h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For small(-ish) children I love to read illustrated books by Sven Nordqvist http://www.bookfinder.com/author/sven-nordqvist/ as example of translated books.

Imaginative illustrations with lots of detail, keeps kids interested. Not sugary cute, which is a relief.

At an early age I read all the Secret Seven books, then the Famous Five, then the 'Adventure' series which, yes, is Blyton's most enjoyable work. I then ploughed through umpteen Biggles books and, oddly, lots of PG Wodehouse (I'd discovered my grandfather's collection).

One of my favourites was the Jennings series, which I can still read today and find myself laughing out loud. Anthony Buckeridge really understood how the eleven year-old mind works.

I'm so pleased to find several people mentioning Malcolm Saville's Lone Pine books. There was something very special which set them above the general run of children's adventure stories. Perhaps it was the greater depth to the characters and their relationships but a big part of it was certainly the real locations used for the stories. I got a thrill finding myself at Swincombe Head on Dartmoor last year, the source of the 'Saucers Over the Moor', and I was amazed to find that I could find my way around Rye on my very first visit (and it all looked exactly as I'd imagined it, surely a tribute to Saville's descriptive powers).

As for poor old Pooh, I avoided him for years and never really got on with him when I did try reading the books. This was for a rather odd reason: I knew Christopher Robin Milne, who ran our local bookshop and was, to my young mind, a rather grumpy and intimidating old bugger. I've since been told by many people, not least my mum, that he was a kindly, gentle but somewhat shy person. I suspect my impression of him was formed because he found it difficult dealing with children who he assumed associated him with his fictional alter-ego. Maybe I should give Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore another go...?

Fantastic thread this one. My 6 year old has been reading various Blyton series, quite likes swallows and amazons. Last night he asked me to read to him out of something like classic stories for boys - it's got things like Prisoner of Zenda and the Count of Montecristo in it, which even back in the dark ages when I was young we didn't read! It's also got H Rider Haggard though, which I remember thinking very exciting as a child.

The oddest thing is when you read books to your children, and you can remember passages you read as a kid, and how you felt about the book then suddenly comes back in a flash...

strange sensation.

sprout

My favourite was Biggles. I think that I probably read most of the then published list of Biggles, Gimlet and Worrals books at the time, along with anything else by W E Johns. The aforementioned William and Jennings books also featured high in my reading list.

There was also a couple of rather good tales by one Angus MacVicar, ‘The Lost Planet’ which if I recall was turned into a BBC children’s serial. Most of my books came via the local library and there was something like a 6 week waiting list for reserved books for that one.

Now, since getting a Kindle I’ve been revisiting some of the books I read way back. Recently I tried the first Biggles book I ever read which was ‘Cruise of the Condor’. I still enjoyed it.

Deke

As well as the usual Blyton, Swallows and Amazons series, various horsey books etc I loved the Chalet School books.

Other favorites included The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. Whatever Rosemary Sutcliff books I could get my hands on - I remember both Frontier Wolf and Knight's Fee made me cry, very unusual.

I also enjoyed the Brian Jacques Redwall books. There was fierce competition amongst us to get onto the top of the waiting list whenever the next in the series was published.

oh King Solomon's Mines! The Count of Monte Cristo! brilliant.

Suddenly, a wild Odo appears!
Long time no see, girl!

*waves back to Milla*

I'm still here on the fringes. Real life is keeping me rather busy, so I don't get much time to browse and post here.

My sister was a huge Redwall fan: she must have about 25 of them. I borrowed and read a few of the early ones in my early twenties, and didn't regret it.

Odo - people are writing fill-in Chalet School books now, for all the missing terms, and there's also a prequel and a sequel. They're really good

Mol

The Dark is Rising! I love that series, but especially the first book. The descriptions of snow! I swear that is the reason I ended up in Russia. Snow! Like the Dark is Rising!

That's the second book, Sol. The first one, Over Sea Under Stone, is set in Cornwall during the summer.

Mol

Is that the first one? Very wicca man, that one? I confess I think it's my least favourite.

The only series where I will tolerate, nay enjoy, arthurian claptrap. Except the White book, of course.

Oh, and has anyone seen the film of the Dark is Rising? I haven't. I'm rather afraid to.

Mol - there are several Chalet School books in the series that I never managed to find copies of. I always wondered what actually happened to some of the characters. My own set (somewhere between 45 to 50 of them) I think were passed on when I thought I'd outgrown them - which I occasionally regret.

I've hung grimly on to most of my other childhood books, even the ladybird ones that my parents read to me when I was tiny.

Solnushka - I've seen the very beginning of the Dark is Rising film. If you love the books don't bother with it - it doesn't do them any kind of justice!!

I gather the Dark Is Rising film doesn't do anything justice.

Odo, GGB publishers are also reprinting the originals (full text - there were loads of cuts in the Armada editions) at £10 a pop. The ones you won't have read will probably be the final 20 or so, which actually aren't terribly good as stories, although you do get to meet up with characters you'd forgotten about etc. They still make great comfort reading.

Mol

I had forgotten about "The Lone Pine Club". I now remember reading and enjoying as many of these as I could get my habds on.

Billy Bunter anyone?

Down with Skool? Good old Molesworth 1

The film version of 'The Dark is Rising' was substantially different from the book. Barely recognisable...

A couple of books occurred to me recently - I don't *think* any have been mentioned so far (but I'm too lazy to check the backlog!):

The Paddington books, by Michael Bond. Loved his run-ins with the next door neighbour (whose name escapes me), and his trips to visit Mr Gruber on Portobello Road.

I (vaguely) remember a big, thick book, entitled 'The Adventures of Tim'. I don't remember *anything* else about it though

Mr. Curry