British Author Challenge January 2021: Children's Classics (before 1996)

Arthur Rackham illustration for The Wind in the Willows

I'm interpreting both "children's" and "classics" pretty loosely. Anything that's often read in childhood can count, even if it wasn't written specifically for children, and anything published before 1996 can qualify for classic.

Project Gutenberg has an extensive children's bookshelf, although there's no way to filter for British authors. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelves/search/?query=children|christmas|chi...

Suggestions

Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
Bed-Knob and Broomstick by Mary Norton
Alice's Adventures by Lewis Carroll
Just William by Richmal Crompton
David Balfour books by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
Arabel and Mortimer by Joan Aiken
The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie (This is one of the books I read for the very first BAC.)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer
The Sally Lockhart Quartet by Philip Pullman
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Biggles by W. E. Johns
The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Mistress Masham's Repose by T. H. White
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
Andrew Lang's Fairy Books by Andrew Lang
Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight
National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Authors
E. Nesbit
Rudyard Kipling
Michael Morpurgo
Beatrix Potter
Roger Hargreaves
George MacDonald
Angela Brazil
Kenneth Grahame
Diana Wynne Jones (The Chronicles of Chrestomanci are delightful.)
Brian Jacques
Enid Blyton
Michael Bond
Helen Griffiths
Hugh Lofting
KM Peyton
Josephine Pullein-Thompson
Joyce Stranger
Noel Streatfeild
Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Rosemary Sutcliff

I plan to read at least six books and maybe more and - you are right it is a perfect way to start the year and get some numbers on the board early.

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer is a definite
Plague 99 by Jean Ure is one I have on my virtual library
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman just fits your timeline to be a classic
A Fall from the Sky by Ian Serrallier (who was my favourite children's author when I was a boy)
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (assuming it is delivered in time)
and I may also count
Tom Brown's Schooldays as part of this challenge since I'm reading it this coming month.

>3 PaulCranswick: The Golden Compass is a favorite of mine.

>4 amanda4242: I reckon my first week will see me down those for sure.

I'm going to start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I'm not big on rereading children's, or YA fiction, but there are half a dozen I do love from my childhood.

>5 PaulCranswick: Sounds like an excellent way to start the year.

>6 Caroline_McElwee: I read all of the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time last year and really enjoyed them.

Going to have to think on this one...I have LOTS of children's classics waiting on the shelves...

I plan to read Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton.

>9 fuzzi: I look forward to seeing your selections!

>10 cbl_tn: I managed to track down a copy so I may join you.

>12 amanda4242: Wonderful!

My fallback position will be to reread one of these from my shelves. My goal is to break into something new. But then does that break my resolution to concentrate on my existing box of TBR books? Oh, the conundrum!

I’ll probably join in with this as I have a lot of suitable books on the TBR shelf:
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen Alan Garner plus the rest of this trilogy
The Whispering Mountain Joan Aiken
Charmed Life Diana Wynne Jones plus rest in series
Fire and Hemlock Diana Wynne Jones
Swallowdale Arthur Ransome

>14 justchris: Reread something for January and save the unread books for the Wildcard. Conundrum solved!

>15 SandDune: The Chronicles of Chrestomanci are always a good choice!

>16 amanda4242: An excellent suggestion. Probably The Incredible Journey because I haven't reread it in decades, and this would be a good opportunity to revisit it. And it probably won't even feel like a reread.

My two cents worth...
Stig of the Dump by Clive King
The Secret Island by Enid Blyton (a young, young adult, but a lovely story for kids)
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 (Adrian Mole, #1) by Sue Townsend
I Capture the Castle maybe too..

>19 LovingLit: Stig of the Dump looks charming!

>11 amanda4242: I found one! My son gave me The Rescuers by Margery Sharp for Christmas.

>18 justchris: The Incredible Journey remains a favorite of mine.

>19 LovingLit: Loved Stig of the Dump as a child.

>20 amanda4242: >22 SandDune: my brother loved it as a child, and even joked with me that he would call his son Stig! I reread it a few years back, and it is a goodie :)

>21 fuzzi: I could have sworn I had read The Rescuers, but the description isn't ringing any bells. I'll have to pick up a copy from the library and take a closer look.

>23 LovingLit: Hmm, it's available on Scribd and Kindle Unlimited...and my reading list just got even longer. It's a good thing children's books tend to be short!

I think I might try Over Sea, Under Stone first book of the Dark Rising series. I believe Susan Cooper is a UK author. Right?

