The children’s book you remember best

It was a book about doing experiments like boiling water in a paper bag over a candle. Very stimulating of curiosity. Alas, I can't remember the title or author but it probably set me on a path of finding out and thinking independently.

Wow! I've never seen such a long thread!
I'll just add mine:

'The Children Who Lived in a Barn'
'Little Women'
What Katy Did' series
'Ballet Shoes'
'Swallows & Amazons'
The 'Famous Five' Books

There were so many, I would bore you all sick if I listed them.

I learned to read when I was five, "Thank you, Mrs. Hamilton, you were the world's best teacher of Primary 1. Hope you are enjoying Heaven."

She must be there by now, as she was the mother of a 20 something year old son, when I was five, 65 years ago, so even if she was only just 40 and not the ancient lady I thought her then, I would definitely have heard about it if she were still in the land of the living.

I have literally read everything I could get my hands on as a child, but if I have to name one book above all others then I think it must be Winnie-the-Pooh.

As a tomboy bookworm, my favourite books were the "Adventure" series by John Pudney; Monday Adventure, Tuesday... and when he'd finished the days of the week, Spring, Summer etc. Can't remember huge amounts about them now (Fred? Uncle George? Fort X?) but I loved them! Was also very found of Willard Price's Worldwide Adventures, and Jennings. I did read more girl-centred stuff too; Jill and her ponies particularly. I had the run of the library and my mother must have persuaded TPTB to allow me six tickets and to be able to use the adult section from about age eleven. Mum and I had six books each a week, my sister had four, and I'd read all of them (unless Mum's were really boring) by next week, some twice.

Ten Tall Oak Trees by Richard Edwards. Not my childhood book but one that I read to my son when he was young. It still resonates with me today, especially living in an area devastated by HS2
My younger daughter, now in her fifties remembers me reading The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway to her and her sister at bathtime. Of all the books I read to them this is the one that sticks in her mind.
My own favourites, The Famous Five, everybody’s favourite but there are dozens of others.

Pookie and the Gypsies, first published in 1953.
It was a prize I won in a writing competition when I was at Primary School (around 1960).

The Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton, specifically the Magic Faraway Tree. I can remember wondering if I might find it in a local wood. I was a very imaginative child!

Cinderella, Ladybird edition. Madeline. Tales From Many Lands.

Just remembered (thanks to granMattie) the book I read over and over was White Boots, Noel Streafeild. I may not have been a pony girl but I certainly was a skater.

I remember loving Enid Blyton books. Was rather upset when I started at my grammar school and my Eng Lit teacher sneered at Blyton and said she hoped we didn't read them. OK they're hardly top literature but they really got the imagination going and were wonderfully absorbing stories.
Other than that, I loved Ruby Ferguson's Jill books - I think I imagined I was a pony girl at heart.

Probably "Ballet Shoes" by Noel Steatfield (sp?). We had very few book and no access to a library - this was a life saver. I probably knew it almost by heart...
Then I had the T. Triby book in French as I am bilingual.

Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingles Wilder and the Little Grey Rabbit Especially Christmas at the Rose and Crown.
At school Epopemandas and his mother and Pippi Longstocking.

Loved all the oldies, Heidi, what Katy did ,black beauty etc
but my favourite was All because of Gina . About a girl and a dog . I liked it so much that now I've grown up I bought it again .

Just so Stories. I actually purchased a (used) copy of this about 4 or 5 months ago.

It was the William books for me by Richmal Crompton

The tree that sat down
Beverly Nichols

As a horse mad 6 year old I was given Black Beauty as a Christmas present. I read it so many times the spine fell off and then the front and back covers. Still remember it and love it.

The Secret Garden
Famous Five
Little Women
Heidi

Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy and The Camel With The Wrinkled Knees. Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass.

Hetty58

Tarka the Otter - it had a lasting deep meaning for me, about the cruelty of life, nature - and man.

He wouldn’t let Disney have the film rights would he as he didn’t want them to Disneyfy it! But the film that was made was heartbreaking. I seem to remember reading a lot of books about otters but they all had tragic endings!

Tarka the Otter - it had a lasting deep meaning for me, about the cruelty of life, nature - and man.

Oh yes, Shadow the Sheepdog and Heidi. Also Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John

Just come across this lovely thread.
Water Babies and the scene where the boy came down the chimney covered in soot into the snow white bedroom was magical.
I practically lived in the local library and used to stagger home with Arthur Mee’s encyclopaedias in a string bag.
I still read and collect children’s books, with a particular penchant for pop up books.
The Little House on the Prairie books have been banned in America for their attitude to native Americans.
Also, many thanks for the reminder of the Jalna series. How I loved them and their distinctive covers.

Gin, I remember the Dimsie books. They were by Dorita Fairlie Bruce. They were set just after the Great War. I loved them and identified very much with Rosalind (the one that always cried!)

I liked that series as well Twiceasnice also Enid Blyton Rockingdown mystery, Rilloby Fair mystery etc. My mother had a very old victorian book called Bonny. About a little orphan girl. I read it several times and always cried.