Favourite childhood books

There are some books which when we come across as adults immediately take us back to our miniature selves. I was talking to a friend of mine earlier and he told me that he didn't have any favourite books from when he was a kid. He claims he was brought up on 1970s New York movies and Scarface, which I highly doubt as he is about as gangster as my Lolita the Bunny hot water bottle cover. 

Everyone who was encouraged to read as a youngster surely has a list of favourite books from their childhood. I can reel mine off without even thinking, and so without further ado; a list of my favourite books below with a memorable line or episode; and why the book was special to me. 


First up is the series of book written by Beverly Cleary about a character called Ramona Quimby. I adored these books when I was wee, as I thought I was Ramona. Imaginative, curious, unwitting trouble maker; a girl who found it difficult to make herself understood to her parents and her older sister "Beezus." 


One of my favourite episodes from Ramona's quaint childhood was the wedding between her Aunt Bea and her best friend Howie's Uncle Hobart from the book : "Ramona Forever." This book marks a definite change in Ramona's relationships with her parents, his sister and her BFF: Howie. It's a book which underlines how "change" can affect an 8-year old girl, albeit one with an over-active imagination and very big heart. 


Ramona Forever


Second up is a series of books which probably foretold my interest in books which are darkly comical. The series "Arabel and her Raven" entertained me for so many hours. I owe a lot to Joan Aiken's very dry style of writing. Even for young readers, Aiken's prose is hilarious and very very "close to the bone." The series is about a young girl who adopts a raven called Mortimer as her pet. All manner of comic shenanigans arise from the odd pairing who are inseparable. Quentin Blake provided the illustrations for this fabulous series which further adds to my affection for this series. Aside from Mortimer, who as a raven is quite sage like, not unlike Yoda from Star Wars; Mr Jones (Arabel's dad) was probably my favourite character from the books. In the first book: "Arabel and her raven", Mr Jones comes across an injured Mortimer on the road. He believes that he is fated to save the raven's life as his horoscope from the Taxi Driver's Herald declares that "due to your skill, a life will be saved today."


Arabel and her raven


Roald Dahl's books gave me so much joy when I was a young reader, that even now I still find it hard to pick out one stand alone favourite from his arc. However, the book that gave me the most laughs is undoubtedly "The Twits." The story of the two most horrible characters ever written about in children's literature still raise a laugh. Dahl allegedly gave Mr Twit a disgusting beard and was particularly graphic about his beard because he hated beards! The Twits should be given to all couples considering marriage, beware; "this may happen to you!" The Glass Eye chapter still makes me laugh until I can no longer breathe. Mr and Mrs Twit's constant pranks and terrorising of the animals eventually give way to their demise, this is is a gem of a book.

The Twits