Your favourite book as a child
Discussion
DRFC1879 said:
Another vote for The Machine Gunners here. IIRC there's a character in it who can only say "Where you goin' now?" in a Geordie accent. It's something I occasionally find myself doing in conversation to the bemusement of anyone listening.
I was reminded of him when I encountered Hodor for the first time. 
DRFC1879 said:
I didn't have D&D ones but there was another series (IIRC it was called "Beast Quest") which my mates and I loved around the age of ten or eleven which I'm guessing were similar e.g. "If you want to fight the dragon turn to page 88, if you want to sneak away turn to page 100".
yes it was that type of book, once you'd read through it and followed the "right" path so to speak the book was pretty much dead. we are of course talking the era of the BBC B computer and the spectrum 48k, so proper role playing games didnt really exist. i did have a spell as a teen playing dice games and painting lead characters up for them, but the book version is what started those off.havoc said:
200Plus Club said:
Anyone remember the very first series of "role playing" dungeons and dragons type books also.? I had a few as a teenager and could happily read those again now.
I had at least 10 of them.
As for other childhood books - The Hobbit obvs, took me until i was 18 to get through LOTR though! we had pretty substantial bookshelves thankfully as a child and I worked on a market bookstore as a teenager so much choice from Wilbur smith to alaistair maclean to louis l'amour.
big raps to kids that read Asimov et al. I can't read it now nevermind 30 years ago! Consider Phlebas...erm, no thanks.
Nom de ploom said:
steve jackson and Ian Livingstone...had a few we swapped them at school - they were great for thier time and arguably a pre cursor to RPG computer game concept....
As for other childhood books - The Hobbit obvs, took me until i was 18 to get through LOTR though! we had pretty substantial bookshelves thankfully as a child and I worked on a market bookstore as a teenager so much choice from Wilbur smith to alaistair maclean to louis l'amour.
big raps to kids that read Asimov et al. I can't read it now nevermind 30 years ago! Consider Phlebas...erm, no thanks.
thats the ones! steve Jackson /Ian livingstone. happy days!As for other childhood books - The Hobbit obvs, took me until i was 18 to get through LOTR though! we had pretty substantial bookshelves thankfully as a child and I worked on a market bookstore as a teenager so much choice from Wilbur smith to alaistair maclean to louis l'amour.
big raps to kids that read Asimov et al. I can't read it now nevermind 30 years ago! Consider Phlebas...erm, no thanks.
I'd try pretty much anything but once I went beyond Enid Blyton, I enjoyed "Biggles" and especially "William". I have a few "William" books which I bought as an adult as my mother kin'ly gave the ol' books to a jumble sale. "William" stories stand up well and as an adult I appreciate the rich vocabulary and the gentle lampooning of so many fashions and fads of the time.
Yertis said:
DRFC1879 said:
Another vote for The Machine Gunners here. IIRC there's a character in it who can only say "Where you goin' now?" in a Geordie accent. It's something I occasionally find myself doing in conversation to the bemusement of anyone listening.
I was reminded of him when I encountered Hodor for the first time. citizensm1th said:
Biggles by capt w.e.johns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._E._Johns
I used to have most of the series in hard back as a child
"On 1 April 1918, Johns was appointed flying instructor at Marske-by-the-Sea in Cleveland. Aircraft were very unreliable in those days and he wrote off three planes in three days through engine failure – crashing into the sea, then the sand, and then through a fellow officer’s back door"
that must have made his fellow offices eyes water a tad
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._E._Johns
I used to have most of the series in hard back as a child
"On 1 April 1918, Johns was appointed flying instructor at Marske-by-the-Sea in Cleveland. Aircraft were very unreliable in those days and he wrote off three planes in three days through engine failure – crashing into the sea, then the sand, and then through a fellow officer’s back door"
that must have made his fellow offices eyes water a tad
Edited by citizensm1th on Sunday 7th August 20:45
Another vote for the Biggles books here.
Loved reading as a kid - still do actually.