>26 Kristelh: Oooh, you're in for a real treat with that series! I hope you love it as much as I did. (And yep, she's from the UK.)

>26 Kristelh: Welcome! Cooper is indeed British, and her Dark is Rising Sequence is well loved by many.

>26 Kristelh: I’m currently reading this series - I’ve read Over sea, Under Stone, The Dark is Rising and Greenwitch in the last few weeks.

Incidentally, my favourite booky podcast Backlisted, have just done The Dark is Rising in their Christmas Day episode:

https://www.backlisted.fm/

>28 amanda4242:, >29 SandDune: thanks, now I am excited to start the book.

As collector of children's books I have many that will fit this challenge and like the opportunity to dig in to a book off my shelves, probably something by Rosemary Sutcliff, Leon Garfield or Henry Treece.

Ones I've enjoyed from the recent past include -
The Borribles by Michael de Larrabeiti (1976)
The Cry of the Wolf by Melvin Burgess (1991)
The Coral Island by R. M. Ballantyne (1858)
The Stronghold by Mollie Hunter (1974)
Chocky by John Wyndham (1968)
The Diddakoi by Rumer Godden (1968)
The Freedom Tree by James Watson (1986)
The Turbulent Term Of Tyke Tiler by Gene Kemp (1977)
A Strong and Willing Girl by Dorothy Edwards (1980)

>31 avatiakh: I first read Rosemary Sutcliff for the 2018 BAC and she has since become quite a favorite of mine. Thanks for the recommendations!

Im on track to finish listening to The Wind in the Willows on today's walk. Lovely start to the year. Thanks for the header picture.

The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

I have a clear memory of reading this one as a child, hoping I could make it to the end before the batteries in my flashlight gave out. I was surprised at how many little details I had retained, things that were only in the book, so clearly not from having seen the movie many times. The story of Pongo and Missis rescuing their puppies is still a charming read, and one I'm glad I revisited.

>33 ffortsa: The Wind in the Willows is such a beautiful book.

>3 PaulCranswick: I loved Charlotte Sometimes when I read it back in the day as part of my dip into British boarding school stories like the Chalet School and Mallory Towers series. You might also check out Pomeroy's Postscript as an interesting adventure story I read around the same time.

>34 amanda4242: love that one, too, first read when I was nine. So many jokes went over my head at that age that I appreciated later as an adult.

>37 fuzzi: I've always thought one of the greatest pleasures in revisiting well-written children's books is finding things that, while appropriate for children, will probably only be understood by adults.

Doctor Dolittle's Caravan by Hugh Lofting

My mother bought this for me when I was a little too young for it, and then it got packed away somewhere until I went scouring my shelves for children's classics by British authors. I'm not sure what I would have thought of Doctor Dolittle's Caravan as a child, but as an adult I was enraptured by the great raconteur Pippinella's tales and impressed that a nearly century-old book was so condemning of abuses in the pet trade.

>39 amanda4242: Doctor Dolittle was in my library when I was a child. Good memories. Not the one you mention though. I loved that he could talk to all his animals.

I started Mary Poppins as and audiobook on YouTube. It's a bit weird up till now, not the same as the movie.

>40 EllaTim: I remember reading Mary Poppins when I was in fourth grade, but don't really remember anything about it. Maybe a scene with a child's head tied up because they have a tooth- or earache? And Mary Poppins speaking to some birds about babies losing the ability to talk to animals?

A Dog of Flanders by Ouida

Mawkish to a level only achievable by Victorian authors.

>42 amanda4242: oh, that book depressed me exceedingly, kind of like The Little Match Girl.

The movie is pretty good, different ending.

>41 amanda4242: >40 EllaTim: Mary Poppins is different from the movie, by a bit if I recall correctly. It's been a long time since I read it. And I recall the babies part now that you reminded me!

>43 fuzzi: Which movie? Wikipedia shows eleven different adaptations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dog_of_Flanders#Film,_TV_and_theatrical_adaptati...

>44 fuzzi: I remember Mary Poppins being different from the movie, but not really how it was different. I may have to dig up a copy and refresh my memory!

>45 amanda4242: wow, didn't realize that many versions were filmed.

The one I recall is from 1959 or 1960, depending on what source you use:

https://www.imdb.com/video/vi1432027673?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_1

Note: I see the dog that played Old Yeller also played the title character in this one.

>46 fuzzi: Sounds like the poor dog was typecast!

