Forgotten classic books for children

[Mikey]

I've been reading a book to my daughter which my wife remembers reading when she was a little girl. Found in a childrens second hand book store in Hay on Wye.

It is called 'My sister the horse', its a lovely story about a 10 year old little girl who has to put up with her 5 year old sister who acts like a horse. Its an early 70's book set in America, about a family of Polish immigrants.

It is beautifully written, and quite funny especially if you can attempt, Polish, Italian and African Caribbean accents.

I'm now looking for other less known stories, from peoples childhood that I can find to read to my little girl. So if you can remember some of those less known classics, please post them here.

[Mikey]

I should have titled this differently, it sounds like I'm asking people to name bad books.

If someone can retitle it for me, can you rename it forgotten classic books for children. That sounds so much better.

[Peas'n'Kews]

I adored "Stormy, Misty's foal" when I was about 11 - fraid I have no idea who it was by, and I think there was a pre-cursor (Misty something something) - also about horses (I was adicted to horses at that age) - off to google them to see if I can find them.

Oh, and also for young teens "The Phantom Tollboth".

If I can find authors I'll update the thread.

"Misy of Chincoteague " by Marguerite Henry along with "Stormy, Misty's foal" and now I'm going to have to go buy them from Amazon, may hate you.......

The Phantom Tollboth by Norton Juster....
<sigh>

[di]

Ned The Lonely Donkey.

[Moo's Mum]

I remember reading a book called something like "The travels of Oggy". I used to read it over and over again as a child. It was about a hedgehog trrying to cross London. It started a life long love of the little creatures!

[mothhawk]

Two of my favourites are:

"Greatheart" by Joseph E Chipperfield is a tale about an Alsatian pup who ran away in fright, spends time in the wild growing up, and circuitously finds his way back to his master, who has become blind, to end up as his guide dog.

"Snow Cloud Stallion" by Gerald Rafferty is about a young boy growing up in Vermont, who dicovers, and gradualy tames, a 'wild' stallion.

And I adored the "Silver Brumby" books by Elyne Mitchell, about wild horses in Australia.

(I was pony mad as a child)

[Uber-Uncool]

The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton

I read and loved it as a child, my daughter read it, though her brother has never been much a reader. Only when they got older did the character name of 'Fanny' cause a fit of giggles!

[Florence Fennel]

The Yami of Yawn is a good one for bedtime and of course the classic Tiger Who Came To Tea. They're not from my childhood, but my children loved them and the youngest is 34!

[Florence Fennel]

The boys loved Greedy Glutton Garth

[horticultural_hobbit]

The famous five books. Used to read them cover to cover if ever I was feeling a bit under the weather. Occasionally the faraway tree. Never tried Malory towers.

[veggiechicken]

All the Roald Dahl Books although they're not really old books. I still read them!

[Creemteez]

The Little Wooden Horse was a great favourite. I remember the Brumby Books too, Mothhawk. And The Black Stallion series and the "Jill" series (A Pony for Jill, Jill Has Two Ponies etc). I too was a pony freak - can you tell? The Narnia Chronicles of course are still hugely popular. My sisters used to read them to me when I was too young to read them myself, and it was years before I could bring myself to read The Last Battle as I didn't want the story to end...

[VirginVegGrower]

Milly Molly Mandy books.

[Jeanied]

The ones they ask me for now are

David Walliams
Roald Dahl
Michael Morpurgo

[salome2001]

as previously mentioned:
Milly molly mandy
the silver brumby books
Mallory towers

Also May Gibbs' Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and Norman Lindsay's The Magic Pudding. And the Billabong series (read my mum's books that she had as a child) . All Australian there...

I also developed a fascination with Biggles books when I was at uni- would read them as "brain breaks" during exam time. I haunted second hand sales and church fetes. I probably have close on 50 titles and I think some of them were furst editions, I wonder if they are actually worth anything???