The children’s book you remember best

Oh that’s lovely.
Have you seen the film?
It makes DH cry.
So many children’s books…
I’ll be back with pictures Maw

I have heard of it but not read it so I just looked up the synopsis of it and it’s had me in tears…?

As a very little girl, the Little Grey Rabbit books by Alison Uttley.
The illustrations are perfection.
This was the first one that I read

I used to be addicted to those sweet valley high books

Oh, I see you said one book.
I’ve got one for every stage of childhood!

In the last term of the last year this was read to our class by Mrs Ruth Stott ( my best teacher ever, I’d love it if she was on here).
I read it to ‘my kids’ a few yesterday ago, and it has aged so well.
A classic

For me it was "The Twelve and the Genii" by Pauline Clarke. The story is about twelve toy soldiers that are discovered by a boy in the house previously lived in by the Bronte family. The soldiers come to life and have various adventures. This was read to us at school one chapter at a time at the end of the school day and has always stayed with me. I managed to buy a copy on Amazon a few years ago and re-read it. It brought back so many memories. I'm keeping it for my 9 year old GD to read eventually.

The Faraway Tree Series rings a bell for me. Enid Blyton, so I think names and events have been changed.

Shinamae

I have heard of it but not read it so I just looked up the synopsis of it and it’s had me in tears…?

It’s a three packets of Kleenex book/film (although the impact of the book was greater)
I might hesitate to read it to my grandchildren these days because of the potential fall-out!

Cue for Treason! Longed to be Kit dashing round the country with the acting troupe and madly in love with Peter, my hero.
It's torture just naming one Maw.

FannyCornforth

As a very little girl, the Little Grey Rabbit books by Alison Uttley.
The illustrations are perfection.
This was the first one that I read

I loved those books too, FannyCornforth. I have always remembered a line from one of the books
"What a bedful of bunnies!" and there they all were with their little heads on the pillow. Wonderful illustrations.

I think that mine would be Treasure Island as, although Blind Pugh and the black spot scared the living daylights out of me, I thought that the idea of sailing to a tropical island with a treasure map was romantic.
Today’s child has such a wealth of books to choose from and my grandchildren keep me up to date with children’s authors.

I loved the Faraway Tree with Silky and Moonface. I can’t wait to read it to the grandchildren when they are older.

Funnily enough I was talking about this one with a sibling the other day - dug it out and re-read it only yesterday! Nobody else ever seems to have heard of it, but it’s a really cracking read.
Published in the 50s but doesn’t really seem dated.
Also very funny in places, it’s a detective/action/adventure story of two ordinary boys who go in quest of a valuable item lost 40 years previously. Partly set in the Essex marshes.

A few years ago I found this copy on abebooks, having passed the dog-eared original to my brother.
It would have made a brilliant film.

I infinitely preferred it to ‘A Madcap Brownie’ - listed on the jacket under ‘Girls’ Fiction’ - which was once a birthday present I’d completely forgotten about until seeing in print on the jacket.

Oops, forgot the pic:

Don’t know what happened there! Never mind.

It’s worth mentioning that the Little Grey Rabbit illustrations were by Margaret Tarrant

FannyCornforth

It’s worth mentioning that the Little Grey Rabbit illustrations were by Margaret Tarrant

Tempest, not Tarrant, sorry

Famous Five for me, oh the freedom!

FannyCornforth

As a very little girl, the Little Grey Rabbit books by Alison Uttley.
The illustrations are perfection.
This was the first one that I read

I'm the same Fanny, I adored Alison Uttley's books.
I bought myself an early Christmas present,"Christmas at the Rose and Crown".It had been published in 1952 and originally cost 4/6 pence. I'm not telling what I paid for it.
I love the illustrations as well and often wonder if they gave Gill Barklem her ideas for the Bramley Hedge books.
My other long time favourites were the Naughty Little Sister books especially when she was with Bad Harry.

I liked Treasure Island too Parsley3. My daughter once received a black spot from a friend she'd had a falling out with but the bit that stays with me is Ben Gunn dreaming of toasted cheese!

luluaugust

Famous Five for me, oh the freedom!

We still have several Famous Five books, inc. the first, which I’m going to start reading at bedtime to Gdcs next time they stay. I dare say the elder, coming up to 7, will want to go on reading it herself.

I remember my father reading FF books to us at bedtime, but he really did not like Julian, so often, when Julian said something intelligent, to help solve whatever the mystery was, my DF would say in an aside, ‘Because Julian’s a clever bugger…’ ?

I’m another Little Grey Rabbit fan. Lovely, lovely books. Then when I was a bit older, What Katy Did was a great favourite, along with Ballet Shoes. I still reread those two books, although there’s no need really - I know them by heart, almost literally. Both have unforgettable characters who could just as well live today, though Katy was 1873, I think, and Ballet Shoes 1936.

I loved Arthur Ransome , how brave the children ! But now I think , how daft the parents !