Kids books.

[Vermschneid Mehearties]

Fuck TV, when has that been any good anyway? What we need to do is settle down with a good book, and wear out our suspensory ligaments with short-distance focal concentration.

You all read books, probably more so when you were a kid, so which books do you remember most vividly asa kiddy?

Me? Well most series of books. I loved the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, though I thought they went rather suspect after Salamandastron, and also loved the Fighting Fantasy and Knightmare adventure books. Tense as anything I tell thee.

Other than that, I remember sitting in school for 2 hours utterly engrossed in reading The Hobbit, and also chuntering through the extremely readable CS Lewis Narnia books.

Other mentions go to Roald Dahl who does surrealism superbly, and to Kenneth Graham (sic) for The Wind in The Willows which is totally charming.

What about you 'whores?

[Lt Plonker]

This is my favourite book as a child. I still go back through it every now and then.



It's a lovely look at a group of children's first term of school. I love it.

[Hans]

You all read books, probably more so when your were a kid

Why did I read more as a kid?  That doesn't make sense.

[Vermschneid Mehearties]

Isn't half of primary school education and growing up about reading?

And then now, we hardly have any time to enjoy all that we really want to. So I arranged this reminiscipackage that seems to have fallen on its arse.

Maybe I've led a sheltered life, and maybe you were all fagheaded nymphs as soon as you turned 8...

[daveytaylor]

I've always loved books and have constantly had one or two on the go for as long as I remember.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was my perfect book as a small child. Yes, I know it's a reworking of the story of Jesus but it was written by an atheist  so that makes it alright.

During my teenage years I read tons of Stephen King and Shaun Hutson. I thought they were wonderful. Sadly I know think they are really shit.

[Spaced Cadet]

This was my favorite book as a child. It still is, I dug it out the other day. The pictures are beautiful and otherwordly. It's now deleted so if you find a copy buy it.

[Marcus Or Relius]

I remember The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler, which was written from a first-person perspective of 'Tyke' and the twist at the end (oh yeah, erm...spoiler, I guess, in case any 10-year-olds are reading this) is that Tyke is a she, and not a he, as everyone thought.  

Then there was Stig Of The Dump, about a mentally deranged old man who lived in a scruffy shack and hung around small children. Um....

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe was another fave of mine too, one of the first books I actually read of my own free will, as opposed to just at school.  Then there was Fungus The Bogeyman, that was brilliant, plus it featured the word 'toilet' numerous times, a word that used to make me laugh. Still does actually. Snigger chortle.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

This was my favorite book as a child. It still is, I dug it out the other day. The pictures are beautiful and otherwordly. It's now deleted so if you find a copy buy it.

Was that the one which was supposed to have clues to some hidden treasure?  Did anyone ever find it?  And once someone found it woiuldn't the book become redundant?

[nixon]

http://www.bunnyears.net/kitwilliams/faq.html

marvellous story.

I hoping to option the film rights on the story behind it.

[twatloops]

"How the body works" with the hardcore porn robots were a both a strong memory from childhood and my first intro to sex.  Bravo.

[Frinky]

http://www.bunnyears.net/kitwilliams/faq.html

I used to be mates with the guy who ran that site... small world....

[Gazeuse]

Anyone read 'The Flight Of The Doves'??? by Walter Macken??? Fantastic book.

[glitch]

I read way too much Robert Westall. Blitzcat was one of my favourites.

Then I got into Point Horror and all that recycled-plot shite. And the majority of authors were American, so all the characters had names like Art and Frog and the like.

[mangoliver]

The Tripod Trilogy by John Christopher seemed to be the best book ever written when I was younger (12 or 13).

I wouldn't mind finding a copy of the books now so I can see if it stands up today.

[Lt Plonker]

I remember The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler, which was written from a first-person perspective of 'Tyke' and the twist at the end (oh yeah, erm...spoiler, I guess, in case any 10-year-olds are reading this) is that Tyke is a she, and not a he, as everyone thought.  

I remember that too! Fucking hell, that brings back memories.

[Rats]

The Alice in wonderland books were the best. I loved the redwall series too, that was class. We had this great book when I was little. No idea what it was called but it was a big hardback full of ghost stories with pictures. I used to love reading that and looking at the pictures. One of them was about this troll with a massive nose who sat on the end of your bed when you were going to sleep.

[peet]

Aah I adored Masquerade... it's funny how you only really appreciate how good the really good things are in hindsight.
There are plenty of books that I remember reading with great fondness as a kid... but what about things you remember for the wrong reasons? When I was about 4 or 5 my parents blessed me with a copy of Struwwelpeter or 'Shockheaded Peter'. It's a book of anti-nursery rhymes written by a German doctor called Heinrich Hoffmann in the 19th century, un-sentimentally showing the gory consequences that really happen to bad girls and boys. Quite honestly the stories and illustrations still haunt me to this day. It was recently adapted into an opera.
Note to parents: DON'T GIVE THIS BOOK TO A FOUR YEAR OLD CHILD YOU STUPID FUCKERS.