Happy New Year - Just completed and highly recommend finding:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 150th ANNIVERSARY EDITION ILLUSTRATED
BY SALVADOR DALI = 4 stars on my review for the writing and 5+++++ for Dali!

>48 m.belljackson: I looked at some of Dali's illustrations online: super weird, but very fitting for the book!

>32 amanda4242: You still have something by Sutcliff on its way to you, Amanda! xx

An audio dramatization of Joan Aiken's The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is available to stream on BBC Radio 4 Extra for the next three weeks. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qlmj

>50 PaulCranswick: THANK YOU!!!!

>25 amanda4242: That is one reason I like reading YA :) Not too taxing, but frequently pack a punch anyway.

>51 amanda4242: Oooh! Thanks for sharing that, Amanda! I will go listen.

I remembered that book fondly enough from childhood to track it down several years and got it in a boxed set. Sadly, I didn't know it was part of a whole series and haven't gotten around to finding the others.

>53 LovingLit: Too true! I've often found that a hundred page children's book has more depth than an adult book five times as long.

>54 justchris: I read the entire series a couple of years ago and liked the entries featuring Dido Twite facing off against villainous Hanoverians the best. Pro tip: avoid all books where the main character is Is Twite.

>56 amanda4242: Duly noted.

Stig of the Dump by Clive King

A sweet, funny little book about a boy who befriends a caveman who's living in a nearby chalk pit/dump. There's obviously something fantastical going on, but this is really about a kid making a friend and sharing a kid's adventures. Highly recommended.

The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame

The Disney short was of course a favorite of mine growing up, and I was so pleased to find that the book was even more delightful.

Hey, I actually managed to read a book that fits into a BAC category (but just barely - this one was published in 1996): The Story of Tracy Beaker.

>34 amanda4242: The hundred and One Dalmatians. A nice read, just the right mixture of scary, and cosy, adventurous and resourcefulness. I never read it, and I haven't seen the movie. I think i'll go looking for that as well.

>60 scaifea: I've only read one of Jacqueline Wilson's books, but I thought it was very well written. I should really read some more of her work.

>61 EllaTim: the right mixture of scary, and cosy, adventurous and resourcefulness

That is an excellent description of The Hundred and One Dalmations.

>63 amanda4242: Right now I'm reading Dodie Smith's memoir Look Back with Love: a Manchester Childhood, and that kind of describes her memoir, too. She was a lone child raised by a lot of adults (mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles all in one home). I'm amazed at how much she can remember from her childhood. I can't remember what happened yesterday, pretty much.

>64 kac522: I've always wondered how some memoirists can be so detailed. Did they keep diaries? Have superhuman memories? Make stuff up? Like you I sometimes find that yesterday is a bit of a blur, so I could never write a detailed account of what happened decades ago!

>65 amanda4242: People sometimes say that memory of childhood gets better when you age. It seems a really interesting story, Dodie Smith's biography. Last year (or the year before that) I read a book that had several smaller biographies of centenarians. I was struck by how interesting their life stories were, and how much has changed in such a relatively short time.

Just finished The Horse And His Boy by C. S. Lewis

I read the first two Borrower books by Mary Norton last year, so it seems like a good time to start the third book, The Borrowers Afloat

>67 fairywings: I’ve also just read a C.S.Lewis: The Magician’s Nephew which I loved as a child, and loved again now. I chose this one rather than some of the others that I had planned as I had just read Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (which I also loved) where there were definite references to some of the Narnia books.

My review is here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/327793#7379843

>69 SandDune: I saw your review, and while I'm not warm on C.S. Lewis (I'm a Susan after all) it is a good reason to visit that one when/if I finish Piranesi.

>66 EllaTim: I wonder if increased memory of childhood has something to do with seeing how radically things have changed, that having a stark contrast brings memories to the surface?

>67 fairywings: I liked that one, although I felt it seemed a little out of place with the rest of the series. Maybe because it's like a fairy tale within a fantasy.

>68 RBeffa: The Borrowers were a highlight of the 2019 challenge for me.

>69 SandDune: Now that you mention it, I can definitely see the influence of The Magician's Nephew on Piranesi. I'll have to read them close together when I'm ready for a re-read.

>70 quondame: I'm not warm on C.S. Lewis (I'm a Susan after all)

I can see where he might leave a Susan a bit cold, considering how he treated his!

>69 SandDune: I'm slowly getting through the Chronicles of Narnia, I read The Magicians Nephew and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe a couple of years ago so The Horse And His Boy seemed like the next step.

