Your fav author from childhood

When I was at my senior school the Headmistress asked me the surname of my favourite author and I said Dickens.
She seemed less impressed when I added”Monica” and told me I had to read”The shrimp and the anemone “ by LPHartley.
I did and he became a favourite author .

Callistemon,it wasn’t “A little Princess “ about Sarah Crewe was it?
There was a connection with Indiabut I can’t remember there being an Indian girl in it.
Our Geography lessons at junior school featured the twin stories,Brightone.
The Dutch twins were called Kit and Kat
We read the Eskimo twins as well .

Richmal Crompton’s William Books, also somebody John’s Biggles and Antony Buckridge’s Jennings and Derbyshire but I think the best one of all was the Children’s Guide to Shakespeare’s stories although I have no idea who wrote it.

As a teenager I read Denis Wheatley books and probably scared myself.

Then Jean Plaidy books which is why my knowledge of history was probably more imagination than fact.

What a lovely thread this is.
Thank you TrendieNannie6.
It would seem that overall Enid Blyton wins hands down.but it is lovely remembering books one used to love.

I had a book about a little British girl who lived in India and made friends with a little Indian girl but I can't remember the title or the author, times only a short book. Does anyone else remember it?

Also a couple of hand me downs about a girl called Ameliaranne - Ameliaranne Goes Touring was one, with lovely illustrations.

Oh, just remembered Kitty Barne's She Shall Have Music. I read and re-read that one. It was all about a talented pianist and how she won through despite the odds of having a totally unmusical (but supportive) family.

Much of my reading material as a child was handed down from older siblings, so in addition to many of the authors others have mentioned, I enjoyed a series about twins who lived in other countries (e.g. "The Dutch Twins") by Lucy Fitch Perkins and Fell Farm stories by Marjorie LLoyd about a family in the Lake District.
Reflecting on my early reading has made me realise how much it has influenced my life, including the languages I studied at school (the Chalet School series), my interest in the natural world (BB - The Little Grey Men, The Secret Garden), fascination with mountains (Heidi) and my sense of adventure (Enid Blyton, Swallows and Amazons). Powerful thread - thank you!
By the way, I recall Katy (What Katy Did) stroked her forehead to get rid of frown lines - never worked for me!

Enid Blyton's Famous Five and Malory towers followed by Arthur Ransomes Coot club.
As a Teenager it was Joan Lingards Through the barricade's that helped me make sense of the sectarianism that i was surrounded by.

Enid Blyton every time for me

Marionk, have a look on ABE books. They had a few Pookie books on there for sale.

Ah Maremia, the Ladybird books were wonderful. They can be bought on E-Bay quite cheaply. The older ones were famous for their illustrations which were beautiful. Many are now very outdated but the stories and historical ones are still okay to read. I've passed my little collection onto the grandchildren.

Ladybird books, especially the history ones, with the text on one page, and a beautiful illustration opposite. Loved the costumes. Anne Boleyn holding baby Princess Elizabeth.

I'm another one for Enid Blyton but my ultimate favourite was Noel Streatfeild. Isn't this a lovely thread?

What a lot of memories this thread has stirred.

Lancslass1 I loved the Abbey Girls books by Elsie J Oxenham, with the May Queens. I can still recall some of the names, can you? Joy and Jen, Maidie, but what was the name of the other main character, Joy’s cousin, didn’t they inherit the Abbey together or is my memory totally failing?

I think they were starting to be outdated even when I read them in the 1950s.

Secret Seven, Famous Five, Katy books and plenty more.

However, I was devastated when I read Child of China when I was about 9. Can’t remember the author. I think it was about the mass famine which killed millions. I particularly remember a part where the starving children found a rotting water melon, ate it and became ill and one died. Does anyone remember this book?

I suppose you read whatever is in your childhood home. We had a bound copy of HG Well's 'The Outline of History'. Well before I could read, I went through it cover to cover, seeing how the world evolved from the time of trilobites, through Ancient Egypt, loved the print of Nefertiti. It stopped before the rise of Hitler, so it was weird to see the sun sign, that became the Nazi emblem, in it's original context. Somebody mentioned the Enid Blyton adventure family. Was it the Valley of Adventure, Sea, Circus and River stories you were thinking of? Loved those ones.

Enid Blyton Adventure series. Sea, mountain etc.
A series about famous lives of composers.

"The Far Distant Oxus" by Hull and Whitlock. I yearned to camp outside on haystacks and explore the countryside on horseback having adventures.(I also fell in love with Maurice I think his name was.)

I adored Pookie and yes the illustrations were gorgeous, I still have one slightly battered Pookie book, but can’t find them in print now for some reason ☹️ Loved Alison Uttley too

Like many others I waited with such excitement for a new Jennings book. I. loved the Lone Pine Five series by Malcolm Saville, The Bell Family, all Pamela Brown’s books, Ballet Shoes, the Borrowers and the school books about Dimsie, I had a whole row of the books about this naughty girl. I must confess I still like reading children's literature: Alice in Wonderland, Wind in the Willows and my favourite of all John Masfield’s The Box of Delights.

No you are not the only one lancslass1 I posted Heidi on 17/2/2020

I keep checking.
Am I the only one who loved Heidi by Joanna Spiri?

I loved the Whiteoaks too, when I was in my teens, and actually still occasionally read the books.

Arthur Ransome was wonderful too.

Anne of Green Gables - a marvellous book.

Little Women, cried myself sick over Good Wives, Little Men and Jo's Boys. Was very suprised as an adult to learn the Louisa M. Alcott wrote books for adults that were considered borderline porno in her day.

I believe E. Nesbit wrote for adults too. I adore The Railway Children, The Treasure Seekers and Five Children and It.

Enid Blyton, The Chalet School, Milly-Molly-Mandy, the Borrowers and all the classic Little Women, Heidi, What Katy Did, plus all the sequels. Noel Streatfeild and Malcolm Saville Lone Pine books were wonderful. I loved Mabel Esther Allan, especially Seven in Switzerland - which contrasted rainy dismal Manchester with sunny bright Switzerland! Loved the Narnia books, and a book my son and I still love - Timpetill, by Manfred Michael. Annaram1 I also have the Tree that Sat Down, plus The Stream that Stood Still, The Mountain of Magic and The Wickedest Witch in the World. I did enjoy the Judy Bolton Mysteries by Margaret Sutton. I still have my collections and add to them via ebay! Oh I forgot my Angela Brazil books!