The children’s book you remember best

My DH is reading "The Speckled Panic" to our two youngest GC. It is by Hazel Townson and is a story about a boy who buys "truthpaste" from a strange little shop. Everyone who uses it starts telling the truth instead of polite niceties !

The Wind in the Willows. I was given it when I was about three, and my mother read it to me. A year later I could read it for myself. And I still have it

Oh, Grandma70s - how I loved the Family from One End Street!

As a pre school child I loved Helen Bannerman's descriptive language & the story of the clever boy, with loving parents, who tricked a tiger and as a result had a tasty supper! There have been renamed versions of the story but it has , understandably, still not shaken off the use of racist names for the characters.

What a lovely thread. I have enjoyed reading these memories. Many are friends from my childhood - Noel Streatfield, Little Women- and some (from younger GN's!) I read to my class - eg The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler. I wonder if others agree that Martin Jarvis was the perfect voice for the audio version of Just William?

Just remembered The Family from One End Street and its sequels.

The secret Garden.

The Famous Five and Mallory Towers.

The Children Of Primrose Lane by Noel Streetfield. All about a German soldier living in a neighbouring empty house near the children in the war. Very scary to me as a child.

I loved all the pony books too.
I really wanted a pony, but I may as well have wished for a rocket to the moon.
I had lots of pony books.

Miner would probably have to be all Arthur Ransome's books, closely followed by numerous pony books.

Ooh!
Daddy Long Legs.
I found that book when we were on holiday and loved it.

I can't say I have a definite memory of that, but it is vaguely familiar..

All mine have been mentioned except one, the earliest I can recall. Does anyone else remember Cecil the Camel, a handsome beast who joined the Navy and was decorated by Queen Victoria?

The Sword of the Volsungs
It was an old book when I read it. Full of stories of the Norse gods and also Welsh mythology

Alan Garner, Enid Blyton, Jennings and William on repeat! Also loved The Chalet School series. I thought being tri-lingual must be very cool.

Gerald Durrell's 'Rosie is my Relative' sticks in my mind as part of a long and very hot summer.

I love The Borrowers too, but I think I read most of what are childrens books when I was an adult.

I loved Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield but I also loved to read my brother’s Just William books.

The Borrowers was another favourite

luluaugust

Famous Five for me, oh the freedom!

Me too!

I wanted to be George and was desperate to have a dog like Timmy!

All Enid Blyton, then all Arthur Ransom books.
I had a poetry book of Walter De La Mare poems, which I read over and over, and knew by heart, I also loved my Mabel Lucy Atwell annual

I was horse crazy as a pre-teen, and loved any pony stories. marguerite Henry's Misty of Chincoteague stands out, as does My Friend Flicka by Mary O'hara. Both had sequels, and I'm sure I read them all.

Katie John by Mary Calhoun was a favourite as well, following the antics of a feisty 10 year old that moves to a new (old) house against her will.

There are so many good books for children. A few I have gone back to re-read and enjoyed them just as much as an adult.

CPL593H Another Alan Garner fan here, my favourite is Weirdstone, but I love them all. And he’s still writing, is well into his 80s now. I think they’re as good as anything Tolkien wrote and I’m a big fan of his writing. I still have all my AG and Tolkien books, they’re all a bit tatty, some more than others but I’ll never part with them. Or any of my other childhood books.

Nice thread Maw

My top 3 would be:
Alice in Wonderland because I remember being poorly and off junior school. Was put into mum & dad’s bed. With this book, a banana on the side cabinet and a glass of water. No mobile phones in those days. I was a bit scared when the front door banged shut as mum went out to work ‘back home at dinner time’ (which working class meant lunch time - mum only worked mornings). I gratefully lost myself in this book. Alice’s adventures with line drawings took me away from my worries.

No.2 would have to be The Borrowers.
This was read to us by our junior school teacher at the close of each day. I loved the concept of little people in hidey holes. Arrietty and Pod Clock. They were secretive and resourceful. I loved them.

And 3rd would definitely be Milly Molly Mandy in her pink and white striped frock with her ‘little friend Susan’. I adored the illustrated map of the village on the inside cover. As I read I referred to it many times.

Happy days!

Some of you are so young! Goodnight Mr Tom was something my children read, not me. The film with John Thaw is very good.

Someone mentioned Elizabeth Goudge. I loved Henrietta’s House, especially the illustrations in the edition I had. Oh, and Alice and Thomas and Jane by Enid Bagnold (NOT Enid Blyton).

My parents chose our house because there was a library a short walk away. I spent a lot of time there.

I read a fair bit of Enid Blyton but the books I remember loving best are The Borrowers, Ballet Shoes & White Boots and perhaps best of all, The Chronicles of Narnia. All much better in my imagination than the subsequent films & TV series.