1. Jennings goes To School by Anthony Buckeridge
When Jennings arrives at Linbury Court Preparatory School as a new boy, he soon discovers how much he has to learn, especially when the other boys seem to be talking in a different language! Spivish ozard! But it is not long before Jennings becomes a celebrity, following an intrepid escape from the school grounds and a riotous attempt to enliven a fire practice, which leaves Old Wilkie literally climbing the walls! From then on, every time Jennings gives trouble the elbow, a new disaster trips him over. But only one thing really matters to J C T Jennings his First Eleven debut. When the long-awaited match arrives, Jennings certainly uses his head.
My thought :
I absolutely devoured this series as a child. I must have been about 7 or 8 and was given these by my uncle . I was completely obsessed with the idea of going to boarding school at that time, (I think it was all to do with midnight feasts), so pretty much read anything that took place in one
2.First Time to Malory Towers by Enid Blyton
Scared and excited, Darrell Rivers has just arrived at Malory Towers. It's fantastic - but huge. How is she going to remember everyone's name, let alone find her way around? And will she ever have a special friend of her own?
My thought : I was fortunate to find out about this series (this is the first book in a 6 book series) because of one Goodreads friend, and thanks to another Goodreads friend was able to purchase the six book series for less than the cost of mailing. I’m really happy to have them. It’s going to take some discipline on my part to wait to read the next five until I’ve read some other books further up in my queue.
I guess the plot was formulaic and the girls were all a “type” but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It felt like a short vacation back to childhood and it was a really fun read.
I would have adored this book when I was a child. I certainly was not as cheerful as the main heroine but did enjoy reading about those cheerful girls, and there are girls with all sorts of personalities and all sorts of strengths and weaknesses who make up the cast of characters and they’re interesting to get to know.
3. Summer Term in St Clare by Enid Blyton
Twins Pat and Isabel are disappointed when they have to miss the first week of the new term. But they soon settle down again, and the summer term brings all sorts of excitement and several new girls, some of whom are less popular than others.
My thought :
Aah, after three books that Enid Blyton decided to conclude the first former series. I am fond of the twins, Pat and Isabel, but the focus has somehow shifted to their circles of friends.
I love the addition of new characters and particularly love Bobby and Carlotta. As for Prudence, I shuddered on why she is so sneaky and keep telling tales. Yes, I know that not all the girls are good, but some characters were painted as so sneaky that I feel uncomfortable reading about Prudence's mischief.
Well, I am going to continue reading the 4th book and try to remember why I enjoyed the series so much in my younger days!
4.Five on Treasure Island by Enid Blyton
The very first Famous Five adventure, featuring Julian, Dick, Anne, not forgetting tomboy George and her beloved dog, Timmy! There's a shipwreck off Kirrin Island! But where is the treasure? The Famous Five are on the trail - looking for clues - but they're not alone! Someone else has got the same idea. Time is running out for the Famous Five, who will follow the clues and get to the treasure first?
My thought
The wonderful first book in the Famous Five collection, and what a story! Somehow, none of the others, however much I liked them, are exactly like this book. This is the book where George discovers friendship, and that spending time with her cousins results in mysteries, but even better than that, in good times. Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy (who is at this moment a secret from George's parents) All head off to spend a few days on the delightful Kirrin Island, intent on searching for gold ingots! They have to get there before two men who have guessed the secret after Uncle Quintin stupidly gave them away, and danger and excitement abound.
This being the first book, I shouldn't have been surprised at the unfairness of Uncle Quintin, but when I first read the books I was. No wonder the children didn't trust him! Here he seems mean, especially to George, and it took books later before he was redeemed in my eyes. I could definitely sympathize with poor George when i first picked up these books!
I loved how these books were written, and I still do. They are exciting, even years and years later. The original book, and one of the best!
5.Mystery of the Streaming Clock (Alfred Hitchcock and Three Investigators)
The alarm clock went off with the bloodcurdling scream of a woman in mortal terror! Who could have made such a clock--and why?
The Three Investigators immediately set out to discover where the mysterious clock came from. When they come across a run-down house in Hollywood, they find an entire room full of dreadful clocks--and time is running out!