>72 amanda4242: Yes it seemed like a separate story to the others.

I will start Swallows and Amazons today as it has thankfully arrived nicely in time.

>77 PaulCranswick: Hurray for serendipitous deliveries!

I finished Five on a Treasure Island yesterday. It was good, but I would have enjoyed it much more as a child.

>79 cbl_tn: My all time favourite book as a child was The Secret Island by Enid Blyton. Siblings run away from nasty aunt and uncle an make themselves a hose from willow trees (living!) on an island in a lake. It is so exciting and I loved it that they were able to sustain themselves :)

>80 LovingLit: I loved that book too! I read it so many times. That was where I learned that willows keep growing even if you just cut a piece off and stick it in the ground.

I've now read The Dark is Rising and Greenwitch. Starting The Grey King. I have The Horse and His Boy on hold.

>82 Kristelh: I take it that since you're starting on a third Cooper book that you're enjoying the series?

>83 amanda4242: They are a nice easy read, not taking a whole of thinking, just enjoyment.

I'm a big fan of Pippi Longstocking. I read it many years ago and was enchanted. I recently started reading it to my 7 year old granddaughter. I don't think she's as taken with it as I was.

I also loved the Mrs. Pigglewiggle series by Betty McDonald. I have since read them to my grandchildren and they loved them. Her message is told in a fun and gentle way and the children really get it.

I finished Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which was quite a disappointment, since I loved The Secret Garden. My Little Lord is an annoyingly good child. However I must admit the writing was very good, and the gradual change of heart of his grandfather was well done. But the kid was totally unbelievable.

>85 Oregonreader: There are lots of fictional young heroines these days - and some real life ones - so Pippi is not such an outstanding miss, though still a delight.

>86 kac522: Mary Lennox is much more believable than Sara Crewe, though I still love A Little Princess.

>87 quondame: Mary Lennox was one of the book characters I felt really close to as a child, because I was very like her. I'm still very fond of both her and the book.

Currently reading:
--I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1948), a re-read, and I think considered YA these days. Was inspired to re-read this one because I read Smith's memoir Look Back with Love: a Manchester Childhood, which covers her childhood years up to age 14.
--Tales from Shakespeare, Charles & Mary Lamb's 1807 classic, which is a bit slow and wordy, but apparently was intended for children. Most useful for the plays that are less familiar to me.

>85 Oregonreader: Belated welcome! I read Pippi Longstocking for the first time last year and am I afraid I must agree with your granddaughter in this case; Pippi's the kind of character who would have left me cold even if I had read the book when I was a child.

>89 kac522: I have I Capture the Castle on my tbr stack. I'm thinking of reading in July for the book/movie theme.

>91 amanda4242: I remember loving the book, but couldn't remember details. Am now a couple chapters into my re-read and finding the narrator funny and engaging, quirky and charming.

E. Nesbit was my favorite British children's author, after Lewis Carroll I guess. Five Children and It, The Book of Dragons, The Railway Children, The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet, The Story of the Treasure Seekers, and probably others. What a great imagination she had, and understanding of children.

>93 jnwelch: The Railway Children was one f my favourite books as a kid, Joe, and held up as an adult too. I ought to try some of her others.

>93 jnwelch: I really enjoyed Five Children and It, and have been meaning to get around to the sequels.

Based on recommendations in this thread, I'm reading I Capture the Castle which has somehow never before drifted across my radar screen. I'm only just beginning but am loving Cassandra's narrative voice.

>96 ForeignCircus: Looks like Dodie Smith is emerging as a challenge favorite this month.

Read The Rescuers last night:

How did I miss reading this in my childhood? As I read every animal book I came across, I'm going to blame our public library for not having a copy.

It's a story of perseverance in the face of impossible odds, bravery and selflessness by characters that should be hiding in fear, and of humor in difficult situations. And Garth Williams illustrations are a plus!

I love this month's theme and could easily keep going with it all year! I had planned to (re)read The Golden Compass, and still will, but now I am reading Theater Shoes (apparently it is listed on here with a different title). Noel Streatfeild was a favorite favorite author of mine as a child, and my daughters loved these books too. It is a joy to rediscover them, and this is one I'm less familiar with.

>98 fuzzi: I'm guessing it has only a passing resemblance to the Disney film?

>99 AnneDC: Welcome! I'm glad you got the chance to rediscover an old favorite!

