NON-British children's classics - calling anyone who grew up (or is living) Elsewhere!

[Bink]

I've just read (and adored) my son's copy of The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars, who's American.

It came in a "classics" set that includes Ted Hughes and Marianne Storr, so obviously a proper serious level of classic. And it is definitely worthy of that company: utterly lovely book.

But because it was American, I'd known nothing of it - and having searched on here, just one poster has referred to it, ever. So I bet there are masses more books like that - ie, which are "classics" in their own country but just not well-known elsewhere.

So, if you grew up somewhere other than Britain - or had access to non-Brit-centric books as a child - what were your classics?

Under The Mountain by Maurice Gee, set in NZ. I think it was shown on the BBC ages ago. I read the book first, and really loved it. It was about some children who discovered their guardians were really aliens, and... um... they had adventures trying to stop the aliens.

I don't know if it was a "classic" in NZ - I didn't grow up there, but I certainly enjoyed reading it as a girl.

I read loads of Betsy Byars books as a kid so I'm surprised they're not more known. My favourite (and the most famous) was 'The Eighteenth Emergency' which is a brilliant book about bullying. There are the obvious American authors - Judy Blume, LM Montgomery (chalk and cheese!) And what about anything by Astrid Lindgren (she wrote Pippi Longstocking but also lots of others)? There was a book called 'Seven (or was it Six?) Little Australians' which I remember loving, no idea who wrote it but think it's a bit of a classic down under.

Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner

Lisa and Lottie by Erich Kastner.

Ramona Quimby series by Beverley Cleary.

Various books by Lois Lowry including Anastasia series.

Bridge to Terabithia is clearly a classic in the USA, I'm sorry, I can't remember the author

I also loved Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and, in translation, worth seeking out if possible:

Paul Biegel & Babs van Wely: The King of the Copper Mountains

all of Paul Berna's adventure stories published in English in the 1960s in Puffin

My kids have loads of Magic Treehouse books, and Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books - from the USA. They are equivalent to reading Enid Blyton.

For a older child, 'The colour purple' by Alice Walker is brilliant

Thinking back to my childhood and books I did read and enjoy then- some of these are already mentioned:

What Katy did series
Anne of green gables series (already mentioned, LM Montgomery).
All the Astrid Lindgrens. Lotte and Jonas series (Mischevious Martens, Lotte runs away), the Bullerby Children. as well as the Pippi series.
Emil and the detectives.
Moomintroll series.
Heidi series.
The Little Prince.
I had a really nice Dutch book about a little girl called Janni who lived after the war - does anyone else know this one? I suspect it was a Dutch classic.
3 Musketeers.
I'm sure there are quite a few French ones I can't quite remember at the moment.

Mrs Pepperpot
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn
Little House on the Praire series.
The Elephants of Sargabal (Rene Guillot)
Madeline books
Le petit Nicolas (little Nicholas).

Fattypuffs and Thinifers was French, I have only just realised. "Patapoufs et Filifers", Andre Maurois. I had never connected it before.

the bullerby children
ramona
little house
heidi
the little prince
mrs pepperpot

Me AND dd love Petit Nicolas. The books are just so funny.

Babar
Struwelpeter
Grimms fairy tales
Hans Christen Andersen.
Pinocchio

I think Bink meant ones noone had heard of, not these ones which are mostly popular in the UK too, but still, it's fun remembering them

When I was a tiddler I had a book called "the Bunyip of Berkely creek" I think it's Australian and I loved it

The Pigman - Paul Zindel
The Last Unicorn - Peter S Beagle
My Side of the Mountain (two others follow this first book as well) - Jean George
The Outsiders - S E Hinton

And this isn't non-UK-centric but is out of print but I loved it:

The Borribles (also a trilogy) - Michael de Larrabeiti

I had lots of American and Scandinavian children's books.

I'm dismayed to find I've lost Astrid Lindgren's All about the Bullerby Children, it doesn't seem to be available at an affordable secondhand price.

I still have my Aurora and Socrates books by Anne-Cath Vestly - a little girl, baby brother, stay at home/PHD student dad and lawyer mum. Sadly they're also out of print.

An American book I loved was Ruth Sawyer, Roller Skates - have lost original copy but fortunately found a replacement.

I read Betsy Byars here, I don't know how many are still in print though.

lots already mentioned here (LM Montgomery, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume...)
but also loved reading Trixie Belden books (can't remember author) and Bobbsy Twin books - they were all hard covers and I had masses of each of them!!

Gordon Korman's books about MacDonald Hall

for younger children -

Bread and Jam for Francis - absolute classic
Curious George
Robert Munsch - he wrote loads including 'Love you forever' which is oft quoted here as a fab fab book (it is)

LIttle Golden Books with the golden spines, we had dozens (mum still does!)

Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott Dell . I loved this book-dd recently read Kensuke's Kingdom (M Morpego) and reminded me of this one. Have bought old copy on amazon for me her

lots of these I know and love.

Australian ones I have are:
Bottersnikes and Gumbles (out of print, rare and expensive )
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs - I have the complete collection

There are the Dr. Seuss books as well - I never owned them as a child but was envious of my friend who did.

I also have several classic Russian Fairy story books in English, that my Dad brought back from Russia or had sent to him

I love Petit Nicolas - we used to read him in French lessons at school;
and the Madeline series.

Asterix and Obelix books, and Tintin - do comic books count? I had at least one in French!

Daddy-Long-legs by Jean Webster - not so much for children, more for older girls perhaps

oo, I forgot I had the Magic Pudding as well!
Thanks for the reminder, Califrau (long time no see anything from you - you ok? tis thumbwitch, in case you are confused)

oh yes, and the Adventures of Blinky Bill too..

Bambi by Felix Salten

The Bunyip of Baerkley's Creek - by Jenny Wagner. Such a lovely storey and the illustrations are divine.