What were your favourite books as a Child ?

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Richard
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What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by Richard »

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I still have six of them from the 1950's !!!

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jemberelli
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by jemberelli »

I remember being a real fan of Enid Blyton. I loved The Mallory Towers and St Clares series and also The Famous Five, Secret Seven and the Nancy Drew books! I was an avid reader and before long had left my children's books behind to read my mum's Agatha Christie & Catherine Cookson collections. I still read as much as I can and always have a pile of real books and a load of electronic books to get through!
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Mo
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by Mo »

I too 'always had my nose in a book'. With one hand on the bedside light switch to turn it off when I heard a downstairs door open.
One of our teachers tried to encourage us to read and even tell our parents, if asked to do anything that 'I'm reading a book' - sounded good to me!
I didn't need encouraging - I'd read a sauce bottle if that was all there was.
Yes Enid Blyton, though I can remember a feeling of betrayal after taking Sunny Stories which I thought was written by her my friends started reading the Enid Blyton Magazine.
I now find, after all these years, that, according to http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/magazine-listing.php
Enid Blyton parted company from Newnes and Sunny Stories in 1953 and launched Enid Blyton's Magazine with Evans Brothers. The reason for this was that Newnes were only prepared to advertise the books that they published and Enid wanted a much broader field to advertise her books, jigsaws, toys and games. This magazine ran to 162 issues until Enid's failing health caused its closure in 1959.

I used a local library and would often finish a book on the walk home. And bought, still have, cheap editions of classics like Little women, Heidi (gosh isn't that pi when you reread it). I remember competing with my mother for our copy of Jane Eyre, which she was rereading at the same time.

I must have been at secondary school when I started on Dickens, I borrowed them from a 'not grandfather', covered them with brown paper and read them on the train journey. Plodded through really - I can't remember being enthralled. But Kept going back for more.
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KathJ
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by KathJ »

I was just like you jemberelli, I absolutely loved Mallory Towers and St Claires and was desperate to go to boarding school {rofwl} I too then progressed to my mums Agatha Christie and Catherine Cookson. I always have to have a book on the go now and usually have 3 or 4 waiting on my Kindle, I start to feel a bit panicky when I'm down to the last one yike* I must admit a love a proper book but electronic ones are so much easier and I'm afraid I'm now a convert!
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Mo
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by Mo »

There's something satisfying about a children's book, at any age.
I didn't discover the Hobbit, Narnia, and Sword in the Stone till I was at Keele (Hobbit was read aloud over supper with a group of friends - actually the authors son was RC chaplain)
My room-mate in the YMCA at my first job (yes, really, a mixed Y) was into SciFi - that started a new passion. Which my son enjoyed later.
Then found Ezra Jack Keats (http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/section/books-characters/ Roald Dahl, Arthur Ransome, E. Nesbitt, Edward Eager, (Half magic etc) Elizabeth Beresford, (gosh - only just realised that her magic books and the Wombles were written by the same person) while taking my children to the library. Younger daughter was into horses as a teenager so charity shops were scoured and our shelves filled with pony books.
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by Mo »

I found Rupert and the like confusing. Didn't know if I had to read the short or long version of the text.
But still have my I Spy annuals. And various I Spy books. That was a craze when I was about 10 'excuse me, what breed is your dog?'
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Meanqueen
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by Meanqueen »

I liked the Famous Five and Secret Seven. And Rupert when I was younger, and Muffin the Mule. I was given Nicholas Nickleby when I was a bit older, I was well miffed because my sister got a really nice present. Never did read the book.
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by Mad Chick »

I loved reading as a child (how lovely to have the time to sit and read for hours on end!).

My first love was Heidi - I was too young to read it myself but my mum would read it to me every night. She would also read Roald Dahl which my brother preferred. The Roald Dahl books (particularly James & The Giant Peach, my brothers favourite) brought back lovely memories when I used to read them to my children - happy days!

When I was reading for myself I loved Enid Blyton, particularly The Adventure Series and Mallory Towers. As I got older Tolkien was a firm favourite and I would read his books again and again until they fell apart.

Another favourite was Little Women and then from the opposite end of the spectrum Flowers In The Attic which my mum confiscated from me when she found out what it was about {rofwl}
Lucy x


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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by jemberelli »

Haha, I loved Flowers In The Attic too and earlier on the Judy Blume books. There are too many to mention, I read that much and every time I read another reply on this post I think, oh yes, that one too, how could I forget?! I didn't get to Tolkein until my thirties but loved The Hobbit and LOTR trilogy but I have never finished The Silmarillion - one day!
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by sandy »

There seems to be a bit of a pattern here, I went from Enid Blyton to Agatha Christie. I loved the Famous Five and the Adventurous Four. I read the Narnia books and Michael Moorcocks Prince Corum series when a teenager. My absolute favourite as a child though were the Mandy and Judy comics. Now I read so little as never have time, when i used to go on beach holidays I could get through a Jackie Collins in a day, and a Stephen King in 2 days. I love biographies of the old stars like Bette davis,lauren Bacall and jean Harlow. Its such a shame as when I do have a bit of time to read I am catching up on the Radio Times or Your Chickens of course {rofwl}
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by Spreckly »

Enid Blyton for me too - Famous Five and Secret Seven. I also remember a book called Punchbowl Midnight by Monica Edwards. I had Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories when I was very young. Ask a teenager I loved Monica Dickens, particularly Mariana, which I still have and read. I discovered Francis Brett Young's books when I was a late teenager, have quite a collection, and still read them periodically - my favourite is My Brother Jonathan.

I too would read anything on the table - cereal packets, etc.

I don't have a kindle - OH loves his, I just love the feel of a book, and being able to turn the pages over, and to easily turn back to a part I want to read again.

Love the thread Richard, and your piccie.
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by KarenE »

I was a Famous Five and Secret Seven girl, and when I was tiddly I used to love the Magic Faraway Tree. I quite liked the Mallory Towers books but they were so alien to me (boarding schools) I never really loved them like I did the Famous Five. I loved the Narnia books, and I read a fair few Doctor Doolitle ones as well and quite liked the Five Children and It books too. My mum weaned me off children's books with Catherine Cookson which was a bit different to say the least!

I'm reading a lot more lately, so pleased I have got back into it. I'm also reading a fair bit of modern popular children's books as am thinking of writing some, although you do get some funny looks in the library!
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by sandy »

How can I have forgotten my absolute favourite book when I was little that made me cry every time I got to Ginger's demise, Black Beauty. Loved Silver Blaze too.
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by kitla »

Anyone else remember Milly Molly Mandy? Along with Winnie the Pooh & Peter Rabbit, these are the books I remember most as a child. I think the Lion, Witch & Wardrobe were the first books I actually read cover to cover myself, & I dont remember reading another book right through for years until I found the Flowers in the Attic series. (recently discovered I have ADD & find it hard to keep attention on a book unless it really grabs me)
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Mo
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Re: What were your favourite books as a Child ?

Post by Mo »

I had one or two Milly Molly Mandy (or maybe 1 book with several short stories in). And Ameliaranne. They seemed a bit old fashioned even back in the late 40s.

Hmmm, the things you find out when you come back to things. The Ameliaranne series had one illustrator but several author(esse)s. and was written between 1920 & 1950. Someone who bought me birthday presents must have liked them, I recognise 5 of the titles.
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