Books from our childhood/teens....d own Hazy Memory Lane

Did anyone read Susannah of the Mounties and Susannah of the Yukon by Muriel Denison. I loved them, and the illustrations. They were published in the 30s, but I read them in the 50s. I think I was 8 or 9 when I borrowed them from the library.
I think Treasure Island is the best adventure story ever - so full of atmospere - that bit where Blind Pew comes tap tap tapping up to the Admiral Benbow. Shudder!
When I was just into my teens I read The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. I have the trilogy now about the Aquila family. They are ageless stories.
We children loved Children of the New Forest too and used to play it - the potting shed being our cottage.

Elegran

I had forgotten how keen my father was that I had access to books. He didn't have much spare money but he always bought me a book for Xmas and one from his annual Territorial Army fortnight away!! I still have the classics he gave me, Black Beauty (I went to school in the building the book was written in!) Children of the New Forest, Katy etc. As I grew older my mum and I shared the same books, I remember us waiting for the latest Alistair Mclean and James Bond, and of course I read all her Neville Shute and Dennis Wheatley. She wasn't happy when she found I had read her copy of The Egg and I, I must been just 13.

One strange book I remember from my childhood was The Log of the Ark. Noah brings all the usual animals on board, but some new ones, the scub, the clidders and the seventy-sevenses, who named themselves after their cabin number. Slightly sinister really but I loved it. Anyone else remember reading it?

I'm glad someone else mentioned Geoffrey Trease! Our form-teacher in the final year of primary school read us 'Cue for Treason' in instalments on Friday afternoons. I also read Edith Nesbit's books, especially the magical and time-travelling stories such as 'Five Children and It', 'The Phoenix and the Carpet' and 'The Amulet', all of which have been - very badly - adapted for stage and screen. There's a programme about Edith Nesbit on BBC4 tonight, I think around 8 pm.

Blinko Nandalot My most vivid memory of the Jalna series is of the matriarch Adeline Whiteoak grimly going daily in her carriage to have one tooth a day extracted without anaesthetic, accompanied by Cousin Malahide who was despised and detested by the rest of the family but whose hopes of inheriting her money fortified him to keep going with her when no-one else had the courage.

Read every book in our house, suitable or not, by the age of 10 (got through about 3 books a daIy! - thank goodness for libraries). Horse mad, loved Angela Brazil, not keen on Blyton, hated Treasure Island and Tom Sawyer, but enjoyed St Ives, Black Arrow, Gene Stratton Porter (especially Laddie). Loathed Gulliver.Liked Goudge - sometime might re-read. Adored historical romances. I agree that books from our childhood have not aged well - I can't imagine any kid reading Pinocchio today, for example. I did love Little Grey Rabbit, but not Potter. And talking about Uttley, how about "A Traveller in Time"? - if you don't know it, thoroughly recommend it!

Must add my thanks for this thread, it has brought back many happy memories. I remember a library book, think it was called Three Girls and a Secret, I can remember exactly where it was on the library shelf and I used to borrow it again and again.

The Devil *

I read lots of the Jalna family sagas as well.
Famous five.
Malcom Saville Witchend series.
Biggles
Jill and her ponies
Pat Smythes horsey stories.
Lassie come Home.
Various school stories.
As a late teenager the just William stories.
Dennis Wheatley supernatural stuff teh devil rides out etc. Lots more I cant think of right now.

'trisher', you have reminded me of a time when I visited my older cousins. The middle one was doing 'O' levels and reading 'Lord of the Fles' and couldn't be bothered to read it so I took a look. Even at the age of eleven I was rivited (and instantly loved the character of Piggy, a decision I have always stuck with despite Ralph being the 'hero') and finished the book in double quick time. Many years later I found myself teaching it to the top set GCSE class and was struck with how much I had 'got it', even at such an early age.

We had the Building of Jalna and another with Jalna in the title in the bookcase so until now I didn't realise they were The Whiteoaks Chronicles and that there were 16 in the series. i might track some copies down now for a read of the rest.

Oh yes, Anya Seton's Katherine! I'd forgotten that one, it was brilliant! I wonder what I'd think of it now - I'm addicted to crime & thrillers these days!

Does anyone remember the Whiteoaks series by Mazo de la Roche? I think they were a Canadian family and the series ran through about a hundred years, so the young bride and groom in the first book were the grand old couple in later books, and later still, the matriarch.

And being scared by a copy of Struwelpieter which I found on a friends bookshelf.

Does anyone remember Boots lending library? I used to go once a week in the school holidays and remember a little book mark came with the book.

What a brilliant thread. Lots of memories. Little Lord Fauntleroy, The Wide Wide World and a Little Princess were much loved. Also I loved the Swedish books by Elsa Beskow and a Swedish version with beautiful illustrations of Pippi Longstockings given to me by my Swedish grandmother that I still have. I also loved Neville Shute, Georgette Heyer and favourite of all time Katherine by Anya Seyton as a teenager and remember a book called Forever Amber, read under the bedcovers with a torch at boarding school. Not sure about the quality of that one!

what memories I read extensively as a child as I was 8 years old before we had a TV so it was radio & books. Loved Enid Blyton, Chalet School & Mallory Towers; Beatrix Potter (still love Mrs Tiggywinkle); Swallows & Amazons etc moved on to Agatha Christie & Denis Wheatley. Love Historical novels (read all Jean Plaidy). Read John Wyndham (Day of the Triffids etc) although I don't like Sci-Fi these days or Westerns but apart from that I will read almost anything except Mills & Boon!! Also love Autobiographies & Biographies of any-one I'm interested in. I am like a bear with a sore head if I haven't got something to read

Thank you Magic Wand , it was the Shirley Flight books that I was thinking of. Mystery solved.

I also loved Enid Blyton especially the famous five and secret seven books my children also read them too and I remember been given Pollyanna and loving it

Library lady - I love the "Susan" books by Jane Shaw and have 5 of them! I wonder if I am missing any.

Dramatictessa, do you mean Eleanor Farjeon?

Does anyone remember the Mary Plain books about a little bear from the bear pit at Berne?

I was addicted to Enid Blyton, especially the Adventure series and anything by LM Montgomery. One of my favourites was "The Country Child" by Alison Uttley. I still have a lot of my children's books and re-read them now and again. I also love the "Jennings" books which are hilarious!

Lapwing - I think they're the Shirley Flight books!

The Lone Pine books by Malcolm Saville, Cherry Ames (nurse), Shirley Flight (air hostess), Judy Bolton rather than Nancy Drew, Enid Blyton's Adventure series: Sea of Adventure, Valley of Adventure, etc. Famous Five rather than Secret Seven, Mallory Towers more than Twins at St Claires. Tried with Chalet School but no go! Also loved Greek Myths and there was a series of science fiction I loved too, I still enjoy sci fi & fantasy stories today. Don't know how I read them all as my mum thought reading was a waste of time! Helped in the local children's library on a Saturday rota where I sorted and put books back on the shelves - heaven! I'm thinking of volunteering again when I retire!

I remember The Children who lived in a barn - loved it! I was always intrigued by them cooking in a hay box! Also loved a series about some London children who went to stay on a farm in the Lake District. They were the Fell Farm books. I liked historical stories & Cynthia Harnett was my favourite author, with books called The Great House, The Woolpack & The Sign of the Unicorn. Stig of the Dump was great & all the E. Nesbitt books. Like most posters, I moved on to Plaidy, Christie, de la Roche & Heyer as a young teenager then a serious obsession with Hardy at around 16 when I read all his books. I ODd as I can't look at one now,over 40 years later!