Been some great suggestions so far
Famous 5
Secret 7
Machine Gunners - still have
Goodnight Mr Tom - amazing
Goalkeepers are different
Animals of Farthing Wood
Funnybones
Narnia - CS Lewis
Railway Children
Pretty much anything by Enid Blyton or Roald Dahl
There were some books which featured Ozzy who could transform into a teenager called Oz which always sticks out in my mind as well as the ones where you could choose your own story by deciding which page to go to next.
Been some great suggestions so far
Famous 5
Secret 7
Machine Gunners - still have
Goodnight Mr Tom - amazing
Goalkeepers are different
Animals of Farthing Wood
Funnybones
Narnia - CS Lewis
Railway Children
Pretty much anything by Enid Blyton or Roald Dahl
There were some books which featured Ozzy who could transform into a teenager called Oz which always sticks out in my mind as well as the ones where you could choose your own story by deciding which page to go to next.
I was an avid reader before I went to school and had a ticket for my local library at the age of four. I found the reading books in Primary one and two really boring as I was borrowing much more interesting books from the library. One that I remember reading over and over again was "A Fly Went By".
Here's a reading of the book - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYykQNQOpGM
Here's a reading of the book - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYykQNQOpGM
It's Watership Down for me. It was the first 'big' book I'd read, and my memory is hazy but I think I was quite young at the time - possibly 8ish?
It took me a while to out what 'Frith' meant and the gassing scene was quite traumatic but it was the death of Hazel at the end that was really powerful for a young reader. The death of the 'older sibling' / hero character wasn't something I'd experienced before on paper.
I loved the film version as well, but only saw that much later.
It took me a while to out what 'Frith' meant and the gassing scene was quite traumatic but it was the death of Hazel at the end that was really powerful for a young reader. The death of the 'older sibling' / hero character wasn't something I'd experienced before on paper.
I loved the film version as well, but only saw that much later.
When I was little my Grandparents had various 'Wonder' books from the 40's including 'The Wonder Book of Comics'. I used to love reading these because the stories were short and they had an oldy worldy charm. Much nicer than the scary public information films on TV. There was also one with old black and white pictures of landmarks around the world, called something like 'The World Wonder Book'I used to pour over that for hours.
They're not rare, plenty of copies are up on ebay, but my mum still has the originals, inherited when they died and I usually sneak a look when I visit.
They're not rare, plenty of copies are up on ebay, but my mum still has the originals, inherited when they died and I usually sneak a look when I visit.
Edited by SickAsAParrot on Friday 16th March 09:29
AlexC1981 said:
The Secret Island by Enid Blyton. I think I must have been about 9 years old when I read it. It was a school library book and I have never read it since, but I recall it being excellent. Quite tempted to read it again now! There is something alluring about having your own secret place, especially at that age.
This, and another of Enid Blyton's less well known books 'The Boy Next Door'.Hugh Walters science fiction series.
Pigeon Post.
Lastly but most of all 'Biggles Sets a Trap'. The best of them all and not a Sopwith Camel in sight.
These were all read somewhere between 6-10. You can't start reading too young.
SickAsAParrot said:
When I was little my Grandparents had various 'Wonder' books from the 40's including 'The Wonder Book of Comics'. I used to love reading these because the stories were short and they had an oldy worldy charm. Much nicer than the scary public information films on TV. There was also one with old black and white pictures of landmarks around the world, called something like 'The World Wonder Book'I used to pour over that for hours.
They're not rare, plenty of copies are up on ebay, but my mum still has the originals, inherited when they died and I usually sneak a look when I visit.
That brings back memories!They're not rare, plenty of copies are up on ebay, but my mum still has the originals, inherited when they died and I usually sneak a look when I visit.
Edited by SickAsAParrot on Friday 16th March 09:29
My grandfather's photograph of my father (aged about 10) was used on this one:
I have my father's copy and a print of the original somewhere.
My grandfather was a keen amateur photographer who made quite a bit selling his photos semi-commercially.
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