[Raminagrobis]

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was my perfect book as a small child. Yes, I know it's a reworking of the story of Jesus but it was written by an atheist  so that makes it alright.

CS Lewis an atheist? I had the impression he was a Christian and a preachy one at that. That would explain why my proselytising father used to send me books like 'Mere Christianity' and 'Jesus is fucking great' (or something) by Lewis in an effort to get me to see the light.  Was his conversion after 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe'?  Even if it was, that book is most certainly NOT the work of a committed atheist.

[Des Nilsen]

I would read anything by Roald Dahl when I was a kid, reading things like Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Twits etc every night before I went to sleep. I also liked a book about slimey things which had these great slimey-looking drawings inside. I've lost it now and it was falling apart but I'd love to have a leaf through again.
I liked the Willy The Wimp books too and anything written and illustrated by Anthony Browne - dreamlike and fantasticly absorbing.

-

[Ronster]

Used to love Tintin as a nipper (in fact picked up The complete companion to Tintin today - cant wait to get home and have a butchers)

Also there was a book called The Little Captain by Paul Biegel (?) which I loved and had great pictures in it but havent been able to find it in recent years despite the occasional trawl on the net or through old libraries collections...ring any bells anyone or am I a nutter? (or maybe both)

[Vermschneid Mehearties]

I have to say, it is very obvious how you can draw comparisons with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe to the New Testament, but I have to say, believe the preaching religious material or not- They both make for a banging good read.



This book was brilliant. A virus takes over the country. The lads family dies, so he makes his way to London living off scraps he finds. When he gets to London, he finds another person who is alive, and then they have gay sex and drive off in a Jaguar E-Type or something. (I can't remember what happened after he got to London, sorry guys)

It is arguably not a kids book, but is read by most people around the age of 10-13. Properly disturbing, absolutely gripping and everything you've ever want from a teenage thriller. When I watched 28 Days Later, I couldn't help feeling that it had scavenged from this book.

[Frinky]

When I watched 28 Days Later, I couldn't help feeling that it had scavenged from this book.

When he gets to London, he finds another person who is alive, and then they have gay sex and drive off in a Jaguar E-Type or something. (I can't remember what happened after he got to London, sorry guys)

Wow, I must have of seen the really tame version of that.

[fanny splendid]

There's no gay sex in that book. John Christopher is good at those apocalyptic style books. Very similar to John Wyndham.

[jimbobsyouruncle]

I used to love the Professor Brainstorm books.  No idea if they're still available.

And  I remember dragging my mum to the book store to buy me the Paddington Bear books as soon as they were released (for something like 30p-shit Im old)...

[daveytaylor]

CS Lewis an atheist? I had the impression he was a Christian and a preachy one at that.

I must be honest I thought Lewis was a religious type but during last year's Big Read they mentioned him and said he was an atheist.

Mmmm... is the BBC lying to me?

But, as someone else has said, it is still a great fucking read.

[Vermschneid Mehearties]

There's no gay sex in that book

*exasperation*

I'm just going to give up.

*Note to VM: Never include opinions, facts and humour in the same post*

[Purple Tentacle]

On the LOTR extended DVD they make numerous references to C.S. Lewis' atheism, in contrast to Tolkein's religiosity. In fact they used to have fierce arguments about it, apparently, although they were also good mates.

They meet the bloody Lamb of Christ at the end of Voyage of the Dawn Treader though, so fuck knows what he's playing at.

[daveytaylor]

I had that book as a child and feel fairly confident that it may even be tucked away on the bookshelf upstairs.

There was no gay sex but when he reaches London, if memory serves me correctly, he finds a man hanging who is only recently died. The man had put up massive signs hoping to attract someone and had obviously given up and topped himself. He then meets up with two girls. One girl goes slightly loopy and tries to kill them. At the end of the book ...... SPOILERS ALERT

At the end of the book she is outside their house begging to be let in and forgiven. The other girl doesn't want her in but the lad goes downstairs and lets her in. Very odd.

EDITED: Because leaving the gap for the spoiler alert was pointless. Reduced the font size instead.

[fanny splendid]

Yes, davey, there is a lot of implied sexuality at the end of the book which makes the ending a little strange. This is why i thought you were being serious, but mistaken, vermschneid. I hadn't realised you were attempting humour.

[Lt Plonker]

Here's another book I enjoyed when I was 9 or 10.



It's about a girl who tried to find out who framed her father for fraud and embezzlement by hacking into a bank's computer or something. I can't remember reall, but it was good fun.