Which children's books do you STILL read and enjoy?

[Swizzler]

Am re-reading Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising sequence and yes, it is still good

So which children's books did you enjoy as a child and still read - read for your own pleasure, that is, not read to your DCs.

Janeite, Charlotte Sometimes is by Penelope Farmer, but I'm not surprised you think it's Lively as it's sort of her area - time slippage and all that.

Titty in Swallows and Amazons was IN FACT (Kathy puts obnoxious know-all hat on) named after a real child, Mavis Altounyan, who was known as Titty after Tittymouse in a child's story, Tittymouse and Tattymouse.
(DH and I are both members of the Arthur Ransome Society you see )

Can you tell I'm a bit obsessed with children's books?

"the Arthur Ransome Society"

F&Z is right Not surprising really given it was a made-up name (if you see what I mean).

Noel Streatfeild is brutally critical of her mother in A Vicarage Family, I always wonder what ds might say about me if he was writing his auto-bio There were sequels to A Vicarage Family which have gone out of print, has anyone read them?

ha ha - literally just finished re-reading White Boots t'other day and my mum just dug out Willow Tree Farm and Fanily At Red Roofs (ves) for me!

anyone remember a book where all theese kids went to live in a cave for a bit?

also read all horsey books and EB too whenever I can.

White Boots has been renamed Skating Shoes I think, to make it part of the "Ballet Shoes" franchise - I'm not kidding. I think Gemma has escaped so far, although I'm sure there's a Theatre Shoes as well. Gemma Alone was renamed Gemma In Love, though. Bless 'er.

Don't remember the cave book but given that you live in an underground house made of stones, Makkapakka, I'm not surprised it appeals to you

The Island of Adventure or the Secret Island

Where they went to live on an island cos their Aunt & Unc;e were mean

Tom's Midnight Garden

Tom's Midnight Garden. There's no coincidence that we now have a Hatty in the family!

Recently discovered a pile of Thelwell books and spent an evening chuckling over those.

Can't wait for DCs to be old enough so I can read them all my Christine Pullein-Thompson novels.

I am intrigued by Ballet Shoes & The Little White Horse - haven't read either, but will now seek them out!

no! won't have White Boots being renamed!

wasn't Island Of Adventures of anything....

Litte White Hoirse - oh, I LOVE that book with lovely Loveday. must find it to read to dd.

oh my god. Makkapakka. I loved Family at Red Roofs. God. Am off to Amazon right here, right now.

marches off smiley

I first read it on school trip to Brittany and it was so good couldn't put it down, despite puking every 15 mins due to motion sickness, lol.

Marches back to say:

Anyone remember the Kerry Caravan? Or the Animal Family? loved those.

oooh, no - will buy them under guise of pressie for dd!

remember Mr Galliano's Circus? I SO wanted to be Carlotta!

The Secret Seven, oh i love it. I read the books again when i was pregnant last year, my sister thought it was funny and said i was nesting

Haven't read Victory - must look it up

Loved the Gemma stories - think all mine got lost somewhere

Thanks Kathy!

Thought of another - "The Enchanted Castle" - E. Nesbit? The ugly-wugglies scared me though!

I'm dying to read the Enchanbted Wood and the Magic Farawt tree again do you rekcon a four year old would enjoy them?

*faraway

Ooh, the Circus books - Mr Galliano's Circus, Circus Days Again. And what about the Children of Cherry Tree Farm? Don't re-read those as often tho - don't think Enid Blyton wears as well IYSWIM

Ledogy - have read Faraway Tree and Enchanted Wood to dd (4 and 3/4) and she loves them. just started Wishing Chair.

Ooh - excellent thread .

Chalet School, anything else by Elinor Brent-Dyer
Abbey books - Elsie Oxenham
Noel Streatfeild - I still have an urge to be a ballet dancer (still unfulfilled)
Anne of Green Gables et al
Antonia Forest (so glad that Girls Gone By have been republishing them ).

And many others too .

Oh yes Janeite, and the dinosaurs coming to life.... and Mabel going invisible.

oooh, yes, Swizzler - and rememver Mistletoe Farm? Same kids when they got their own farm? remember Jane and her unruly hair?

and all the Katy books?