Your favourite book as a child
Discussion
I used to read a lot as a kid, devouring anything put in front of me. I went mad over Joseph Conrad, reading a number so close together that they've all sort of merged, Lord Jim patrolling the cliffs. Later I got into science fiction, Clark, Asimov, Heinlein, Kutner, Wyndham, not necessarily in that order. The Foundation trilogy sticks in my mind.
My aunt gave me The Strange One by Fred Bodsworth. She used to be a librarian at WHSmiths, the company running a sort of lending library back in those days, and was a source of recently published books. I would have been around 15, just starting work.
It's a love story, the first I'd ever read, about an inuk girl who falls for a Scot. It's focuses on the struggle between the pull of her culture and her love for the foreigner. The titular strange one is a barnacle goose which doesn't fancy the long flight to Europe and instead stays in Canada. Who cannot sympathise? The analogue was that she was similar; does she behave in a manner her culture dictates or can she follow her own desires.
The book has a fascinating background story, covering the life-style of the Inuit, but it is more than that. It is a discussion on racism and prejudice. A formative book of my youth, one that stayed with me for years. The writing lacks sophistication - I reread the book some years later - but it makes up for that with the characterisation of the lead couple and the struggle she suffers after being pulled in different directions.
I read it at a time of change for me, working my way into adulthood.
My aunt gave me The Strange One by Fred Bodsworth. She used to be a librarian at WHSmiths, the company running a sort of lending library back in those days, and was a source of recently published books. I would have been around 15, just starting work.
It's a love story, the first I'd ever read, about an inuk girl who falls for a Scot. It's focuses on the struggle between the pull of her culture and her love for the foreigner. The titular strange one is a barnacle goose which doesn't fancy the long flight to Europe and instead stays in Canada. Who cannot sympathise? The analogue was that she was similar; does she behave in a manner her culture dictates or can she follow her own desires.
The book has a fascinating background story, covering the life-style of the Inuit, but it is more than that. It is a discussion on racism and prejudice. A formative book of my youth, one that stayed with me for years. The writing lacks sophistication - I reread the book some years later - but it makes up for that with the characterisation of the lead couple and the struggle she suffers after being pulled in different directions.
I read it at a time of change for me, working my way into adulthood.
Lots of war stories and sci-fi, but the first book I really remember reading cover-to-cover was Jan Mark’s Thunder and Lightnings. Great story of friendship with a good streak of comedy running through it.
Loved that book so much, and finished up with a childhood obsession with the EE Lightning to boot.
Loved that book so much, and finished up with a childhood obsession with the EE Lightning to boot.
rednotdead said:
I used to like the 'Tim and the Hidden People' series whilst at primary school. Along with the usual Famous 5, Secret 7, 3 investigators, Willard Price, Hardy Boys.
I remember another Blyton series with a character called Fatty?
That rings a bell. A bit of Googling and...I remember another Blyton series with a character called Fatty?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Find-Outers
Fifteen in the series although I only ever remember reading one and thinking Fatty was a bit of a dick.
My favourite all time children's book is 'Midnight is a Place' by Joan Aiken. A story of betrayal and survival, from riches to rags, and involving the unforgiving mills of industrial Britain and, even worse, survival through scouring the sewers for lost valuables as a living. It is as grim as it sounds but fascinating and Joan Aiken is a brilliant story teller. i can't highly recommend it enough
Growing up I also avidly read anything by Mollie Hunter who wrote Scottish Historical fiction. My favourite was The Lothian Run which was about the Jacobites and a smuggling ring. Sadly that's all I remember of it as my copy went awol a long time ago and I've failed to track it down and it's now out of print
Growing up I also avidly read anything by Mollie Hunter who wrote Scottish Historical fiction. My favourite was The Lothian Run which was about the Jacobites and a smuggling ring. Sadly that's all I remember of it as my copy went awol a long time ago and I've failed to track it down and it's now out of print
I used to read all sorts as a boy. Fiction, non fiction, encyclopaedias... Many of the ones mentioned above featured in my childhood, especially the "William" and "Biggles" books but one that stood out is Survive The Savage Sea by Dougal Robertson - the story of a family sailing around the world and capsizing - and then how they survived for several weeks before rescue. I keep meaning to find a copy to read it again.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffor...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffor...
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.
Others I remember fondly include Elidor by Alan Garner, loads of Hardy Boys books and of course, pretty much anything by Roald Dahl. Hard to pick a favourite between The Twits, Danny Champion of the World and George's Marvellous Medicine.
Others I remember fondly include Elidor by Alan Garner, loads of Hardy Boys books and of course, pretty much anything by Roald Dahl. Hard to pick a favourite between The Twits, Danny Champion of the World and George's Marvellous Medicine.
Derek Smith said:
The Foundation trilogy sticks in my mind.
Same here. Always loved books, my 2nd-year junior teacher got me into sci-fi - he lent me some Asimov and some Tolkien, but it was the sci-fi that stuck more...hoovered up almost all of Asimov's stuff before I hit my teens.The other one that really stuck with me later on (early/mid-teenager) was Eon by Greg Bear. Think I read it at least once a year until I went to university...still enjoy it now.
Asimov, Phillip k Dick, Greg bear, Larry niven, pournelle (Jerry?) Frank Herbert, that was literally my teen years summed up with a sprinkling of Steven king thrown in.
I read and re-read Dune about 5 times, the entire Foundation series two or three times etc. I was just fascinated by hard sci fi for years. The stand by Steven king did me for about ten years of re-reads for some reason also.
All my reading was inspired by my mum bless her from a very early age because she encouraged it and let me read anything I wanted , all her books included. I think access to reading like this from an early age forms your mind and helps you a lot in life. Gonna be a lot of modern kids who miss out on this.
My niece was also encouraged similarly by my mum, from being a child, and is an avid reader. she won a free bursary for the top private girls school in Sheffield and has just achieved 9x A stars at GCSE last yr. She's been used to enjoying learning and books are just a natural part of her life. :-)
I read and re-read Dune about 5 times, the entire Foundation series two or three times etc. I was just fascinated by hard sci fi for years. The stand by Steven king did me for about ten years of re-reads for some reason also.
All my reading was inspired by my mum bless her from a very early age because she encouraged it and let me read anything I wanted , all her books included. I think access to reading like this from an early age forms your mind and helps you a lot in life. Gonna be a lot of modern kids who miss out on this.
My niece was also encouraged similarly by my mum, from being a child, and is an avid reader. she won a free bursary for the top private girls school in Sheffield and has just achieved 9x A stars at GCSE last yr. She's been used to enjoying learning and books are just a natural part of her life. :-)
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