A Classic Childhood Reading Frenzy (Top Ten Childrens Books)

Member Name: sandemp

Product:	Top Ten Childrens Books
Date:	02/08/05 (346 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Classics, will never age (anymore than they already have)

Disadvantages: Some may say they're old-fashioned | You won't find Harry Potter in this list

My children all know how much I love to read, but the question most often on their lips (when they see me curled up with yet another good book), is “what books did you read when you was little Mummy?”. Now I read lots of books as a child, and not all of them could be considered children’s books, but I’m now going to rack my memory and see if I can’t come up with ten of the most defining classic books of my childhood, and then explain why I felt they were so important to me.

These aren’t in any particular order but here we go, oh and In case you’re wondering, I won’t be giving any of the stories away :

---The Famous Five Books - Enid Blyton---

Ok, there are actually 21 books in the series (plus others written by another author), but these books will always hold a special place in my heart. This is because they were the first books my parents bought me after I had completed those Peter and Jane books. I was about six when I started reading Five On A Treasure Island and was immediately engaged by Julian, Dick, Anne, George and not forgetting Timmy the dog, their adventures and the way they always managed to “best” the baddies, who were normally the most horrible grown-ups. The simple writing style is perfect for the young reader, and even if they are a little old-fashioned now, they are still loved by children today (as my eldest daughter will testify to).

---The Hobbit - J.R.R.Tolkien---

This book was yet another landmark for me, in that not only was it the first “grown up” book that I owned, at the tender age of 8, but it was also my first foray into the world of science fiction. I loved everything about the book, from Bilbo, the unlikely hero to Smaug the dragon. This is a slightly harder book for a child to read, but was far more adventurous and (in my eyes at least) a perfect introduction into the world of fantasy. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to encourage my children to try this book yet, it’s a little too dark for their tastes and they prefer Harry Potter.

---The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgeson Burnett---

This is an adorable book, that I loved as a child (and still love now). It tells the story of Mary Lennox, a sulky little girl, who has been spoilt and doesn’t even know how to button her own dress. I guess it’s the ordinary, every day magic that transforms Mary’s life, that drew me to this book. I can’t remember exactly how old I was when I first read it, but I’m guessing I was under ten, and I don’t remember any of it being too difficult read, although I had a few problems with the Yorkshire accents. While I personally don’t think this book has aged (after all it had been published for more than a little while when I first read it), for some reason (yet again) my children think it’s old-fashioned. All I can tell them is that they don’t know what they’re missing.

---The Chronicles Of Narnia - C.S.Lewis---

Yes I know, it’s not one book, but seven, but these are such classics. How could any child not fall in love with the secret, magical kingdom of Narnia? I actually started this set at the beginning and worked my way through, so I could say that I watched a world develop from it’s birth to it’s death. As a child I can’t say I noticed the religious undertones, although having a broadly Christian upbringing, I did find myself relating to the characters and their dilemmas. And these books are as well loved by my children as by myself, they will sit and read them much as I did at the same age.



Gosh this is harder than I thought, I’m just realising that my childhood reading was actually dominated by adult books from a very young age. I just don’t remember reading that many books that were specifically aimed at the younger reader and now I’m wondering if I was ever a “younger reader”, or whether I simply progressed from school reading scheme to adult literature. Oh, I’ve just remembered another series of books I loved….

---Little House On The Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder---

The Little House was only one of a series of books, and I believe I had, if not all, then most of them. They harked back to a simpler time and charted the trials and tribulations of growing up in the pioneer days of America. The whole series is told through Laura’s eyes, from her time as a very young child, through to her adult life and marriage. Now please don’t think these books are as sickly sweet as the television series of the same name, because they are not. They show the good times, and importance of family life, but interspersed with these are the harsh reality of a life, where the family works together to survive. I haven’t introduced my children to these books yet, but after writing this, I think I’m ready to go and buy them so we can share them.

---Heidi - Johanna Spire---

Another much loved book, that again harkened back to simpler times. This time we follow a young orphaned and unwanted Swiss girl, and the way her infectious love of life affects all those who come into contact with her. From the alpine landscapes to the dark city, the way the settings are described is in a word, magical. This would of course not really be the book for a boy, but I’m sure that any girl from the age of about eight upwards, could not help but be enthralled.

---Just William - Richmal Compton---

Yes, I know, yet again one of a series of books, but again one I loved. Set in the roaring ‘20’s, I could not help but fall in love with this ultimate in naughty little boys. What I think I loved so much about him, wasn’t the fact that he was naughty, but the fact that he tried so hard to be good, and always failed. Now this book has really dated, and was dated even when I first read it, but that’s part of the charm. Strangely, my eldest son also loves this book (we have several in the series), and even now, eighty years after it was set, he can emphasise with young Mr Brown, although I now emphasise more greatly with his parents and siblings.

---The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling---

Now, I didn’t actually read this until I was in my late teens, but believe me I missed out. If you’ve watched the Disney film, then you probably think you know what this book is all about. Well I’m sorry to disappoint you, but unless you’ve actually read the book then you haven’t got a clue. Yes it contains Mowgli’s story, and his battles with Shere Khan, but the ending is rather different to the film. But Mowgli is only a small part of the book, there are several other short stories along with some poems. What I love about this book is the way Rudyard used the animal kingdom to show traits (both good and bad) that are normally associated with man. The younger child, might have difficulty reading this, but will love it read out loud to them.

---The Swiss Family Robinson - Johann Rudolph Wyss---

This was another classic adventure story that I loved (and still do), and told the story of a family shipwrecked on a deserted island, and their struggle for survival. I’m not sure what it was I loved so much, perhaps the way they managed to create necessities out of the few plants that surrounded them. Again the book is nothing like the film of the same name, but one thing it did do, is fire my imagination. So much so that I remember that at one point I was preparing to runaway to my own deserted island, and would dream of the snakes I would meet. Sadly, once more I have been unable to interest my children in this classic, so I can’t give you their opinion of it.

---The Bible---

Along with all these works of fiction, one of the most influential books of my childhood was the Bible. The first copy I ever owned was a children’s illustrated version, which was easy to read and only contained the main “stories”. But my most treasured possession is a leather bound King James Bible, that was passed on to me by my grandmother, it is very well read, if far more difficult to understand than the children’s version. I’m not saying that you should by a bible for your child, but it would be impossible for me not to include it in a list of classic books from my childhood.

So there you have it, ten of my favourite classic books from my childhood, each of which played an important part in fuelling my love for the written word, and each of which I would love my own children to read, and hopefully grow to love as I did.

Summary: The classics that shaped the way I read.....