>100 amanda4242: I never saw the Disney version, but in the LT reviews some mention that there is little resemblance between the two.

I re-read Movie Shoes after 60 years. It wasn't the best reunion.

I completed the whole The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. I listened to the audio which was well done. This was new to me author and series that I would never have found if it wasn't for this thread.

>97 amanda4242: I honestly don't know how I never heard of/read I Capture the Castle before given the Anglophile slant to my middle grade reading, but what a magnificent read. I finished last night and still feel bathed in the warm glow of the prose. So grateful for the chatter about it here in the group because otherwise I might never have found it!

I finished The Wool Pack by Cynthia Harnett, a historical novel set in 15th century England about a boy whose father is a wool merchant and member of the Wool Guild. Highly enjoyable.
This won the Carnegie Medal in 1951 and has been sitting on my shelves for several years.

>102 fuzzi: Not at all surprised by that. Sometimes the only thing a book and its movie have in common is the title.

>104 Kristelh: & >105 ForeignCircus: I'm so happy that you both found books you enjoyed because of this thread! I've found so many great reads because of the BAC and it is a true joy to to see others have as well.

>106 avatiakh: Ooh! That one looks good! And my tbr list grows ever longer...

The Boggart by Susan Cooper

I wasn't much taken with Cooper's Dark Is Rising Sequence so I had pretty low expectations for this one. I was happily proven wrong and found The Boggart to be an entertaining tale of two Canadian children who accidentally import a mischievous spirit from Scotland. The children actually talk and behave like children and the Boggart itself has a very interesting POV. Since it was written in the 1990s the computer talk is all antiquated, but it's so out of date that it's kind of taken on the air of a historical novel.

The February thread is up, but please do keep posting here if you read more children's books this year.

February thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/329101

Wildcard thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327998

So far I have finished
the story of Doctor Doolittle and
Charlotte sometimes by Penelope Farmer.

>112 nrmay: What did you think of Charlotte Sometimes? I read it a couple of years ago and was mightily impressed.

>113 amanda4242:
I liked it. I'm a big fan of time travel novels.

I started The Incredible Journey this morning. Gonna see if I can squeeze it in before the month winds down.

>115 justchris: first time read?

It's in my top ten favorites, for sure.

I've been a children's librarian for decades and love British books for children.
Some of my favorites, published before 1996, that I don't think have been mentioned yet:

The Exiles and Dog Friday by Hilary McKay.
Laugh-out-loud funny. You'll laugh till you cry over the 'chop bone man' chapter in Dog Friday.

all of these won various awards; highly recommended:

Goodnight Mr Tom, Michelle Magorian
The Mennyms, Sylvia Waugh
Pack of Lies, Geraldine McCaughrean
Blitzcat, Robert Westall

>115 justchris: No need to rush! I intended to keep reading children's books and posting here throughout the year, and hope others will as well.

>117 nrmay: Thanks for the recommendations!

>116 fuzzi: No--it's a beloved book from childhood. I think I was a teenager the last time I read it.

>118 amanda4242: Thanks for the reassurance!

I finished Wolf by Gillian Cross which won the Carnegie Medal in 1990. I've read a few of her books before but hadn't heard about this one till I checked out the list of medal winners.
I also have We couldn't leave Dinah by Mary Treadgold out from the library, this was the 1941 Carnegie Medal winner and is set in the Channel Islands during the 1940 Nazi invasion.

>117 nrmay: I remember enjoying Pack of Lies and Goodnight Mr Tom is excellent .

I suspect Narnia will slip into next month now...

The Starlight Barking by Dodie Smith

What an odd one! In this sequel to The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Pongo and Missis awake one morning to discover all creatures on the planet except dogs are in some sort of enchanted sleep. Cadpig, whose human pet is the Prime Minister, summons them to London to help solve the mystery. Oh, and all dogs can now fly. There are some wonderful moments, but it's a really bizzare book.

>124 amanda4242: I recall that one. I read it a couple times, but never really "liked" it.

>124 amanda4242: Wow! Wouldn't have seen that one coming. I never read the books, but you make them sound pretty intriguing.

Well, here we are getting to the end of the month and as of yesterday I hadn't read ANYTHING to qualify for the British Authors Challenge for January. Ridiculous, since reading British children's books is something I have a long, long history of. So last night...



Book #9 The Apple Stone by Nicholas Stuart Gray (230 pp.)

