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?

Wasn't she Ursula Moray Williams?

fantastic author - who herself had quite an interesting life...

Thanks for all the references to What Katy did - you all made me dig out my long-forgotten copy ("fusty, musty, dusty" for those that read the Adventure/Blyton series) and it turns out it is an abridged version : What Katy Did - Retold for Younger Readers (Easy Reader Series No. 25), published 1 Jan 1960. So I may not have read the full version and I think I did read a lot of "classics" that were abridged - I remember a Blyton Pilgrim's Progress.

Another which I have enjoyed rereading is a series of books, including The Branch Line, The Bypass, The Tower Block. A sort of social history/human geography study of what happens to an area over time with detailed illustrations.

The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues is another favourite i go back to as an adult.

@BrandiedAromatics I got the complete Katy Carr series on kindle - I think it was free or for very little.

I also read that abridged version many years ago. Think I read Last of the Mohicans in that series too.

This is such a gorgeous, nostalgic thread. I still have ALL the old books we have mentioned. My parents had a rambling old vicarage (they are still there, actually in their 90s) and kept everything. An emphatic 'Yes' to The Family at One End Street and I loved 'Holiday at the Dewdrop Inn', they were so kind to the children. My father grew up like that in a Northern city and eventually he and my DM offered free holidays to inner city children (they live near the sea and in the countryside). My childhood frequently had wide eyed children staying with us who had never seen a cow before.

Over time I have moved all my childhood books into my own rambling, untidy farmhouse and DH has built me a library with bookshelves from floor to ceiling. Going back to 'old' books I read, I loved the Sue Barton series, although wasn't so keen on Cherry Ames. Interestingly I discovered when I wrote my dissertation on 'Medical Women on the Western Front' that the writer of the Sue Barton books had nursed through WW1 and then was 'besties' with Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter Rose and they had travelled through Albania after the war.

Did anyone else also read 'Dear Daddy Longlegs'? I'm sure it was a classic at one time, but suspect that today's YA have missed all these books.

I agree with this. Spring Term is perfectly readable, it’s just not AF. My main grumble is that it turns Ginty from an annoying but relatable teenager into a one- dimensional bad girl caricature, like Gwendoline in Malory Towers.

YES!

The Society for the Suppression of Unladylike Conduct.

Oh I agree, although funnily enough that was the bit I enjoyed most. I was really pleased to see Ginny get her 'come uppance' because she sailed through life wrecking other people's lives and being utterly self absorbed with her own wishes. I was irritated that AF left it so that Ginny appeared to get away with everything.

I think Daddy Longlegs has aged poorly in that you can read it as Rich Older Orphanage Trustee Grooms Penniless Orphan Girl.

So many - many of which have been mentioned above. Antonia Forest, Lorna Hill (particularly the Wells books). KM Peyton (especially Pennington - I recently re-read them all). Dianne Wynne-Jones - I couldn't tell you the number of times I've read Fire and Hemlock. The Chalet School, the Abbey books...
When Albion's dream was mentioned I knew I recognised the name but couldn't place it. So thank you to the poster who reminded me it's in a KS2 SATS paper test! I will make a point of finding and reading it as I don't want something as depressing as a SATS test to be my only reference point for a book that is clearly worth reading.

I adored that ‘Christmas Boxes' chapter and had no idea what 'jumbles' and 'crullers' were at the time (except that they had to be biscuits of some sort) but I must have read that passage a thousand times, enthralled. It’s so evocative.

I've never read it, but it would be a rare author who could pull off anything like AF's level of sophistication in terms of characterisation and range of reference!

Oh I agree! Even at the time I was horrified when she ended up with 'Master Jervie' who I thought was ancient - although he was probably in his 30s. It was the lovely things she got to do at college that I enjoyed! Particularly as she'd had such a miserable childhood.

@Keepingongoing I must like the theme of magic in the real world

I was fascinated by Half Magic/Edward Eager, an American author - and superbly enhanced by the illustrations of N M Bodecker. I managed to read more of the 7 titles, in the Tales of Magic, some as an adult.

@TheyCalledherPatience

I'd love for Albion's Dream to find a wider audience. It might be worth looking at some reviews, as well (I copied and pasted onE earlier in the thread.)

I still have the copy of Daddy Long Legs that I borrowed from Hastings Public Library in 1967 ( I was 13) and we had to pay for because our dog chewed the cover. I loved it at the time, but god he was so controlling! Even then I was outraged that he wouldn’t let her go to the Adirondacks on holiday .

Looks like getting a copy at a decent price might be easier said than done sadly!

I loved Half Magic. Didn't read it as a child but my own (american) children loved it.

I re-read Daddy Long Legs recently and still enjoyed it. The description of her college life was wonderful. But yes not letting her go off with Sally's family was awful. But what I liked is she clearly wasn't going to tolerate it - she became independent as soon as possible - sent him a cheque once she earned money, took the scholarship although he didn't want her to, decided for herself that she would work for the summer, etc.

I bought a copy of Albion's Dream because of this thread.

I just bought one this week for £2.98 from Abebooks - have just checked and £70 now seems to be the cheapest!!!😮

@TheyCalledherPatience

There's one on Ebay for around £7.50 (I suppose it depends what one considers a decent price) but it's a lot cheaper than some other copies, and it ships from the UK.

@Pallisers

Wow! That's two people! I sincerely hope you are not disappointed with it; it's one of my absolute favourites and I've long felt it deserves to be much more widely known and appreciated.

@Hatty65

There's a copy on Abebooks for about £3.50, but then there's an extra £20 or so for shipping.

Ooh, I'll take a look! I'm just starting a masters in children's literature so new recommendations are very welcome and this seems right up my street😊

@TheyCalledherPatience

Albion's Dream by Roger Norman Paperback Young Adult Fiction Novel on Dreams | eBay UK

This should take you to it.

@SorcererGaheris Oh golly - no mine came with free shipping!

I do wonder if some 'algorithm?' somewhere is trying to work out 'Why the hell are several people suddenly ordering the same book within 24 hours of each other? A book that hasn't been ordered for 30 years?' 😂