Forgotten classic books for children

[Martin H]

My kids both loved Enid Blyton's The Faraway Tree series. For me it's the best of the Blytons, not as overtly racist as some others (although still a bit sexist to be fair). But fun.

[horticultural_hobbit]

There was famous five books, too. Where there the secret seven too, or am I imagining that? Written in a by gone era. Remember the faraway tree. Might Re-read that!


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[Sheneval]

So Many - Coral Island; All the Tom Merry Books; Cockhouse at Felsgarth; 5th Form at St Dominics; All the William Books; The Willoughby Captains; Silas Mariner, Midshipman Easy; The Black Arrow - I bought 50 of my favourites some years back and add to them every year when I am on holiday.

They are all on my bookshelfs for my grandsons, the eldest has already started on the William Books.

[Tripmeup]

There was famous five books, too. Where there the secret seven too, or am I imagining that? Written in a by gone era. Remember the faraway tree. Might Re-read that!


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Think I remember reading the Secret Seven too HH...

[veggiechicken]

Famous Five, Secret Seven and the Adventure series ........like Island of Adventure, Mountain of Adventure etc. I can't remember much about them now but I read them all avidly

[WPG]

Ah....Famous Five. There's 21 books in the collection, and I know this because I read them all to my son when he was younger. And then a couple of years later, had to read them all over again to the other son.
They really were good stories, though I did wonder whether hearing about Anne, the perfect tent-tidier, dish-washer and cocoa-maker, maybe wasn't the best example of gender equality!

[Mikey]

Unfortunately a lot of the enid blytons books are of their era, where a woman cooked and cleaned and the male figures were moody and distant.

I think the faraway tree avoids it a bit as you only really get glimpses of their time at home. I think any books which aren't complete fantasy are going to be tied to their timeline eventually.

[veggiechicken]

They really were good stories, though I did wonder whether hearing about Anne, the perfect tent-tidier, dish-washer and cocoa-maker, maybe wasn't the best example of gender equality!

I read them all but the Anne effect had no influence on me! I've never tidied a tent in my life!! Was it Jo who was the tomboy?

[Mikey]

George.

Anne, Dick, George, Julian and Timmy the dog.

[veggiechicken]

Yes, George
Must have been Jo in Little Women then!!

[Mikey]

There was a gypsy girl called Jo which pops up several times in the series.

[SarzWix]

Diana Wynne Jones was a great children's author. Her Chrestomanci series, starting with 'Charmed Life' is a good place to start, my daughter loves those. And when a bit older, the 'Howl's Moving Castle' series might go down well too, as Howl is Welsh.

[lottie dolly]

We still have some older books,in variouse states,also ones i got to read for our offsprings,and later grand kids for their visits,thinking back,the stories long and short bed times,were really nice and relaxing,not the violent stuff of today,

[julesapple]

I read The Famous Five and, indeed, anything by Enid Blyton. They affected the way I spoke (and, therefore my written grammar) which must have sounded quite priggish thirty five years ago - but, according to my last English teacher, a Scotswoman, it helped gain me a straight A pass in my Highers.

[Mikey]

as Howl is Welsh.

Do you mean Hwyl sarz?