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Books/book club

Books that you read/had read to you as child that you really loved?

(169 Posts)
PGAgirl Tue 24-Mar-20 21:37:24

The School at the Chalet series was always a favourite and of course the Katy Books, read "What Katy Did" again recently and loved it. My siblings and I loved Pears Junior Encyclopedia we used to learn the lists and test each other on them in bed at night, can still remember the Capitals of the World, but many have changed now. Saw Mallory Towers musical recently, go to see it, it is very funny but also pulls at the heartstrings

CanadianGran Tue 24-Mar-20 21:22:34

Anything horsey! My Friend Flicka, The Chincoteague Pony, Black Beauty, etc. I was horse crazy, but poor! No riding lessons for me.

I also loved precocious girl heros, such as Anne of Green Gables, and Katie John (American author Mary Calhoun). I managed to find an out of print copy of Katie John and enjoyed it just as much as an adult.

joannapiano Tue 24-Mar-20 21:19:32

When I was in the Juniors our teacher read the “Mary Plain “ books about a little bear. I remember her owner was called The Owl Man ( did he wear glasses?).

Juliet27 Tue 24-Mar-20 21:14:55

Oh M0nica I'm glad I've found someone else who appreciated Pooky, let alone had heard of him. Yes I've managed to buy a couple of the books too. They're just so sweet.

Wheniwasyourage Tue 24-Mar-20 21:11:37

Tom's Midnight Garden, the Narnia books - particularly The Voyage of The Dawn Treader - and the Pippi Longstocking books.

Chewbacca Tue 24-Mar-20 21:10:24

Once Tuesday afternoon we had a lady called Mrs Prior who came to read to the whole class. She read Secret Garden, Ballet Shoes and Black Beauty etc. She had the most wonderful way of reading aloud to us; using different voices and accents to make the stories come alive. I try to do that now with my GC.

Grannybags Tue 24-Mar-20 20:55:53

oldgimmer1 I still have my copy of The Boy Next Door! I loved it.

Sussexborn Tue 24-Mar-20 20:49:32

Vampire Queen. Lots of boarding schools where I was brought up and I assumed they spent their time saying “jolly hockey sticks” and having midnight feasts. Although some were in excellent schools others had an appalling time being beaten (one teacher using a cricket bat), filthy dirty and badly underfed. Some were children of divorced parents, others had parents working abroad and rarely saw them. I can remember saying I would like to go to boarding school and she said that if she had the money she would send us all.

vampirequeen Tue 24-Mar-20 20:39:05

Mallory Towers. I was desperate to go to boarding school, wear a brown pinafore with an orange belt and be friends with the likes of Daryll, Alicia, Bill etc. I thought boarding school was all adventures and midnight feasts grin At the time my mam could barely manage 1s a day for my school dinner so heaven knows where I thought she'd get school fees from
hmm

oldgimmer1 Tue 24-Mar-20 20:35:23

An Enid Blyton one called The Boy Next Door. It had a houseboat in it, and ginger beer.

I wanted to be an Enid Blyton kid so much.

Also loved Black Beauty and Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.

I also enjoyed non-fiction, particularly anything horsey.

Treebee Tue 24-Mar-20 20:33:46

When I was about 5 my Dad read My Naughty Little Sister to me. I loved it as I did have one, still do actually!

M0nica Tue 24-Mar-20 20:23:06

Juliet27. I loved Pooky. A couple of years ago they were reprinted and I was able to buy some of them. They are just as delightful as I remember.

humptydumpty Tue 24-Mar-20 20:22:50

It's Heidi and What Katy Did for me, and for comics my dad brought Bunty and Judy, a real treat.

Juliet27 Tue 24-Mar-20 19:47:06

Pooky

almostelderly Tue 24-Mar-20 19:44:11

Enid Blyton, Little Women and the sequels. One of my tasks during the pandemic is re-reading Little Women, Good Wives, Little Men and Jo's Boys. I saw the film just after Christmas and it reminded me how much I enjoyed the books.

M0nica Sun 22-Mar-20 21:50:37

Little Grey Rabbit
Swallows and Amazons and all the Arthur Ransome books

My absolute favourite was the one volume Children's Encyclopedia that my grandmother gave me - and I still have. I enjoyed story books but much preferred books of knowledge like my encyclopedia.

Oopsadaisy3 Sun 22-Mar-20 21:43:53

Heidi
The Just William books
What Katy did and What Katy did next

My Dad used to bring me a comic home from the kiosk in the bus station once a week ‘ Judy’ I loved the stories in them especially Sandra of the Secret Ballet!

tinaf1 Sun 22-Mar-20 20:15:10

Little Women Black Beauty and like a lot of other grans I couldn’t get enough of Enid Blyton books

Trisha57 Sun 22-Mar-20 20:00:21

When I was 7, in Junior School, our teacher read a book called "The Twelve and the Genii" which was our first book with proper chapters in it. It was a wonderful story about a family that moves into the Bronte's former home and their discovery of tin soldiers under the floorboards that had belonged to Branwell Bronte and his sisters. The soldiers come to life and go on adventures in the house. What book inspired others as children?