Books that shaped your childhood

Post by **WelshStudent** » Sat May 30, 2009 7:21 pm

I was out buying a birthday present for my cousin's daughter earlier - I got her 'The Magic Faraway Tree' by Enid Blyton...and I wondered what were THE books that you loved as a child? Which ones hold those special memories?

(Yep I'm clearly and overly sentimental bookworm!

)

1) Pretty much all the Enid Blyton books, but my faves were 'Five Go to Smugglers Top' and 'The Castle of Adventure'
2) The Chronicles of Narnia
3) The Hobbit - my teacher gave this to me when I was 9...thank you Miss!
4) The Animals of Farthing Wood series
5) Roald Dahl's books - especially 'Matilda' and 'The Witches'
6) Black Beauty
7) The Secret Garden
8 ) Awesome Egyptians by Terry Deary - my first intro text to Ancient Egypt...thank you mum! lol!
9) Harry Potter Series - I was 10 when Philosophers stone came out...I grew up with characters. Big part of my childhood and teen years.

Post by **HEPZIBAH** » Sat May 30, 2009 7:59 pm

[face=Comic Sans MS]Amongst the many for me, and in no particular order:[/face]

~ The Family from One End Street. Written and illustrated by E. Garnett by Eve Garnett

~ Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman

~ Mary Jones and Her Bible by Mary Carter

~ Black Beauty

~ The Railway Children

Post by **New Gal** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:49 pm

I'm very sentimental about books too!

Definitely Roald Dahl, do you remember The Tiger Who Came To Tea?? Loved that!

Also used to read Point Horror books and later, Sweet Valley High...oh the shame

Post by **WelshStudent** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:38 pm

New Gal wrote:
Also used to read Point Horror books and later, Sweet Valley High...oh the shame

Oh my goodness NG! I loved the Point Horror books...do you remember 'The Babysitter? (was it I-IV? lol) and of course 'The Mummy'

Post by **Ebikatsu** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:52 pm

Beano and Dandy Christmas annual

Oor Wullie and The Broons Annual.

Never was one for childrens fiction apart from these annuals.

I loved the library but was always in the reference section and never in the kids section.

God I wanted so much to take those books home

Post by **DawnBev** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:19 pm

one of my earliest memories was with my dad in the library (I think I wa about 3 - 4 years old, cos we moved house when I was 4)- and I choose a 'Topsy & Turvey' book

love:
The Water Babies
What Katy Did next

(desperately trying to remember the others ...............................)

(showing my age !)

Post by **DawnBev** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:25 pm

just remembered another:

a poetry book by A A Milne

(can remember a poem about a mouse called John!)

Post by **HEPZIBAH** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:48 pm

DawnBev wrote:just remembered another:

a poetry book by A A Milne

(can remember a poem about a mouse called John!)

[face=Comic Sans MS]
I don't remember a mouse called John, but there is an uncle John in the poem Missing which is about a mouse. Do you mean this one?[/face]

Missing
by A. A. Milne

Has anybody seen my mouse?

I opened his box for half a minute,
Just to make sure he was really in it,
And while I was looking, he jumped outside!
I tried to catch him, I tried, I triedâ€¦.
I think he's somewhere about the house.
Has anyone seen my mouse?

Uncle John, have you seen my mouse?

Just a small sort of mouse, a dear little brown one,
He came from the country, he wasn't a town one,
So he'll feel all lonely in a London street;
Why, what could he possibly find to eat?
He must be somewhere. I'll ask Aunt Rose:
Have you seen a mouse with a woffelly nose?
He's just got outâ€¦

Hasn't anybody seen my mouse?

Post by **DawnBev** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:54 pm

no, thats doesnt sound familiar!

determined to find it!!

Post by **DawnBev** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:04 pm

What shall I call
My dear little dormouse?
His eyes are small,
But his tail is e-nor-mouse.

I sometimes call him Terrible John,
'Cos his tail goes on -
And on -
And on.
And I sometimes call him Terrible Jack,
'Cos his tail goes on to the end of his back.
And I sometimes call him Terrible James,
'Cos he says he likes me calling him names...
But I think I shall call him Jim,
'Cos I am fond of him.

