A book loved in childhood: do you remember?

The Wind on the Moon by Eric Linklater. Dad read it to me and my sister when it was published, in 1944, before our youngest sister was born. The main characters are two girls, Dinah and Dorinda, fair haired and dark haired. I was Dinah and my little sister was Dorinda. Reading the synopsis now, I can see how, in those dark days of war and blackouts, we were inspired by their mischievous exploits.

ViceVersa

As a horse-mad child, mine was Black Beauty, the Jill series of books (Jill's Gymkhana etc) by Ruby Ferguson and Christine Pullein-Thompson's books. But I was an avid reader as a child (still am) and would devour anything I could get my hands on.

I was similar, loved Black Beauty, but also read Poe and Kingsley, the Water Babies Mrs Do As You Would Be Done By. Of course all the Narnia books and Alice. Everything seemed to have a strong moral message in those days. I was a weird, asthmatic bookish child.

The Hobbit, which lead me on to reading The Lord of the Rings which was only just being published at the time.

I read avidly throughout my childhood and all the series of: Bobbsey Twins, Famous Five, Secret Seven, Jennings, Billy Bunter, Heidi, Cherry Ames etc. etc. and especially loved the William books.

Loved 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huckleberry 'Finn' as their way of life appealed a lot to me, stuck in a city suburb as I was.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Oreo

The children of Green Knowe series.A bit spooky, modern day children and Tudor children.
Black Beauty, a real classic.
The Owl Service.

Elidor

The Weirdstone of Brisingamen
The Moon of Gomrath
Loved Alan Garber and my primary school teacher who introduced him to me knowing I loved the Narnia books.

https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202509/medium-aodsgw-20250922-130232.jpg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202509/medium-2dc97l-20250922-130246.jpg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202509/medium-4qzdqm-20250922-130300.jpg%3C/span%3E

Now for the photos.

I thought you might be interested in this very special (to me) book, A Staircase of Stories, which I have inherited from my father's side of the family. He was the youngest of four, born in 1940, and his oldest sister was born in 1930 so I would imagine that this edition would have been printed in the 1920s. I would imagine that it would have been very expensive at the time as there are colour illustrations in addition to black and white. This side of the family were not very well off so I wonder if it was a present to my aunt from a wealthier relative. It is a very clever idea as it starts with stories for very young children and progresses up the staircase to stories for older children. It is a mixture of fairy tales, folk tales and Victorian morality tales, including the fearsome Mrs Sherwood's Fairchild Family. I loved all these stories as a child.

I loved the books of Lorna Hill - A Dream of Sadlers Wells was the first. They were hard bound and cost 10/6d and I used to have to save up all year to buy one on holiday. I have now managed to collect all 27 books that she wrote. They were about very posh people living in castles in Northumbria and wanting to be Prima ballerinas. I think they were pure escapism for me.

This is a lovely thread and is invoking so many memories.
My love of reading began as a small child and now as an old lady is one of my greatest pleasures. My standout favourite is the Secret Garden and I still have my childhood copy.

Pooky the Flying Rabbit
Everything Enid Blyton
The Borrowers
The Narnia Series

I so loved Pookie. Some of the books were republished a decade or so ago and i bought them and still have them on my book shelf.

The Pookie books. Pookie was a rabbit with wings…..I loved them.

Many memories here. Also the Lone Pine adventures by Malcolm Saville for me.

Heidi, Oliver Twist, Treasure Island, Last term at St Margarets, Dolphin Summer - and the back of any cereal packet that was on the table 😂

There's far too many. Most of which have been mentioned here. I would find an author and read everything I could.

I loved Mabel Esther Allen books! Before those, it was the Chalet School, LittleWomen, What Katy Did, and , most of all, Anne of Green Gables. ( I still have the original copy that I read. It was my mother’s school prize in 1939. ) Earlier, it was Enid Blyton, and Milly, Molly Mandy.

Joseph E Chipperfield books about animals. Wolves, wild horses etc. Ghost Horse was my favourite. And White Fang and The Call of the Wild. National Velvet ( which I don’t think of as a children’s book as it covers so many issues).

Anne of Green Gables. I read it maybe 12-15 times (sad but true)

Fran53

Mine was a series of books about a young girl named Drina who attended a ballet school I think was in London, I've forgotten the name of the author. I'd love to re-read them if only I could find them. No-one else seems to know what I'm talking about but I know I'm not imagining it!

They are by Jean Estoril, otherwise known as Mabel Esther Allen. I was more or less grown up by the time they were published, but I have read and loved them, all the same. I’m not sure whether they are still in print, but they have been reissued from time to time.

Ballet for Drina, Drina’s Dancing Year, Drina Dances in Exile etc etc.

I loved Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse, then Little Grey Rabbit, all the Enid Blyton books, Noel Streatfield books and a load of others.

I remember the first book I tried to read. It was shaped like a house with doors that opened to a different room on each page. Only words I can remember were ' now who's hiding behind this door' and 'golly in the kitchen bright cooking dinner for tonight. I couldn't understand 'tonight' and pronounced it Ton gite. Oh to be a 5yr old learning to read.

I adored The Borrowers and Stig of the dump.
I also loved Oh the Brave Music which follows the life of 7 year old Ruan up until her teenage years. Set in Yorkshire, I have read it so many times.

Mine was a series of books about a young girl named Drina who attended a ballet school I think was in London, I've forgotten the name of the author. I'd love to re-read them if only I could find them. No-one else seems to know what I'm talking about but I know I'm not imagining it!

I fiound a small, grotty edition of 'The Secret Garden' in the library and loved it. I read it again and again. I was also enthralled by the Narnia books and enchanted by the bizarre wit and clever nonsense of the two 'Alice' books.

My daughter was equally obsessed by the cleverness of Lewis Carroll and her own daughter is named after the eponymous heroine.