Children's stories

As this is National Children's Book Week and considering we were all kids once what was your favourite children's books?  These are mine: 

When I was at primary school I had the most wonderful teacher who read to us each week - the one book that I remember most and couldn't wait to hear what happened next was The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton.  Interestedly, I read this as an adult to my sons and I didn't find it as exciting as I did when I was 10!!

Who doesn't love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, it was magical and I still love this book as an adult.  My favourite character was the Cheshire Cat.  Did you have a favourite character?

I can't remember which of the Milly-Molly-Mandy books I had, but as I wasn't a good reader I use to look at the pictures for hours and make up my own stories.  I was particularly fond of the map of the village as this gave me inspiration for my "version" of the stories.  I also like to draw maps as a child so this gave me "ideas"!!

Another favourite was The Adventures of Rupert Bear by Mary Tourtel - the illustrations were full of detail and help me to "read" the stories when I had trouble with the real words.  Rupert is turning 91 in November and still looking good.

When I was slightly older I fell in love with Swallows and Amazon by Arthur Ransome (thanks to my brothers) - these were great adventure stories with boats, islands and discovery. 

I imagined myself going off in a boat solving mysteries and having the time of my life during the summer holidays.

And I couldn't not include The Little House on the Prairie books - I read and reread these books and just loved them to pieces.  These were and still are big favourites of mine.

And finally the book I still own and one I spend hours as a young child reading and looking at the pictures - it is the Richard Starry books - I had several but I was very fond of What Do People Do All Day? 

I had many favourite characters by Lowly worm was one I like very much. 

Hope you all enjoy National Children's Book Week - through books we can let our imaginations run wild and we can travel the world from the comfort of our favourite sofa. We can be a sailor one day and a doctor another or perhaps an astronaut - a spy or a child . .  books allow us to escape.

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.  ~Paul Sweeney

~oOo~