From Wikipedia:
Nicholas Stuart Gray (23 October 1922, Scotland – 17 March 1981) was a British actor and playwright, perhaps best known for his work in children's theatre in England. He was also an author of children's fantasy; he wrote a number of novels, a dozen plays, and many short stories. Neil Gaiman has written that Gray "is one of those authors I loved as a boy who holds up even better on rereading as an adult".1 Many other modern fantasy authors, such as Hilari Bell,2 Cecilia Dart-Thornton,3 Kate Forsyth,4 Cassandra Golds,5 Katherine Langrish,6 Sophie Masson,7 and Garth Nix,8 cite Gray's work as something they enjoyed as children.

Perhaps his best-known books are The Seventh Swan and Grimbold's Other World. Gray often produced adaptations or continuations of traditional fairy tales and fantasy works, as in his Further Adventures of Puss in Boots. His The Stone Cage is a re-telling of Rapunzel from a cat's point of view. Over the Hills to Fabylon is about a city whose king has the ability to make it fly off across the mountains if he feels it is in danger.

I have loved his Grimbold's Other World forever--I remember reading it aloud to my nephews when they were boys in the 80s--and picked up this book when I saw it some time ago because of the author. So this is also a book off my shelf. Grimbold was a cat who took his boy, an outcast, on fantastical adventures in convenient chapters. This book is similar to books by E. Nesbitt and Edward Eager in that a group of children find a magical artifact and have adventures (in convenient chapters) in misusing it to bring inanimate objects alive. Not as good as Grimbold, but definitely fitting the challenge and good to have a book off my shelf!



Book #10 The Tears of the Salamander by Peter Dickinson (199 pp.)

And then I went ahead and reread this one by the great Peter Dickinson. It was one of his last books, a historical fantasy set in 18th century Italy and Sicily featuring a boy of 11 or 12 who goes to live with his uncle after his family is killed in a house fire. As always, Dickinson's writing is excellent and pulls you into the story.

>125 fuzzi: I can't say I disliked it, but it's not a book I'll ever really warm up to.

>126 justchris: The first one is wonderful, but the second is kind of a "wtf did I just read?" kind of book.

>127 ronincats: Hi! Gray sounds like an author I might enjoy.

>127 ronincats:

Speaking of Peter Dickinson - I loved Chuck & Danielle by him, published in 1996

The Jumblies, and Other Nonsense Verses by Edward Lear, illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke

I'm not a big one for poetry, but I do have a fondness for nonsense. Lear's rhymes evoke such fantastical images and the words just beg to be read aloud.

Finished The Lark in the Morn and now reading The Lark on the Wing by Elfrida Vipont. Enjoying these immensely.

I also just finished lark in the morn. Liked it very much and happy to have discovered it through this thread. I'll be looking for the next one.

>118 amanda4242:

I'm really enjoying reading theses British children's classics!
I'll keep posting here.
Amanda, is there a way you can remove 'January' from initial post so people will know this thread is ongoing?

Amanda - do Scottish authors count for BAC?

I'm looking ahead to the Movie/Book connection and wondered about CLANLANDS and the
accompanying movie.

>134 nrmay: Glad you're enjoying the theme! I could ask @drneutron to change it, but I think if we just keep posting here people will get the idea that it's still open.

>135 m.belljackson: Scottish authors certainly do count. The term British doesn't seem to have a rigid definition and has meant different things at different points in history, but current usage does encompass Scotland.

I've read two of James Herriot's young children's books and will probably read more throughout the year. They have beautiful illustrations that help to tell the story. So far I've done Moses the Kitten and Smudge, the Little Lost Lamb.

>138 RBeffa: Those look cute! The library has James Herriot's Treasury for Children so I may have a look myself.

The Rescuers by Margery Sharp

If I had read this as a child I probably would have been happily swept up in the adventure. As an adult I was annoyed by Miss Bianca, who is kind of a pampered princess throughout the book; she's far from useless, but she and her companions constantly speak as if she needs to be protected.

Okay, it's March, but I read The Reluctant Dragon this weekend after finding a copy in a thrift store.

Author is Kenneth Grahame!!!

Illustrated by Ernest H Shepherd!!!

Winner, winner! Chicken dinner!!

>141 fuzzi: Lucky you!

Just William by Richmal Crompton

Not as captivated as I was when I was a wee lad, but still a sentimental treat.

>133 nrmay: I recommend the next book, The Lark on the Wing but the last two books are about Kit's niece and harder to find so I've stopped there.

