What’s one story from your childhood that still gives you that warm, magical feeling? - Win cinema vouchers

[EllieSmumsnet]

Some stories stay with us forever. They’re the ones that sparked our imaginations, introduced us to unforgettable characters, and made us believe that extraordinary things could happen in ordinary places. Long after childhood, those tales still carry a sense of comfort and wonder.

Now, as The Magic Faraway Tree makes its journey from beloved book to the big screen, arriving in UK & Ireland cinemas on 27 March 2026, it’s the perfect moment to celebrate the stories that shaped us.

What’s one story from your childhood that still fills you with that warm, magical feeling and why? Was it a book you read again and again? A character you wished you could meet? A world you imagined so vividly it felt real?

Share your memory with us by 22/04/2026 for your chance to win a £200 VEX voucher and cinema vouchers to see The Magic Faraway Tree with your family (T&Cs apply).

It was a book called The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rummer Godden.

I truly believed that my toys had feelings, and that was probably due to books like this one. I was so kind to all of my toys, and now I’m kind to people and animals because I don’t want to hurt their feelings. Books really do shape your mind!

A book called The Twelve Dancing Princesses that was my Mum’s in the 80’s before mine. The artwork is fabulously detailed and fairytale like, I used to imagine I was there with them. My young daughter has the book now, 3rd generation of magic

My Dad brought a stuffed toy dog to the hospital on the day I was born. I still have it and it makes me glow inside each time I see it on my Son's bed.

I read a book called ‘House of Tribes’ about mice in a big old mansion, we had mice under our floorboards at the time and I imagined them all as tribes in our house … I used to leave food for my bedroom mice. My parents were pretty annoyed as they did a fair bit of damage to wires and poo got everywhere. They spent years trying to humanely get rid of them … still love that book

The phantom tollbooth. Fantastic word play in that book, and it convinced me that I wanted a sheepdog with a clock on it's body for a pet

The Mallory Towers books were my favourite and the ones I remember most. I didn’t have a very happy childhood and used to love the thought of being at boarding school with the MT girls!

Heidi
Anne of Green Gables
The little princess
Ballet shoes
The Little White Horse

I absolutely loved the secret garden. It has remained a comfort read into my adult years, I did love the faraway tree too, a wonderful warm world of imagination . Really looking forward to seeing the new movie

For me it was The Saga of Darren Shan series by Darren O'Shaughnessy. It was one of the first times that a fantasy series really made me imagine everything vividly but also I was attached to all the main characters. I've probably reread the whole thing more than 5 times. Even as an adult, it still resonates with me.

Not suitable for very young children, but I think the first time I read this I was probably around 12 or so.

This is mine too! My boys love it, even at 11 - their favourite part is Abracadabra being kicked in the bin.

i loved magic faraway tree as a kid and my kids too. However my favourite story as a kid was Matilda’s own special plate, I wish I knew where my copy is but it really made me feel warm and fuzzy reading it as a child (or having it read to me)

Other than those mentioned (Heidi, Anne of Green Gables, Ballet Shoes, Little Princess and Matilda especially) it was Swallows and Amazons and especially Nancy as Captain of her pirate ship. I loved the lakes and the wildlife and the independence.

It's a bit hard to choose though. Narnia had me convinced I'd find a magic world in the wardrobe. The Borrowers completely captured my imagination. Tottie takes me back to the BBC Broom Cupboard (though i read it as well). What Katie Did Next still makes me want a world cruise...

The Story of Holly and Ivy is the only one my children have tolerated.

Jill's Gymkhana, and all the others in the series. I loved horses and ponies and wished I was Jill.

And The Wolves of Willoughby Chase had me looking for secret passages everywhere until I was really far too old for that kind of thing!

The borrowers! I so wanted to live in their world, despite all the peril. I even named my pet hamster Arrietty.

There was a series of books from when I was a teen called The Named, The Dark and The Key. It was a trilogy. Honestly, it made me cry but it also had it's moments where I was happy. I love the fantasy genre and this is one of my all time favourites. I tend to reread every few years or so. It also happens to be a series that both my sisters also read and enjoyed and I'm glad we got to share this. I would absolutely love it if they made this into a TV series or series of movies.

I loved all of those books!

I took Swallows and Amazons to read on a camping trip with my son. After a while he said to me,”Is this book mostly about knots?” 😂

It has to be Matilda for me. And when I watched the movie, it put made that warm magical feeling even better as my imagination came to life. Until now, the kids still love it and rewatch it every so often.

It was the magic faraway tree itself for me!! My favourite book…oh actually it might have been Jinny and Shantih, do I have to choose one??!!

I have to also say Matilda. It was the first time we all enjoyed something as a family and something that has still stayed with us as we still enjoy it even as we've grown. There's just something so wholesome about Matilda that it just stays with you. The only thing I'm surprised about is why it's taken more than 20 years for the Matilda cake to go viral!

This one! What a hoot! Im
going to buy it for my 9yo and I’m sure she will love it too.
can’t wait for the faraway tree, both my children have enjoyed the audio book at bedtime.

The original Oz books. All 14 of them.

The little matchstick girl although it’s quite sad.

Love this

Matilda! Loved it - still do.
The films and musical are fantastic too.

Matilda for me too! It's one of those Timeless stories, suitable for all ages and all generations. Has a happy ending and is funny.