When I was a girl...

There are times when I really wish I had a daughter (not that I don't love my boys!).

Fortunately I have some wonderful friends with adorable girls who I can borrow from time to time.

Last week my friend’s daughter was doing her literacy homework, she had to interview family members about their reading habits. So as surrogate auntie I was questioned too.

   What books did you like to read as a child?

      “Pippi Longstocking” 

   And why did you like reading those books?

      I loved the adventures and stepping into another world.

I thought back to those carefree days of being ten. Our local library was just a prefab structure and I remember the sound your feet made on the wooden steps as you entered the building. It was one of my favourite places to visit and I would spend hours there choosing books to read.

Round the corner behind the desk was the childrens area. Picture books in boxes, a shelf of easy reading titles and then rows of books filed alphabetically. Nowadays R stands for JK Rowling and Harry Potter when I was a girl R was the shelf full of Swallows and Amazon tales by Arthur Ransome.

I used to think someday I would run out of glorious books to read, now I wish I had more time, knowing there is so much out there to enjoy.

On Saturday when I went to the library to return a book (Stephanie Plum – my latest adventuring female role model) they had a trolley of old books for sale. There I was reacquainted with another character I knew so well – Mrs Pepperpot. No wonder I lost her for so long, she was so tiny!

I picked up a couple and have given them to my friend’s daughter. I hope she enjoys them. It’s great to share your memories with next generation.

Here's a few more of my childhood favourites

Sweet Valley High 

Professor Brainstorm 

Olga De Polga 

Nancy Drew

Millie Mollie Mandy

Paddington Bear

I also remember reading a book called The Yellow Tent about some boys who crawled into a tent in a big department store, fell asleep and had to stay there all night.  I have no idea who wrote it but the story has always stayed with me.

So what books do you remember reading as a child?