

dannydog1 · 19/09/2016 20:26

For me it was The Famous Five by Enid Blyton, along with the St Clare's series. My children loved The Mr Men and The Horrible Histories.

Tutu81 · 22/09/2016 14:39

Both of my children love anything written by Julia Donaldson! Their favourites would probably be Room on the Broom and The Snail and the Whale...

GrooveHeart · 28/09/2016 11:42

My little girl loves lift the flaps books especially Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. I loved Enid Blyton books when I was a little older.

Dormouse1940 · 01/10/2016 19:23

I was a strong reader, and my parents always encouraged me, but it wasn't until a wonderful teacher introduced me to Harry Potter that I can really say I fell in love with reading. Nearly 20 years on now (yikes!) and that has stuck with me. I'll always be grateful to that teacher x

grannybiker · 01/10/2016 20:22

I loved the Enid Blyton school stories so much I was desperate to go to boarding school!