What was your favourite book/books as a child?

I loved the Ladybird books, once I got the hang of reading, like Jack and the Beanstalk, Three Little Pigs, etc. I then worked my way up to Black Beauty and The Famous Five books.

I didn’t like Enid Blyton. I thought those children were so boring compared to the Noel Streatfeild ones in Ballet Shiesor example.. The children in Arthur Ransome books, beloved by my brother, I also found very characterless.

Anything horsey - Black Beauty and the Jill's Gymkhana series were among my very favourite books though. I also read The Lord of the Rings at a fairly young age and loved it. As an only child, I always had my nose in a book. We had a collection of encyclopaedia which I loved to browse.

Pookie
Borrowers
My Family and OtherAnimals

I have a copy of Good Wives which was my mum’s first prize at school in 1922. I’ve not read it but just can’t throw it out.

Out With Romany series

Grandma70s yes you are correct on the spelling of Streatfeild

Famous Five for quite a while, followed by the Whiteoaks saga, and Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances.

The Water Babies made me cry buckets - I was no more than 9.

At about 14 I loved Cranford and Northanger Abbey, even though they were ‘force fed’ at school.
They’re still favourites.

Anything by Enid Blyton.

I loved The Secret Garden and also read lots of poetry.

Tom's Midnight Garden.
The Narnia books.

I loved Little Black Sambo too. In spite of the now-unacceptable name, and the fact that he looked much more like an African child than an Indian one, it is still a good story, and he won!

Some of the Beatrix Potter books, particularly The Tailor of Gloucester.

1070s A hard back A4 size book about a pony holiday in the New Forest. It had black and white photos of the adventures these kids my age took part in. I would love to track it down and own it again as I now live near the New Forest.

Heidi, The Magic Faraway Tree indeed almost anything by Enid Blyton. Just made me remember Dodie Smith and The Hundred and One Dalmations.
I read avidly throughout my childhood and still love reading.

The Katy books , Black Beauty which made me cry for Ginger. Later I read the Chalet series for years, still reread it as an adult and still have kept a lot of copies

Also forgot all the Little Women . Particularly liked Little Men because it was all about Jo when she was married

Secret Seven, Famous Five, Chalet School, What Katy Did, Heidi, and when very little Milly Molly Mandy and Pookie (white rabbit with wings).

Just William books.
I had Little Black Sambo on the bookcase in a Nursery I taught in.

Magic Faraway tree for me. Never forgotten my joy.

Amongst many, forgotton....when very young - an easy version of black Beauty.

Later, Enid Blyton - yes, the Faraway Tree was number 1

I liked her character George in the gang.

Arthur Ransome top choice.

5 children and It, Edith Nesbit.

I could not get enough of The Chalet School series of story by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, oh I longed to be one of the girls.

I couldn't help noticing that most books I liked was where children have adventures and parents absent in one way or another. Or the factual Ladybird books.

What Katy did, later.

I discovered Just William as an adult and delight in them.

Oh, and Secret Garden was a later discovery and I still adore it and re read it.

Ooh, I forgot the William books! My father had a lot, I still have some and read for light relief now and then - so funny!
We used to have brilliant tapes of Kenneth Williams reading them - went down v well with young dds in the car.

Ruby Ferguson”’s “Jill” pony books - Jill’s Gymkhana etc
The Chalet School books too

"Jill" pony books, Black Beauty, & best of all Mary McPherson's "My friend Flicka".

Secret Seven, The Twelve and the Genii, Police Dog (by Kathleen Fidler).

LRavenscroft

Zoejory

Tom's Midnight Garden I used to get it from the library. I adore it. My mother asked is she could buy it from the library and they agreed. I still have it now.

I'll let you into a little secret. I am reading Tom's Midnight Garden in my 7th decade and am loving it. It is so magical.

I only read it when I was in my twenties. Even visited Ely Cathedral because of the book. I love it.

Germanshepherdsmum

I particularly remember from when I was very young a little book about Kanga the kangaroo who lost her pocket and had nowhere to keep her red and white spotted hanky. Her animal friends made her a new pocket from pussy willow buds. I loved that book!

Aw! That made me well up. I remember Kanga's Pocket too!! 🦘

Nancy Drew mysteries