I finished We couldn't leave Dinah by Mary Treadgold. This won the Carnegie Medal in 1941 and is about two children left behind on a Channel Island when the Nazis invade.

Next I'll be reading The Queen's Brooch (1966) by Henry Treece. I was planning to read Red Queen, White Queen by Treece and just realised that it's an adult novel and #3 in a Celtic series. Both books are set around Queen Boudicea.

I finished The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and really liked it. Those wolves are something different! Very spooky.

>145 EllaTim: there's a sequel...a series!

>143 ColeridgeB2: I wasn't too taken by William: he reminded me of the awful children in the Jeeves and Wooster stories.

>144 avatiakh: We Couldn't Leave Dinah looks interesting. How was it?

>145 EllaTim: I enjoyed that one, and several of the sequels were very good, too.

>148 amanda4242: It was quite enjoyable, involving suspected collaboration with the Germans, a touch of code breaking and espionage. The children were quite resourceful, living rough for a few days as their family home was taken over.
Dinah is the girl's pony.
There's a 1951 film, Appointment with Venus, which is also set on the Channel Islands during the war .

>150 avatiakh: My library doesn't have We Couldn't Leave Dinah, but it has the book on which Appointment with Venus is based, so I'll give that a look.

This theme is not helping me whittle down my tbr pile...*sigh*

>151 amanda4242: I had no idea at the start of the year that I would try to read the early Carnegie Medal winners. I seem to specialise in going off track from my tbr.

I looked for We couldn't leave Dinah on all my favorite used book sites. Only found it on Amazon for big bucks - $51 to $972.

>153 nrmay: It was also published as Left Till Called For; perhaps there's something cheaper under that title?

Stopping for a Spell by Diana Wynne Jones

Three short tales of unwanted visitors and magic. These are far from great stories, but I enjoyed the hour or so I took me to read the collection.

James Herriot's Treasury for Children by James Herriot, illustrated by Ruth Brown and Peter Barrett

A gorgeous collection of Herriot's children's stories. The stories are nostalgic without being overly sentimental, and the language is simple enough for a child to understand but sophisticated enough to expand vocabularies. Brown's and Barrett's illustrations are sublime, with the Yorkshire Dales rendered in lush greens and animals so soft looking you'd think you could reach out and pet them.

Thank you @RBeffa for bringing these stories to my attention.

>155 amanda4242: owie! You got me with the Herriot. I've probably read most of his works, but that book would be a lovely gift for my granddaughter.

>156 fuzzi: It's something that belongs on every child's bookshelf.

Ludo and the Star Horse by Mary Stewart

A Bavarian boy and his horse chase the sun through the houses of the zodiac.

It's an odd premise for a book, but I liked the quest and the nods to Greek mythology.

The Green Book by Jill Paton Walsh

A group of refugees from Earth must learn to survive on a planet that may not be capable of sustaining human life.

Truthfully this one feels very shallow, more like an outline than a completed book.

Mulbridge Manor by James Reeves (1958). Enjoyable. A group of children help an old lady search for her brother's hidden will which will ensure the Manor can become a hospital not a golf course like the errant nephew wants. This read is typical of the era, the children convert an old barn to their headquarters, have lots of feasts, and also an adventure.

>159 avatiakh: have lots of feasts

I wonder if anyone's ever written a book on food in children's literature. So many children's books have such vivid descriptions of food and feasting that someone must have written something on the subject.

There's a great cookbook that came out a few years ago Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer: A Golden Treasury of Classic Treats which covers most of the popular classic children's books from the UK.
' A wonderfully nostalgic cookery book, it will take you straight back to your favourite children's books and show you how to cook the feel-good foods that feature so strongly in them. So, you'll find recipes for Swallows and Amazons Squashed-Fly Biscuits, the Famous Five's Gorgeous Ginger Beer, and Gloriously Sticky Marmalade Roll from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe amongst others. Divided into appropriate sections like Proper Elevenses, Picnic Treats and Lessons in the Kitchen each recipe is introduced with an evocative description of the book that inspired it.'

I think there's probably a chapter or two in some academic children's literature texts about feasting.

>161 avatiakh: That looks fantastic! I wish my library had a copy.

I can recommend The Redwall Cookbook: it's adorably illustrated, has some cute little stories, and the recipes look pretty tasty, too.

I've finished Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease, one I really enjoyed. Two young runaways from Cumberland become boy actors in London and uncover a plot against Queen Elizabeth I.
The book was first published in early 1940 in London but all the publishing stock was lost in the Blitz, eventually re-issued in England after the war.

