Top Ten Tuesday is an awesome meme previously hosted by the lovely folks @ The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl
Childhood Favourites
It’s obviously clear that I’m back at work since I’m two days late with this week’s topic! I’ve been so busy though I haven’t had time but I really (really!) didn’t want to miss this topic (I’m all about the nostalgia, man). I did a post about my all-time favourite childhood reads a few years ago (well, four years ago to be exact) which you can find here, and read if you are so inclined. 😉
I’m not going to list exactly the same books (although all of them remain among my favourites). Instead, I am going to focus on book series I read when I was younger that have stayed with me to this day. Some of these may cross-over with previous topics but hopefully this will put a new spin on my childhood favourites. 😀
1. The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton
Now, I’m limiting myself to just one Enid Blyton series (because if I didn’t, most of this list would be solely comprised of her books haha!) The Famous Five are probably her most famous series (and the first book was actually the first one of her books I ever read). I remember the 1970’s TV adaptation fondly too…
2. Chalet School series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
I adored reading about all the high-jinks at the Chalet School! This series was a firm favourite of mine throughout my childhood and I read pretty much the whole series (there were one or two I didn’t have access to at this time but they were read later).
3. The Borrowers series by Mary Norton
I read The Borrowers when I was very young and I also remember watching the BBC televised version a few years later. This series of books were fascinating – the idea that all your missing knick-knacks were stolen away by tiny people living under your floorboards tickled me when I was a young’un!
4. Follyfoot by Monica Dickens
I was obsessed with the television show when I was little and that soon spilled over into the novels written by Monica Dickens too. Definitely one of my all-time favourites…
5. Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
I admit, I first got into this series of books through the 1980’s adaptation starring Megan Follows and the follow-up show Road to Avonlea. The books hold a special place in my heart though.
6. Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry
I always vividly remember this series, especially the first book. Anastasia and her wart are firmly entrenched in my memory! This was a very entertaining series of books and I thoroughly enjoyed them when I was a kid.
7. Flossie Teacake Adventures series by Hunter Davies
I remember getting the first book read out loud to us in Primary school (remember when that was a thing?) and I loved it so much I had to seek out the rest of the books. The idea of a coat that makes you older is very appealing when you are a child and it caught my imagination. I was a fat, little kid just like Flossie (and was teased mercilessly for it) so I super-related to her!
8. The Magician trilogy by Jenny Nimmo
I’m going to sound like a broken record here but I first became aware of this series of books because of the BBC adaptation that was on in the 1980’s. I then bought the bind-up of the trilogy at my school book fair (and read it over and over). Good times!! 😉
9. Trebizon series by Anne Digby
This series a funny one for me; I had it in my mind for a long time but I could never quite remember enough identifying details (I have a terrible memory for some things) – I just remembered loving it a lot. I rediscovered it when I came across it on a Goodreads list a number of years back (I recognised the covers – I have a great visual memory but rarely remember authors or titles) and all the memories just flooded back!
10. Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome
Again, I was a huge fan of the Swallows and Amazons film that was made in the 1970’s (a bit before my time but I remember having it on video when I was young years later). I sought out the books and absolutely loved them too.
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I had no idea that the Borrowers were a book series until recently. I grew up with the movie. 🙂
This is a very British list! I’ve heard of The Famous Five and of Swallows and Amazons, but Flossie and Teacakes? Trebizon? I read and loved Anne of Green Gables and The Borrowers on this side of the pond, and Anastasia Krupnik was after my time.