Forgotten classic books for children

[veggiechicken]

My junior school teacher used to read us chapters from "Three men in a boat" - Jerome K Jerome. I can still remember the hassle of opening a tin of pineapple chunks - at least I think I can.
Must reread it. This thread has awakened a lot of wonderful memories of books past and a desire to read all those that I have missed. You're never to old to read a children's story. Thanks Mikey and to all the contributors

[Mikey]

I think a well written book always leaves a lasting impression, in a way a film can't do. You have to paint a picture in your head and here it will stay for the rest of your life. I think you've all been fab, and I'm really looking forward to sourcing the books listed. If you can remember it fondly it was a very special book. Thank you all very much.

[chris]

The books that Chris is trying to remember are 'The Dark is Rising' sequence by Susan Cooper, starting with Over Sea, Under Stone, and they absolutely fantastic. Probably a bit old for your daughter, but get them anyway and read them yourself - they have a lot of connections with Wales later on in the series

I'd second the 'Milly Molly Mandy' recommendations, my daughter has loved them for years (she always read above her age too). Also, the 'One End Street' books by Eve Garnett give a great glimpse into working class family life before the war, I loved them as a child and my daughter likes those too. And what about Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce?

Thank you
1!!!!

Over Sea, Under Stone -t hat's it. Man, it's an *amazing* story. So immersive. I don't read anymore, but that book, and the one about the two dogs (Where the Red Fern Grows) have stuck with me throughout my life so far!

I've just bought the other, so will buy that one now.

[Hilary B]

The Green Knowe series are great, especially if you like 'doing voices'
Lucy M Boston.
I found the whole series (6 books) on ebay a couple of years ago, and still love reading them for myself!
Also "The Litle White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge
What they have in common is 'sort of magic'. It's not witchy magic, it's not quite fairy-tale, but somehow it combines a very idealised 'real world' (not that it doesn't have the 'baddies') with something that could be magic, or could just be the imagination of the characters... except occasionally the magic is very real!

[Mikey]

Well I just wanted to say a big thank you to you lovely peeps, I spend Sunday in Hay on Wye, where I managed to get;

Ned the lonely donkey
The Travels of Oggy
Oggy goes on holiday
Snow Cloud stallion
and
Silver Brumby Kingdom

So thats the next couple of weeks reading sorted, we haven't long finished reading Heidi, which was lovely.

If anyone hasn't seen this and thinks of anythings else, please add them, they will be read...
I've got a few others on order at the library at the moment, so I'm really looking forward to the next couple of months.

[julesapple]

I love Hay....must go up soon.

In this sunshine you really do need Swallows & Amazons!

[SimonSez]

Goodnight Mr Tom and The Midnight Garden were two of my favorites but they are very sad.

I also think its hard to beat Stig of the Dump!

The Hobbit is also very good and I still remember my dad reading me that trying to do a West Country accent for Bilbo!

[Mikey]

Just came across a childhood favourite story, and thought I'd add it here.

'The 27th annual african hippopotamus race' by morris lurie.

It was a devil of a book to find as it was written by an Australian and is only really available new there or the USA. Its been added to the littluns sack.

For those that didn't read it as a child, and from my vague memory of it. It tells the story of an 8 year old hippo named edgar who loves swimming more than anything else in the world, but gets teased by some older hippos who are bigger than him. So he gets a family member to train him to make him bigger and stronger so that he can enter the big hippo race and swim the great zambezi river. Its a very heart warming story, one of adversity and triumph, with lots of humour and some pictures if I remember correctly!!.

The story is geared at 6+ but I'm sure my 8 year old will love it, I know I did.

What books do you have on your lists this year?

[WPG]

Gosh, there's so many books I remember as a child - but probably my favourite of all was

''King of the copper mountains'', by Paul Biegel. It's about an old king, whose failing heart can only be kept alive if the animals in his kingdom tell him stories each night - hence a selection of short stories, some of them funny, some sad. There's a parallel adventure story within the book about his doctor travelling to find the herb to cure his heart.
I thought it was a brilliant book and read it many times. Later I read it to my own children when they were younger (aged about 8) and they were enthralled by it.

The other book which I loved was Watership Down, though I still remember being in floods of tears at one stage of the book.

[Bill HH]

I have read through this whole thread and I can't believe my favourite childhood book has not been mentioned, it coloured my entire perception of nature and in particular small animals."The wind in the willows"
Then one that was mentioned (VC) "Three men in a boat" I remember laughing out loud whilst reading that one as child.

I read both of those to my children and also "The Hobbit"

If I really wanted them to go off to sleep I would reach for my copy of "War and peace"

[Piggle]

Gobolino the witches cat - I remember reading that at school. There was also one about a chair that had wings ........ I think it was the wishing chair.


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum

[Mikey]

You are right piggle it was the Wishing Chair, written by Enid Blyton, there were a couple in the series.

I like finding the slightly left of centre books, ones which haven't received huge acclaim, but are fabulous reads.

I still love to read to my daughter, though she also enjoys reading to me now. Its very funny hearing her try to do accents, as all the books I've read to her over the years have all had accents. One series that she loves dearly are the Dirty Bertie books, in which there is a headmistress Mrs Skinner that I have given a Scottish accent to. However when she reads them back she becomes half welsh, half indian 'it aint half hot mum'. It leaves us both in fits of laughter.

I've saved the Kings of the copper mountain to amazon, thanks WPG.

[Mikey]

Gobolino the witches cat - I remember reading that at school. There was also one about a chair that had wings ........ I think it was the wishing chair.


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum

I had a little search and Gobbolino means little hunchback in Italian, piggle.

From the synopsis on wiki, it sounds like a lovely read though.

[Tripmeup]

..always loved Danny the Champion of the World

[Mikey]

..always loved Danny the Champion of the World

Me too, its one of our favourite audio books for the car too, I'm often listening to it, when nipper isn;t around...