Next up is Erik Linklater's The Wind on the Moon (1944).

>163 avatiakh: And my tbr list grows again...

>155 amanda4242: You're welcome. I think the Herriots are lovely stories.

>165 amanda4242: Don't worry, my tbr mountain grows as well. I have another two by Trease at least waiting my attention. Current mission though is to finish up Robert Muchamore's Henderson Boys series which is set during WW2 but published more recently in the 2010s.

>164 avatiakh: My class teacher read us The Wind on the Moon where we were about 7. I loved it! I enjoyed it again when I read it to Jacob. But it’s one of those books that nobody seems to have heard of.

>168 SandDune: I hadn't heard of it Rhian.

>168 SandDune: I hadn't heard of it until it appeared in the children's classics area of my local bookshop. It's part of the Vintage Books: Vintage Classics series.

I finished The Wind on the Moon (1944), it warmed on me after a slow start and I ended up really enjoying it.
Just finished Penelope Lively's The Driftway (1972) which was another good read.

Since this theme has proven so popular I've added it to my list of potentials for next year's challenge. Would anybody mind revisiting it?

>172 amanda4242: I am always happy to read more children's classics so I'd love it if it was a theme for next year.

>172 amanda4242:
>173 PawsforThought:

ditto that
love to read all kinds of children's books!

>174 nrmay: agreed!

I'd also like that, it's the only part of this challenge that I could commit to.

Since there haven't been any objections, I'll be including children's classics in next year's challenge. Only eleven more months to fill!

I've finished another two -
Alfonso Bonzo (1986) by Andrew Davies - long time resident of my tbr pile, well worth reading. This was made into a tv series in 1990.
Billy is into swapping items with his school chums. Then he meets Alfonso Bonzo, an Italian 'exchange' student with whom he agrees to some unusual swaps.

The Moon in the Cloud (1968) by Rosemary Harris. Carnegie Medal (UK) winner. Delightful story set around the Noah's Ark story. Reuben is tricked into travelling to Kemi by Noah's son, Ham, leaving his attractive wife behind.
Some quite mature themes considering it's a children's book.

An adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is streaming on BBC Radio for the next four weeks.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0012fbz

>179 amanda4242: Ooh, nice. I’ll definitely listen to it.

And while we’re on the subject, I just have to mention that my sweet little nephew (age 5) has decided that the thing he wants for Christmas - aside for a bag of “one hundred candies” - is a copy of Howl’s Moving Castle (the Studio Ghibli film, that is). Auntie couldn’t be prouder.

>180 PawsforThought: Auntie should be very proud! I saw it at the theatre a few weeks ago and was once again awed by the beauty of Miyazaki's work. I really must re-read the book soon.

I just finished Fireweed by Jill Paton Walsh.
Hist fic, WWII era, the London blitz.

Boy am I behind in my posting here!

Bernard the Brave by Margery Sharp
Bernard into Battle by Margery Sharp

I wasn't a fan of Miss Bianca, so I thought I'd some stories that focus more on Bernard, whom I did like. Slightly more enjoyable, but I'll never be a fan of the series.

Yes, Dear by Diana Wynne Jones illustrated by Graham Philpot

A little girl finds a magic leaf, but her parents and siblings are too busy to listen to her. Lovely story with lovely illustrations.

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

I like Potter because she could tell a charming little tale without becoming cutesy about it.

Wild Robert by Diana Wynne Jones

A girl's life is turned upside down when she accidentally resurrects a 17th century nobleman. Enjoyable, but it calls out for a sequel that will never come.

Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor by Mervyn Peake

Deeply weird, but I expect that from Peake.

The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes, illustrated by Andrew Davidson

Pretty awful. The Iron Woman exacts vengeance on those who have polluted the environment, but it's really just a lot of hand wave-y nonsense. And it's only men that are held accountable for damaging the world; the story reads like Hughes didn't think women were important enough to do so.

The Cat, the Crow, and the Banyan Tree by Penelope Lively, illustrated by Terry Milne

Entirely forgettable story, but Milne's illustrations are nice.

Princess by Mistake by Penelope Lively

A modern girl gets turned into a fairytale princess and her brother has to rescue her. Mildly entertaining, but nothing terribly memorable.

The Stained Glass Window by Penelope Lively

For those with the eyes to see it, there is a beautiful love story embedded in an old stained glass window. Very enjoyable.