Childhood Books - A Trip Down Memory Lane

At no. 90 on my Day Zero Project is: Make a list of my favourite childhood books.

E is now 5 and really settled into Year 1 at school. It took a while for her to get used to the change from Reception but she is growing in confidence and is happy. She continues to flourish with her reading and loves to share books. This made me think about my Day Zero Project aim to write a list of my favourite childhood books, and then locate the books for E and A to also, hopefully, enjoy.

My memory doesn't seem to reach back to the fantastic paperback picture books that are weighing down the children's bookshelves upstairs. I must have enjoyed this type of book as a child. I vaguely remember Where the Wild Things Are but it hasn't burnt into my memory as a favourite. Instead I recall the older reader books that have chapters and just a few sketches in them, the kind of book where the pictures grow in your head instead of being presented to you on the page.

So here is my list that I hope to share with E and A soon.

The Milly-Molly-Mandy series by Joyce Lankester Brisley

These stories were first published in Great Britain in 1929 and each book contains a series of stories detailing Milly-Molly-Mandy's adventures with Billy Blunt and Susan. Oh what gay adventures she has mushrooming, having tea in her friend's tree house and finding out that the storeroom has been turned into her very own little bedroom!

I loved these stories and will start reading them with E soon. It will very interesting to see what she makes of them!


The stories of Ramona by Beverly Cleary

I remember having a secret wish to be American when I was younger so I absolutely loved these stories with their pantsuits, crockpots and candy. I managed to keep a copy of one of the books, Ramona and her Mother, and flicking through the pages brings all the stories back to me. I must have read them 100s of times! I particularly like The Quarrel with it's undertones of gender stereotypes and parenting roles:

The stories of Paddington Bear by Michael Bond

I found all these upstairs lurking in a cupboard smelling of old book! I don't quite know why I don't have the original A Bear Called Paddington, but will have to locate that to start E and A's education in all things Paddington Bear. Saying that they have had a bit of a start through a DVD boxset bought for them by an Uncle but I will have to persuade them that the books are best! I still remember Paddington baking elastic.

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Photo source - Wikipedia

This has always been my favourite Roald Dahl book. I'm not sure why as it is all very serious and based on a Father and Son relationship. It just set my imagination on fire though. I still recall the  Gypsy caravan, the plump raisins full of medication to drug the pheasants, and how scared I felt when Danny was driving the car to pick up his injured Dad. I am recalling all this from memory but that just shows the power of books and what they can leave in our memories.

The Mr Men books by Roger Hargreaves

Ah, a classic collection of books if ever there was one. I never owned all of them but definitely had my favourite; Mr. Happy, which my children now have a copy of too. The stories are very wordy but children just love them. My two also love the classic original TV series on DVD but obviously the books are far better!

Here is my favourite mug from the husband and broken glass *sniff* that my late Godmother bought for me as a young 'un.

 

So, what are your favourite childhood books?