My thought : This is a classic that really stands up to the test of time. The second story with Huganay, who tries to double-cross the boys at the end but is a good sport when his plans fall through. Both the stories involving Huganay have the boys chasing after paintings through cryptic messages from dead men. I reread this story last week and still love it. I think it was the last of the Robert Arthur stories that I got my hands on. The first one I read by the original author was Vanishing Treasure.
6.The Mystery of the Invisible Thief by Enid Blyton
Larry, Daisy, Fatty, Pip, Bets and Buster are immediately on the trail when two robberies take place in the village, and though the thief has left enormous footprints, it seems as if he is able to enter houses without being seen.
My thought :Another day, another mystery to solve with Enid Blyton. I think the Find Outers are growing on me, especially Fatty. He really is a toad of a boy, but still fun to read about. He sounds like a good friend, with plenty of faults to keep him grounded. I read this one pretty quickly, mainly while standing out and waiting for the bus. I'll have to see how many more in this series I have, and see about acquiring the others.
The Mystery of the Invisible Thief by Enid Blyton had lots of funny moments as the Find-Outers were always one step ahead of Mr. Goon. The mystery was good with some fine sleuthing. As usual, the motivation of the perp was lacking unless that fact that the perp was working class is motivation enough. For Blyton, this is often too true.
7. The Valley of Adventure by Enid Blyton
Nothing could be more exciting than a night flight on Bill's plane. But in THE VALLEY OF ADVENTURE, Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann, Jack and Kiki the parrot fly straight into terrible danger. In THE SEA OF ADVENTURE, the children find themselves marooned on a desolate coast, playing a dangerous game of hide-and-seek with an unknown enemy.
My thought :
I loved the Adventure and Famous Five series when I was a kid. The books had been passed down from my mom, who had also loved them. I was anticipating that re-reading this one as a 40-something would be a disappointing experience but it was totally the opposite. I got completely sucked in and read it through in one sitting. Obviously, the books are dated. They were written more than 60 years ago in a world vastly different from the one we live in now but I think they hold up for the most part. Or this one did, anyway. Pretty much all of the secondary characters are big stereotypes - the bad guys have "thick necks", Bill is kind of an all purpose hero - but that's okay because the story is really about the children. The gender roles are more modern than I expected. Yes, Dinah is afraid and squeal-y about critters and Lucy Ann is a bit of a suck, and Dinah takes care of the bed and dinner but the girls see as much action as the boys. They hide from the bad guys, climb trees, explore caves. I can totally see why these stories were my favorites: they combine a lack parental guidance and kid power with a talking parrot. No one gets hurt and everything comes out alright in the end. What could be better
8. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a flair for the outrageous that seems to lead to one adventure after another!
My thought
As a headstrong little girl, Pippi was my heroine. I longed to live in a castle with a horse and a monkey, and live life on my own terms. So what if the plot was weak? The object of the story was to portray a way of life that many girls yearned to live. Her name made quite a good mantra, when recited while avoiding cracks in neighborhood sidewalks. Inside every child is a lighthearted rebel, just like Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim's Daughter Longstocking.
9. Frankenstein by Mary Sherry
Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein. Frankenstein, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.
my thought
Frankenstein is a book that really shocked me because I did not expect it to have such depth and meaning. The premises is absolutely preposterous. But the story is told so eloquently and with such conviction that I was quickly able to get past that. Additionally, the characters are people you come to care deeply about, which makes the horrific events that dominate the second half of the novel very difficult to cope with, causing serious reflection.
10.Windmill of Gods by Sidney Sheldon
The tale of a woman's heroism against an unknown terror spanning the whole arena of international intrigue.
My thought
How a story is presented in the beginning, middle, & end is an essential factor that keeps the readers of into pages. Sidney Sheldon did it well on his Windmills of the Gods, & successfully placed a strong ingredient that surprises readers every now & then. The pacing is perfect. The plot is excellent. The story itself is well-researched. Windmills of the Gods is one of the greatest suspense stories I've had read, and Sidney Sheldon succeeded in hooking me up with such a breath-taking story, a fast-paced journey unto the world of politics & its darkest mysteries, the hidden risks behind intellect & fame, the roller coaster ride to the international secrets, sex & murder at their worst, a family at danger in every choice to take, and the survival amidst greedy interests and deceits in a game of life. There's only a few writers who can bring it on; and Sidney Sheldon is one worth to get such prestige.
What are some of YOUR favourite books?
