Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

[Moscow]

I was an avid reader as a child/Youth and read all the Enid Blyton stuff and I read the Hobbit at age 14 which made a big impression but the books that really stuck with me were Kes, Animal Farm, Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mocking Bird…all books we studied at Secondary school.
Surpassing even those though were the truly brilliant Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn… Absolute classic reading for a young teenager.

[Donkeyman]

I agree

@Moscow

I was an avid reader as a child/Youth and read all the Enid Blyton stuff and I read the Hobbit at age 14 which made a big impression but the books that really stuck with me were Kes, Animal Farm, Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mocking Bird…all books we studied at Secondary school.
Surpassing even those though were the truly brilliant Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn… Absolute classic reading for a young teenager.

I agree with3 of your choices Moscow

Of mice and men,. Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn, booksl also enjoyed
were,North West Passage & Islands in the stream,I’m sure they
influenced my perceptions of life.

 Best  Regards.   Donkeyman.

[Ray_Cathode]

I read a lot as a child, Famous Five, Secret Seven, Just William and loved them all but I think the most inspirational book I read as a child was “Sailing alone around the world” by Joshua Slocum. Sadly not enough to make actually do it.

[Puddle_Duck]

SO many new books for children now and I’m at a loss of which are the most rewarding for 9 yrs old girls.

I was never a great reader of story books myself, much preferred maps and history.

If anyone can suggest classic girls books that would keep the interest of 9yr olds , instead of such ones as the ‘Dairy of a Wimpy Kid’, or ‘David Walliams’

Are, e.g Black Beauty , Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, or The Secret Garden etc. all out of vogue now ?

[mart]

I used to read the ‘Just William’ books, although I can’t remember the story line of any of them now. I do remember the village name of ‘Hadley’ and and of course the character of Violet Elizabeth Bott who would threaten to, “Scream and scream until I’m sick!”

[Donkeyman]

Similar choices

@MickB

I was a bit of a mixed bag as a child. On the one hand I was incredibly active and loved sport and anything in the outdoors. On the other hand, if I was indoors, I was either building something with my Meccano set or I had my head buried in a book. Lots of books were influential for me - Jack London’s novels stimulated my love for the outdoors, the frozen north, huskies and social justice; Richmal Crompton’s “Just William” novels helped develop my sense of humour and lack of respect for “authority”; John Wyndham’s science fiction novels opened up the scary world of the unknown. Probably the most influential of all however, was an old set of Encyclopaedia Brittanica which my parents picked up for next to nothing from a jumble sale - I would spend hour upon hour browsing random topics and learning, second hand, about our amazing world. Those old encyclopaedias were like a treasure trove of knowledge - something I have never tired of.

Almost  the  same  as  mine,Mick,  Hemingway  also had  a  big
influence  on  me.


  Best   Regards.    Donkeyman.

[galty]

As a Child in the late forties my reading was the Dandy and the Beano, could not afford the Eagle

But also the books about Biggles which as a 7 year old went to the Library to read.

[Ffosse]

I liked the comic strip, Alf Tupper, The tough of the track.

[Psmith]

@galty

As a Child in the late forties my reading was the Dandy and the Beano, could not afford the Eagle

But also the books about Biggles which as a 7 year old went to the Library to read.

I did a lot of reading in the library at that age too.
They used to be nice and quiet then

[MargaretF]

My aunt gave me a copy of ‘Jane Eyre’ for my 12th birthday - my Mother said that I would never be able to read it, which was a good incentive for me to prove her wrong! It has been my favourite book ever since and has been read many, many times.

[Phamph]

The Cat Who Wished To Be A Man, by Lloyd Alexander.