Children’s books have changed a lot since I was a boy. In many ways I think they’re better now than they ever have been, and children also have a much wider range of authors, subjects and genres from which to choose.
I was always a big reader when I was young, although I actually skipped out a lot of children’s books and went straight into Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams and the like. It’s only now that I’ve started reading children’s fiction that I realise what I missed out on.
There was one book, though, that left a massive impression on me as a child. It was an enormous hardback that I found in my school library one day – by far the biggest book I’d ever attempted to read. It was called The Hounds Of The Morrigan
I have vivid memories of curling up and reading that book – either in bed or on the couch – and I still remember the feeling of sadness I felt when I reached the end and had to say goodbye to the two main characters, Pidge and Bridget. I was eight or nine, but I still remember actually whispering “goodbye” to them when I closed the back cover, that’s how profound an effect the book had on me.
I suppose if I look back that was the first book that ever made me want to be a writer. I borrowed that book from the library at least half a dozen times, and while I never again whispered my goodbyes when I finished it, I never stopped loving the story.
If you’ve never read the book then you’re missing out. Click the link in paragraph three above to be taken to the Amazon page where it’s available insanely cheaply for the size and quality of the book.
I’d love to hear what your favourite book was when you were younger. Post a comment letting us know the title and author (or whatever details you can remember).
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March 7th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I also missed out on a lot of kids’ fiction and went straight to the adult stuff. When I did get into books written for children, it was usually adventure stories, such as Enid Blyton’s Famous Five or Secret Seven.
Then I discovered The Three Investigators – a series about a trio of crime-solving boys (Jupitor Jones, Bob Andrews and Pete Crenshaw) with patronage from none other than Alfred Hitchcock. From their HQ hidden under a mound of junk in a scrapheap, they deciphered clues, battled enemies and solved mysteries.
In fact, now I’ve written that, I’m off to eBay to see if I can pick up a couple of old copies and read them again…
March 9th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I had a hunt on ebay for another book I really enjoyed when I was younger. Wagstaffe the Wind-Up Boy it was called. Brilliantly funny when I was seven, and I’m convinced it’d still be as good today.
Found one going for £45 one day. Didn’t bother bidding…
March 9th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Hello Barry,
The Hounds of the Morrigan is also going to be re-released by Oxford Childrens books soon. Hope to read it soon……
Looks like a nice proof of yours by the way……………..
March 10th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
You should definitely give it a read, Vincent. It’s been consistently in print for over fifteen years, and not without reason.
Yes, the proof does look nice, doesn’t it? Hopefully the people at Bologna think so too