Children's books you still love..

[SereneGoose]

Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series...

It's still as magical and relevant today, 50 years later..

What's yours?

Lovely thread - I've loved - and still occasionally reread - so many of those already mentioned.

I don't think anyone has yet mentioned Charley (Joan G Robinson, less well known than When Marnie Was There, though both books are recognisably set in in a lightly fictionalised north Norfolk). I found Charley a magical book when I first read it aged nine - managing to be both comical and poignant. It stands up well to rereading as an adult.

So many of my favourites mentioned. The Little House series, Anne of Green Gables series, Flambards, Chalet schools, the old Nancy Drews, What Katy did, Little Women, Jane Eyre. All the Enid Blyton boarding schools, I preferred the Five find outers to the Famous Five. We had a lovely little library in my country primary school with so many gorgeous books and the mobile library in the school holidays. Happy times.

@TheBookShelf I don't know Charley, but I chiefly remember Joan G for the Dear Teddy Robinson books, which not only I but my DC loved.

I re-read one happily the last time I was in bed full of cold and feeling sorry for myself! They were rather fabulous. I also loved her Mary Mary books - anyone read those? I've got a feeling she also did the illustrations to them.

On the subject of children's books by illustrators, Shirley Hughes was a huge favourite. Alfie and Annie Rose books in particular. I'm looking forward to reading these to GC as well as the Hairy Maclairy books!

I shared this, on another thread, also a bit scary but I was captivated:

I was reading another thread about atmospheric books for Autumn - it made me think of a children's book, I still have, The House with the Twisting Passage by Marion St John Webb. I was always intrigued by the title, for a start.
Jenny stays with her aunt, who is the caretaker of a manor house, and entertains herself by exploring the corridors and imagining who could live behind the doors. When later, she returns to the house, it has been populated with characters like her pretend ones - but not quite! What is exciting is that she gradually visits them, one by one, and they each tell her a story - The Yellow Silk Dress, The Tattooed Man, The Crack'd Mirror ...... it fascinated me and it was a bit creepy.

so many I love on here Enid blyton, the Tree that sat down, all the Anne stories, weird stone of Brisingamwn, the Hitchcock mystery stories, Gobbolino, Heidi so so many

The Marlow family and all their surrounding characters have played a very supportive role at difficult times in my life.

@BrandiedAromatics Oh yes, I've got the House with the Twisting Passage, too. It was definitely odd, but not as beloved as Knock Three Times.

(Waves at the only other person I've met who has read these!) 🖐

@Hatty65 I remember Mary Mary! In a similar vein I used to love Astrid Lindgren’s books - the Lotta books, Mardie and The Six Bullerby Children in particular.

All the Katy books, 101 Dalmatians, Famous Five, but the Wind in the Willows is my favourite. I couldn't believe the stupidity of people that thought Pan was some sort of demon, and "too dark". It's a beautiful piece of writing. The Once and Future King is another one I love, and may have influenced me into becoming a medieval reenactor!

Oh yes I love this one too! Still fuel for my 50 year old daydreams.

Oh yes, the Teddy Robinson books were much loved by my children!

Magic faraway tree - Enid blyton

The Chronicles of Narnia
Enid Blytons Adventure series and the Adventurous four
Swallows and Amazons, Peter Duck and We didn’t mean to go to sea by Arthur Ransome - my 3 favourite books that he wrote
The 3 Jays series by Pat Smythe and the Jill pony books
B Flight by Bruce Carter
Elidor by Alan Garner (although it used to scare the daylights out of me, particularly the shadows that came to life….)

I also used to get the series of horse books by Hazel.M.Peel out of the library and re-read them…but haven’t seen them for ages.

When Marnie Was There
A Circling Star by Mara Kay - long out of print so I paid £40 for an ex-library copy! It's so good.
Elidor
The Chronicles of Faerie by O.R.Melling. Brilliant world building.

Love that book -and have several others by her (Sand bird / tip and run)

It is so lovely reading this thread - it is a reminder of my childhood, and also now my adulthood as I collect lots of these authors in first editions - so my library is full of these books - just wish I had more time to spend reading...

it reminds me of the Julia Donaldson poem:

I opened a book and in I strode
Now nobody can find me.
I’ve left my chair, my house, my road,
My town and my world behind me.

I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring,
I’ve swallowed the magic potion.
I’ve fought with a dragon, dined with a king
And dived in a bottomless ocean.

I opened a book and made some friends.
I shared their tears and laughter
And followed their road with its bumps and bends
To the happily ever after.

I finished my book and out I came.
The cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
But I have a book inside me.

Love this poem so much - it summarises the emotional joy of reading - I have a beautiful calligraphy version on the wall as you enter my library...

Oh that poem has brought a tear to my eye. I’ve not heard of it before. But it’s absolutely spot on - makes me want to get lost in a proper book again.

Did anyone ever read New Patches for Old by Christobel Mattingley? I adored it.

Was that the one where a girl had had to relocate to Australia? I remember thinking how realistic it seemed.

Anything by Enid Blyton. I loved her books as a child and still do.

Yes, I adored them but I do have one that might be the catalyst for an interesting AIBU. This is Dame Slap and Her School - and it's not even because of the corporal punishment. One of the mothers invites the other members of the class to her son's birthday party and then prepares to cook them! More serious than what to put in their party bags ....

It says 2nd impression inside but no date - probably 1940s.

Re-reading The Borrowers at the moment , which I do every 10 years or so. I love all the detail of how they solve practical problems. And they’re so believable, the relationships aren’t romanticised at all. It’s prompted me to look for Bedknobs and Broomsticks, also by Mary Norton - I recently read a sample from Amazon and it was so funny, if a bit dated.

I must like the theme of magic in the real world, because I still re-read E Nesbit too.

Oh yes - loved Teddy Robinson and his purple party dress ❤️
Also loved Mary Mary - lots more going off for ice cream with strangers than we’d be comfortable with nowadays but it all added to the lovely atmosphere.

Anyone remember the Mary Plain books? Family of bears living in Berne zoo. Special bows, pictorial handwriting and a penchant for cream buns. I swear it’s why I’m still so fond of cream buns!

Polly and the Wolf....

That’s the one.

Yes to the Mary Plain books, I rarely come across anyone who knows them.

I think I may have been the only keen child reader of the 20th century who didn't love Enid Blyton. I tried and tried but didn't like any of the books of hers I tried (I think she was my first ever DNF). I tried again when my DCs were little but nope still not for me (I hid a Noddy compendium that someone gave DS1 as it gave me the rage).