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A book loved in childhood: do you remember?

(197 Posts)
SofiaA Tue 16-Sept-25 23:37:46

I've been chatting with an old friend about books we read in childhood that were not heard of much nowadays, and we came to discuss which made a particular impression, and why.

I loved Cynthia Harnett's book called The Wool Pack. Its about a group of children in medieval England working against smugglers. It was different because it was of a different time and about different life style. It had a lovely cover, I remeber, and I think that at first was what appealed.

Love to hear what book was special to you as a child that now may be forgotten...

GolferGrandma Thu 18-Sept-25 16:35:06

My absolute favourites were Cherry Ames, by Helen Wells, started with Student nurse and each one was about a different branch of nursing. My goodness she certainly worked in many!! I collected them all and believe there were over 20.
And I didn’t end up in nursing!

petalpete Thu 18-Sept-25 16:24:23

In the days when salesmen used to sell door to door my parents subscribed and bought the set of 'The Book of Knowledge'. I was enthralled by them and came across the story of the Secret Garden which I read numerous times and never tired of it. The film made many years later never did for me what the book did, ie using my own imagination. I think I may have imagined it was me, so long ago now.

Bluecat Thu 18-Sept-25 16:11:30

When I was little, I loved Winnie the Pooh and must admit that I still do. (Can't stand the Disney version, though.) A. A. Milne was very perceptive regarding character and I know a lot of people who resemble the denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood. Personally, I am a Kanga married to a Rabbit.....

I also loved some books which aren't so well known, such as "Wishing Water Gate" which I read whenever I was ill (which was often) and "Hobby Horse Cottage" which I borrowed frequently from the library. I think that the latter was written by Miss Read, who also wrote for adults.

Wasn't keen on Enid Blyton and particularly disliked Mallory Towers, as the idea of boarding school filled me with horror. I did like the Narnia books, and anything by Rosemary Sutcliffe or Henry Treece. I may have spelled his name wrong but he wrote some very good historical novels for kids.

Frenchgalinspain Thu 18-Sept-25 16:01:56

tanith

Heidi was a book I read over and over when I was young also loved The Famous Five books.

What an amazing novel .. I loved the film as well.

grannyro Thu 18-Sept-25 15:57:19

Anything by Enid Blyton, I devoured each and every book she ever wrote!

Jaycee19 Thu 18-Sept-25 15:47:45

Oops! Sent by mistake suddenly realised I couldn't remember the girls name from the set of books by Malcolm Saville. I kept the books for many years until I gave them to my granddaughter who took them home to America with her. The first one I read was Two Fair Plaits.

GrannaKaye Thu 18-Sept-25 15:47:45

Canadian here: so definitely Anne of Green Gables, the whole series and then the Rita series. Also loved Rickety Rackety House and The Borrowers...will need to try and find them for my 6 year old granddaughter who is now reading...

Forestflame Thu 18-Sept-25 15:45:30

The Famous Five.
Malory Towers., and lots of others by Enid Blyton.
The Jill books
The White Riders by Monica Edwards.
No mistaking Corker also by Monica Edwards.
The Mr Twink books ( about a black cat and his friends, I think that's where my love of cats comes from).
Any books about animals.
Like lots of other posters, I loved visiting our local library.

Jaycee19 Thu 18-Sept-25 15:36:36

I still have a set of books about a girl called

MayBee70 Thu 18-Sept-25 15:33:05

missdeke

I read all the usual ones but I loved Children f the New Forest by Captain Marriott and was set in the time of the civil war in England.

I never read the book but loved the tv series. I had a crush on ( I think) Humphrey.

missdeke Thu 18-Sept-25 15:29:52

I read all the usual ones but I loved Children f the New Forest by Captain Marriott and was set in the time of the civil war in England.

Blondie49 Thu 18-Sept-25 15:26:20

GrannyGravy13 Highly recommend White Boots by NS as well if you loved Ballet Shoes

Grandma29 Thu 18-Sept-25 15:12:40

Enid Blyton, Dorita Fairlie Bruce and ‘A Child’sGarden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson.
I loved reading as a child, still do!

MollyNew Thu 18-Sept-25 15:12:27

I read a lot of Enid Blyton including the Naughtiest Girl in the School series. I didn't understand most of what they were about as they were set in a boarding school, I didn't know what Lacrosse was and I couldn't pronounce Imogen or Hermione! They were nothing like my working class life but I would basically read anything.

My favourite was Alice in Wonderland which is obviously very well known. I read it over and over.

Annma Thu 18-Sept-25 15:10:59

I loved Richmal Crompton’s William books,The Chalet school series, Iain Serallier’s Silver Sword, Susan Coolidge Katy series.Iread all the Famous Five books despite Enid Blyton being out of favour nowadays.Iread lots of non fiction too, in fact as a child I never had my nose out of a book!

Menopauselbitch Thu 18-Sept-25 15:07:04

Moonwatcher1904

I read the first and second Mallory Towers by Enid Blyton and loved them. I never got round to the rest of the series until a few years ago when my daughter bought me the full set for my birthday. I finally got to read them from the beginning to the end.

I read all of them and the St, Clare’s ones. I begged to go to boarding school lol

Hev1959 Thu 18-Sept-25 15:04:20

Little Women, Swallows & Amazons, The Twins of St Claire’s

AnotherBirdLady Thu 18-Sept-25 15:03:59

Such a lovely thread - I had forgotten many of these wonderful books! One of my earliest reading memories is Charlotte's Web by EB White. I also loved all the Narnia books and the E Nesbitt Five Children and It series.
Does anyone else remember a long series of books about twins in different countries? I must have read nearly all of them. I just googled them and they were written by Lucy Fitch Perkins in the 1910s, although I read them in the 1960s.

MeowWow Thu 18-Sept-25 15:02:57

My favourite book was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.

Knittypamela Thu 18-Sept-25 14:52:40

I loved the Mallory Towers books. I used to beg my parents to let me go to boarding school. Thank goodness they ignored me.

BlueSapphire Thu 18-Sept-25 14:47:48

As a very young child (under 4) I absolutely loved the Mary Mouse books, which I think were by Enid Blyton.
I also loved Rupert Bear.

Milest0ne Thu 18-Sept-25 14:40:36

Heidi, Little Women. Wind in the Willows. Ann(e) of Green Gables
I read. Wind in the Willows at the end of the day, a chapter at a time to a primary school class. The other class behind the dividing screen also sat silently so they could also listen.

Essexgirl145 Thu 18-Sept-25 14:36:40

loved the famous five, the secret seven, and worzel gummidge but I couldnt read any of them now. I always wanted to read fantasy, but my mind just won't have it.

Bazza Thu 18-Sept-25 14:34:28

Enid Blyton certainly gave me a love of reading, I adored the Magic Faraway Tree especially, and the Famous Five. As a boarding school girl I soon realised that all books on that subject were absolute rubbish! I remember a set book at school called Moonfleet about smugglers and although a lot was written with phonectally Cornish accents I loved it although the rest of the class didn’t. I also very much enjoyed all Conan Doyle books, particularly Sherlock Holmes. I love reading and can’t imagine ever not having a book on the go.

stewaris Thu 18-Sept-25 14:32:28

ViceVersa exactly the same. I was horse mad, we couldn't afford riding lessons, and my parents bought me this for Christmas one year. It was a hard back book but I read it so often the sine fell off , then the front and back cover and, eventually, the pages started falling out. I was heartbroken. I did read other books as was an avid reader such as Oliver Twist, Little Women etc. I can still picture the front cover of BB when I close my eyes. I was gutted when it finally fell apart.