Top 10 favourite children's books in Britain

[Francis]

I seem to remember reading Dunsterville's memoirs at one time and he was quite a linguist and expert
on the North West Frontier at a time when we had more knowledge of the tribes and what made them tick. Since then our ignorance has led us into many mistakes.

[burlingtonbertram]

You're right. I think we have learned nothing since our involvement way back in the 19th C.

[Francis]

In those days we were in for the long haul - these days people expect instant results. We therefore go in
have easy victories and then lose patience when we face guerrilla warfare. If only the military and politicians knew their history and read about the 19th century wars. Children in those days read Kipling and Henty and then went onto the adult writers who wrote about the edges of empire.

[Farwa]

My list would be -

1. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgeson Burnett
2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgeson Burnett
3. The Secret Island by Enid Blyton
4. Entire Harry Potter Series by J.K.Rowling
5. Entire Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
6. The Never ending Story by Micheal Ende
7. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
8. The Absent-Minded Fairy
9. The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum
10. Pride and Prejuduce by Jane Austen

[Anita Bensoussane]

9. The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum

Oooh - I hadn't heard of that before, but I just Googled it and it sounds good!

[Courtenay]

Hah - I wanted to put "Entire Narnia series" and "Entire Galliano's Circus series" in my top 10 (see earlier in this thread) and Anita said that was definitely not allowed!

[Wolfgang]

I suppose you could have chosen the book "The Chronicles of Narnia".

[Courtenay]

That's not a book, Wolfgang, but the name of the series as a whole (which includes seven books). I'm pretty sure they have been published at some stage as seven books in one volume, but I'm sure that would still be cheating!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

You'll feel a whole lot better about yourself if you can do it without cheating!

[Courtenay]

Which is why I still haven't done it yet

[Farwa]

9. The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum

Oooh - I hadn't heard of that before, but I just Googled it and it sounds good!

Oh... Anita - you MUST read it! It's a simply lovely book. And while you're reading it, you should play the instrumental, "Return to the Alamo" by the Shadows - the combination is amazing!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'll try to remember that! I like the Oz books (though I've only read the first eight or so), so I'd probably like The Enchanted Island of Yew.

[Farwa]

Oh yes you will, I can promise that!

[Wolfgang]

That's not a book, Wolfgang, but the name of the series as a whole (which includes seven books). I'm pretty sure they have been published at some stage as seven books in one volume, but I'm sure that would still be cheating!!

I have this particular book (ISBN 0-00-721502-9) . I also wouldn't mind mentioning my Notebook