Post by **HEPZIBAH** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:37 pm

[face=Comic Sans MS]Ah! I don't know that one.

The only other one that I could think of with the name John in it was about a mac (I think!), but I can't remember it properly at the moment so maybe I need to brush up on my A.A. Milne too.[/face]

Post by **Jane Akshar** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:41 pm

I love my childhood books and I have them all out here

Family from One End street all three
Little Women all four
Narnia all 7
Little House on the Prairie all 7
All Anne of Green Gables
Railway Children I defy anyone not to cry when she says Daddy oh my Daddy
Secret Garden
Children of the New Forest
Heidi trilogy
Plain Jane and For the King - civil war stories
Jane Eyre
Coral Island
Pollyanna

I reread them all on a regular basis

Post by **HEPZIBAH** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:44 pm

[face=Comic Sans MS]Jane - you are the only person I have come across who knows The Family From One End Street.

I didn't list all my favourinte childhood books but you've pretty much done it for me, and I've still got most of mine too.[/face]

Post by **DawnBev** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:41 am

just remembered the Helen Forrester books as well,

(cant remember the titles, but they are about her childhood in Liverpool when her father lost his job , money and servants in the depression, and they ended up in poverty etc, but her parents treated her very badly etc)

Post by **Jane Akshar** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:26 am

HEPZIBAH wrote:[face=Comic Sans MS]Jane - you are the only person I have come across who knows The Family From One End Street.

I didn't list all my favourinte childhood books but you've pretty much done it for me, and I've still got most of mine too.[/face]

I love those stories, don't you think they are a little like Egypt today. We forget what a short time ago things were really tough for working class families. And how really simple pleasures were treasured.

Post by **DIANA** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:51 am

I also remember the Family From One End Street. In fact we were read the book by our teacher in our 'winding down' sessions at the end of the school day. Do you remember Carnation Lilly Lilly Rose?

My own personal favourite has always been The Wind in the Willows, magical.
And what about Swallows and Amazons. The original womens liberation book.

Post by **HEPZIBAH** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:55 am

Jane Akshar wrote:
HEPZIBAH wrote:[face=Comic Sans MS]Jane - you are the only person I have come across who knows The Family From One End Street.

I didn't list all my favourinte childhood books but you've pretty much done it for me, and I've still got most of mine too.[/face]
I love those stories, don't you think they are a little like Egypt today. We forget what a short time ago things were really tough for working class families. And how really simple pleasures were treasured.

[face=Comic Sans MS]I actually think it's about time I read them again. I've been thinking about them for some while now, ages before this thread started, but just haven't got round to it. Maybe nows the time. Wasn't it the corner shop that had a sign saying 'If you've got nothing to do, don't do it here!'[/face]

Post by **Goddess** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:05 am

Ebikatsu wrote:
I loved the library but was always in the reference section and never in the kids section.

God I wanted so much to take those books home

Crikey! Thought that was only me! I think I discovered the reference section when I was about 7, loved that bit! Think I was about 10 when I checked out the complete book of martyrs!

Before I discovered the reference section I always had my nose stuck in an Enid Blyton book, loved most of the Famous Five and Secret Seven books. I actually found an Enid Blyton book last year and read it in about an hour - loved it!

Post by **Jane Akshar** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:11 am

HEPZIBAH wrote:
Jane Akshar wrote:
HEPZIBAH wrote:[face=Comic Sans MS]Jane - you are the only person I have come across who knows The Family From One End Street.

I didn't list all my favourinte childhood books but you've pretty much done it for me, and I've still got most of mine too.[/face]
I love those stories, don't you think they are a little like Egypt today. We forget what a short time ago things were really tough for working class families. And how really simple pleasures were treasured.
[face=Comic Sans MS]I actually think it's about time I read them again. I've been thinking about them for some while now, ages before this thread started, but just haven't got round to it. Maybe nows the time. Wasn't it the corner shop that had a sign saying 'If you've got nothing to do, don't do it here!'[/face]

It was the shop where thye went on holiday after measles and the shop keeper knitted with red wool

I love the description of the birthday tea, and Kate getting to grammer school and losing her precious hat