Does anyone remember the Animal Ark books?

[hannahbananananaa]

When I was a child/early teens I loved the Animal Ark books by Lucy Daniels. I had every book and really enjoyed reading them. My parents are selling my childhood home and recently found all the books in boxes in the attic. I have a just 7 year old dd who loves animals and I think would love the series. My dp also remembers his sister reading the books and he thinks they may be too dated for dd now- I don't think they would be, but realise that things have changed a lot since the 90s/00s in kids books. I was just wondering if anyone remembers the books and if you think they are too dated for children today. I would also be really interested to hear if anyones children have read them and enjoyed them. Thank you

I used to have some of those.

Worth a re read from you to check before you pass them on.

I got caught out with that and the rescuers the other day ...

Have you read the Animal Ark Revisited series? www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Hope-Meadows-feel-good-Revisited/dp/1473653878

@Fivemoreminutes1 I had no idea that even existed! Thank you! Have ordered it today and it will go straight to the top of my pile of books to read!

Children are far more adaptable with older books than you're giving them credit for.
When I read Famous Five and they went to boarding school, had a cook, used shillings and d (pence), went off on their own with no adults etc. it was far away from my experience of normal life, but that didn't stop me enjoying them. In fact my children also enjoyed them-and other books that were dated.

With how quickly technology moves on, if you want to have books that haven't dated at all, you're probably looking only at books written in the last 10-15 years.

if you're worried, read the first book together and then you're there to explain things that they may not understand and see how much you have to do that. I suspect you'll find you're doing it far less than you think you will.

Just give them to your daughter to try. She might love them. What do you think is "too dated" about them?

I volunteer in a primary school library, and we have loads of the Animal Ark books. Maybe 40 different titles, with all the Summer Series, Animal Ark In Australis etc. I have to say that they are not very popular and, when one is borrowed, the child taking it doesn't ever seem to ask for any other titles in the series, which they usually do if they enjoyed the book!

Oh wow I read all of the Animal Ark books back in the day! I would definitely pass them on to my kids!

I vaguely remember animal ark books

Ahh I loved animal ark! Borrowed so many of them from the library when I was 7/8ish (I’m nearly 30 now). I would love to think they haven’t aged but I’ve no idea.

Interesting unrelated fact is that ‘Lucy Daniels’ is not a real person, the books were written by different authors. ‘Daniels’ was chosen as the surname so they would sit next to the animals of farthing wood on alphabetically arranged bookshelves. Only found this out from randomly googling her a while back!

@Leeds2 Actually when I was at school quite a lot of my friends didn't really like the books either- most of the copies in the school library didn't get taken out much. I think they might be the sort of books that kids either really like or don't

Just an update! I've read one of the animal ark pets books to my dd (they're aimed at slightly younger children I think) and she really enjoyed it! Will try a few more with her. I was surprised- it actually wasn't terribly dated- there was nothing in it that I had to explain in particular detail to dd!

Ah I loved these books back in the day!

I'm glad your daughter liked it, hannahbananananaa, and hope she gets to enjoy many more!

I didn't know that, fatlazycow.. Interesting! I know the same thing applies to Daisy Meadows of Rainbow Magic fame, as in it is a collection of about five different authors rather than one called Daisy Meadows.

I had no idea!! How interesting. I loved these books as a kid. I spent all my pocket money on them buying them as they came out 😁 I still remember sobbing my heart out when the young pony had to be put to sleep by Mandy's dad when it jumped over the pile of rubbish and broke its legs, and all because Mandy had thought she had known best.
But also all the happy bits like when the cat had kittens and she got the golden retriever to carry eggs in its mouth...
Amazing how much I've remembered!

There’s a newish Animal Ark series too:

orchardseriesbooks.co.uk/animal-ark/

I still have an enormous box of them in the loft, my DD who is now 30 left hers behind when she moved out. I think she had almost the full set, plus a sort of sub series with ghost animals.

I've been thinking about these the past couple of months and found some in a charity shop the other day! Picked up three different stories and am looking forward to reading them at the ripe age of 29! I think books can be timeless - you won't know if kids today will enjoy them unless they read them! 😊

Ds7 has always been a reluctant reader and struggled. Keen to keep him reading this summer holiday I asked if there were any books or topics he liked. He said at school he likes the Animal Ark books by Lucy someone. I ordered him a set off Amazon and we are halfway through the first one about a fox cub. Dd6 is reading a kitten one and dd4 is keen on the Guinea Pig one. They are loving them so far as am I. Hoping to get my hands on some of the older ones.

I bought my DD, now 11, a pile in the charity shop.
She absolutely loves them.

@EcoCustard That's so lovely to hear! They are great books for reading with them- I remember reading them with my mum too! I remember the guinea pig in the garage one!