Childrens Books

I think it would be a good idea to get a childrens book section started on here.

Some of us will have children and I personally am always looking for a nice book for my daughter to read.

She has been through the Roal Dahl box set (she absolutely loved them) and has now started on the Famous Five books which she is also enjoying (sh'e only 6 but reads every night).

She didnt like the Horrid Henry ones, so would like some further recommendations.

I also have a 2 year old, and I love reading "the Chimpanzee of Happy town" to him - what a wonderful short book with a uplifting tale. Thoroughly recommend it.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie comapanion is a good book. My kids love to hear about how Indy took on the evil KGB and saved the wolrd from aliens.
Great stuff

world not wolrd
Maybe I should get a dictionary for myself?

My two have every single Julia Donaldson book (The Gruffalo writer) and most of the ones that Alex Scheffer illustrates with other writers.
The eldest is getting into the Horrid Henry books now though is also enjoying one called ‘The Bare Bum Gang’ which goes on about bird poo ice-cream and fartbombs. My wife cringes when I read it to him.

AquaArab wrote:Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie comapanion is a good book. My kids love to hear about how Indy took on the evil KGB and saved the wolrd from aliens.
Great stuff

I tend to just show the companion books of the first three books instead. I ripped out the last page of the Last Crusade and told her Indy dies at the end. Althoug she was upset, I thought it would hurt her less in the long run.

You should have let your daughter make that decision for her self. She maybe has better taste than her father and a love for Indy that will never be tarnished no matter what people say.

Percy the park keeper stories and the underpants series are very popular with my two monsters. I love reading where the wild things are, it reminds me of my childhood.

the pants books are written by the same person who does "the chimpanzee of happy town" which is a fantastic book for 3-5 year old.

If she likes the famous five then how about the secret seven? Jacqueline wilson writes good chidrens books. She wrote The Story of Tracy Beaker

Actually, it is the secret seven books shes reading - not the famous five!

Hobo wrote:the pants books are written by the same person who does "the chimpanzee of happy town" which is a fantastic book for 3-5 year old.

I'll have to get a hold of that for my kids as they love the underpants books. They are also fans of who flung dung and at christmas time Santa Clause needs a wee. My eldest (she is five) loves the The Snow Dragon by Vivian French. She would make me read that every night to her if she could, truth be told I quiet enjoy reading it as well.

Get her the Famous Five books then

And when she's a little bit older she HAS to read the Asterix and Tintin books.

I have spoken.

Make it so.

AquaArab wrote:

Hobo wrote:the pants books are written by the same person who does "the chimpanzee of happy town" which is a fantastic book for 3-5 year old.

I'll have to get a hold of that for my kids as they love the underpants books. They are also fans of who flung dung and at christmas time Santa Clause needs a wee. My eldest (she is five) loves the The Snow Dragon by Vivian French. She would make me read that every night to her if she could, truth be told I quiet enjoy reading it as well.

thats how I feel about the Chimpanzee of Happy Town

Hobo wrote:

AquaArab wrote:

Hobo wrote:the pants books are written by the same person who does "the chimpanzee of happy town" which is a fantastic book for 3-5 year old.

I'll have to get a hold of that for my kids as they love the underpants books. They are also fans of who flung dung and at christmas time Santa Clause needs a wee. My eldest (she is five) loves the The Snow Dragon by Vivian French. She would make me read that every night to her if she could, truth be told I quiet enjoy reading it as well.

thats how I feel about the Chimpanzee of Happy Town

Just looked it up on Amazon think I'll buy it for her when I get home from work.

AquaArab wrote:

Hobo wrote:

AquaArab wrote:

Hobo wrote:the pants books are written by the same person who does "the chimpanzee of happy town" which is a fantastic book for 3-5 year old.

I'll have to get a hold of that for my kids as they love the underpants books. They are also fans of who flung dung and at christmas time Santa Clause needs a wee. My eldest (she is five) loves the The Snow Dragon by Vivian French. She would make me read that every night to her if she could, truth be told I quiet enjoy reading it as well.

thats how I feel about the Chimpanzee of Happy Town

Just looked it up on Amazon think I'll buy it for her when I get home from work.

I hope you like it as much as me and the kids do.

Let us know what you think

Have to admit I've read quite a few of Jacqueline Wilson's books, which I've found fascinating and learned a lot from, as well as enjoyed - even though I'm not her intended audience! She deals with a lot of very serious issues, such as domestic abuse (Lola Rose), mental illness (The Illustrated Mum), bereavement (Vicky Angel, The Cat Mummy), and growing up in care (The Story of Tracy Beaker). Those are just a few, and I'd highly recommend them for adult readers as well as (older) children.

As a child my favourite book was The Seven Times Search by Paul Biegel - I can't remember how many times I borrowed it from the library to re-read! I absolutely loved it. Sadly it's no longer in print, and I've tried to find it online but it seems to be almost impossible to get hold of. Not long ago there was one 2nd hand copy on amazon, but for a ridiculous price like £190! Would love to read this again, if only to see if it's as good as I remember.

The most frightening children's book I remember is Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. A television series was made of it (which I would love to see!) and it was adapted as a film called Paperhouse. A very creepy but brilliant book!

I'd recommend Roald Dahl books for kids I read them all through ages 7-9 and loved them at the time and still hold fond memories now.

I'm surprised no one has said the Harry Potter series yet, would be looking to start that around the same age as Roald Dahl. Good basic series to get kids into books through the ages of 8-12 and then move on to other stuff from that point.

Winnie the Pooh is another great book either to read to your kid when they are younger or they can read themselves when a little older.

There is another series I read as a kid while at Primary but can't quite remember it at the moment.

My Girl is nine, i've bought her the Michael Morpurgo set for her christmas, he focuses on stories related to animals, would recommend.

My 11 yr old son is reading the Diary of a Whimpy Kid books and is loving them, he and my daughter have read the Darren Shan books too which I have to say I really enjoyed too

I loved the Darren Shan books when I was a teen. He has a new series based on the Larten Crepsley character from the books Dicey. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saga-Larten-Crepsley-Birth-Killer/dp/0007315872/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320318187&sr=8-1

I saw that Thomond, I stopped reading them when the main series ended then he released other books but I never bought them but I might check the Crepsley ones out, I loved the character in the books

The Indian in the Copboard was a book I enjoyed as a kid. It's by Lynne Reid Banks I think. Suits about 8-12 years maybe.

I loved Fantastic Mr Fox, The BFG, Danny Champion of the World by Roald Dahl and The Snowman , Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs - the latter are mostly illustrated books, but they're great for younger kiddies. I'd highly recommend those.

I also enjoyed a really good series of books by Sheila McCullagh about a boy called Tim, The Hidden People and a cat called Tobias - does anyone remember those?

Good call on Jacqueline Wilson - I've read The Illustrated Mum after seeing a drama of it on TV, I thought it was really good.

Also really enjoyed the Viking's Dawn Trilogy by a guy called Henry Treece when I was about ten. Not sure they're to everyone's tastes though.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. Children will love it.

Doubleagent73 wrote:The most frightening children's book I remember is Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. A television series was made of it (which I would love to see!) and it was adapted as a film called Paperhouse. A very creepy but brilliant book!

Yeah, that one is seriously creepy.

Kids books I enjoyed...

The 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race - Morris Lurie
Tim and Tobias series - Sheila McCullagh
Moomins series - Tove Jansson
The Magic Pudding - Norman Lyndsay
Help I am a Prisoner in a Toothpaste Factory - John Antrobus
Any Dr Seuss
Folk of the Faraway Tree - Enid Blyton
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh - Robert C O'Brien