Books you really enjoyed as a child and want to recommend to your kids but not sure if outdated

[wheresmysuntan]

Sorry for long-winded title. I am in a book group and often we chat about books we remember from our childhood and how we are looking forward to sharing with our own kids as they are now generally reaching the right ages. The ubiquitous Enid Blyton has come up with varying success. I had always looked forward to sharing the Lone Pine series by Malcolm Saville with my dd but am now not so sure. Does anyone have any experiences to share - good or bad.

DD has loved Ballet Shoes & Anne of Green Gables. Swallows and Amazons went down pretty well. I really want to get hold of some Mrs Pepperpot books as I loved them and think she'd enjoy them.

Oh and The Secret Garden was a big hit.

The book i read repeatedly as a kid was Grimble by Clement Freud. my mum and i would be in hysterics over it. I still have it (and all my childhood books - my best treasure) but ds doesn't seem to enjoy it like i did. my dd is only 3 but i have high hopes that she will be more like-minded....

Mimizan, glad you liked the book 'The Little Wooden Horse' too (was sad though wasn't it?), googled it and author is-I think- Ursula Moray Williams. I may try and get it for my girls.

Jellybeans, that's it. I haven't seen it in the shops and I ahve looked out for it but didn'
t know the author before now. Can't wait to get it.

Chocolateteapot, we are just reading The Little Princess by the same author as The Secret Garden and DS7 is really enjoying it. So am I.

The DDs (nearly 5 and 6) have enjoyed Mrs Pepperpot, the books about the Moomintrolls, "My Naughty Little Sister" (audiobook from the library) and "Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf".

We tried "The Borrowers" a while ago, but I think it was a little too advanced for DD1.

I was so excited when I read "Stig of the Dump" to DS, and he enjoyed it too!

The thing that strikes me about these sorts of books (also read The Secret Seven with him) is how many of them are all about the kids going off and having adventures on their own.... I know that I used to do the same, but I'm not quite so keen for DS to disappear off with his mates yet (he's 7.5)

My book group is also discussing favourite children's books and I have just re-read half of What Katy Did. I can see just how much I liked it when I was junior school age - the large family, lots of creative games and strange places to go - in the home or very nearby, doing things without the adults knowing, getting into "scrapes" but still with adults around in the background who will sort things out and take care of the children. The book was written in the 1870s but apart from references to bonnets and boots it could be today.

The little wooden horse is by Ursula Moray williams

also Gobbolino the witchs cat

dd1 loved both

Thanks everyone - lots of food for thought. Being 40 years older than my dd it can be quite hard to remember what I read and at what age !

I remembered reading a book called Under Plum Lake and it having a profound effect on me. Years later I saw it in a charity shop and bought it - have not had the chance to re read it yet though. I loved Little Women too and The Water Babies.

Issy - yes Moomintroll! - tentatively bought and left lying round for DS1 to pick up - he loved it! It it was a wonmderful moment - like somehow linking me at age 8 with my little boy @ age 8... If I have a grandchild...

sleepycat they DO still sell the Jill books (or at least they were in Waterstones about 3 years ago)!! i bet they are on amazon

dr seuss-all are very popular and most/all still in print. Horton Hears a Who and the Grinch who Stole Xmas is for junior level. Green eggs and ham good for all ages.

Misty of Chincoteague (sp?) someone reminded me of that recently. About wild ponies-must find.

Little House on the Prairie BOOKS not tv series-a bit too hard really for my 6 year old but interesting enough in most parts.

I found I loath Peter Rabbit on revisiting. DD loves Enid Blyton's more odd babyish ones (?why) and Jenny Dale Animal Ark (just bought giant wodge from ?Book People ?School Link catalogue and she is thrilled. I would have loved them.

I'm getting a lot now from librivox audiobooks (free) for my mp3 to play at bedtime through speakers-She's loved The Secret Garden, Heidi (unabridged goes on forever) and now on Alice in Wonderland.

cat & the hat

JellyBeans for Breakfast was my ALL time favorite and it was a standing joke to ask what book I had taken out of the library that week, because it was ALWAYS this one ... for a good year or so!

Alas it is out of print and extortionately priced now.

oh yes cat in the hat we have at least once a week and twice on Sundays

Milly Molly Mandy (showing my age). Bought them and they were rubbish! However, Heidi was a big hit with my daughter when she was about 10. And DD3 loved all the Secret Seven Enid Blyton stuff when she was about 8.

I loved Children of the New Forest and the Castle/Valley/Island of Adventure series from EB, and Tarka the Otter.

I loved "The Chronicles of Narnia".

I read all the books. read them again, and again, and again.

I loved the whole series.

majorstress I loved The Little House in The Prairie books. I still have them in a suitcase along with Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew and various others that I kep from when I was young. DS and DD are only 2 and 1 but I can't wait until they are old enough to (hopefully) enjoy them

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. Not introduced my dds to it yet but I think they will like it. It made a big impression on me at their age.

We recently read "The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler" at bedtime - a story I remember well from my childhood - and they were enthralled by it. Some references were a little dated but mostly it has stood the test of time.

I adored Dodie Smith: 101 Dalmatians, Starlight Barking, I capture the Castle. Also E Nesbit.

my 10 year old dd has just read black beauty and ballet shoes and loved them. i'd love her to read the mallory towers and st clare's books if only to give me another chance to read them as i loved them as a child. Any good ideas for books OTHER than jacqueline wilson for 10 yr old dd as we are struggling through an abridged version of pride and prejudice!