I was lucky as a kid - my older sister taught me to read even before I went to school, and the we had plenty of books in the house; I remember getting stuck into Reader's Digest at a young age although a lot of it went over my head, obviously. It wasn't all high-falutin' stuff, we were allowed a comic a week; I got the Beano, my brother the Hotspur and big sister "Jackie" which, needless to say, I didn't read.

The first book I remember being totally capivated by was "Swallows and Amazons" - I couldn't wait to get home from school and pick up where I'd left off. Eventually I read the entire series and loved them all. In hindsight, "Roger the Cabin Boy" might not be an acceptable name nowadays, neither would "Titty", his young sister.

What an amazing gathering of memories are here!

One set of books that I read from the library that have always stayed with me were the 'Green Sailors' adventures. I must have been about 11 or so and they stuck in my mind along with a whole slew of Westerns, mainly with bodice ripper type covers...

The Green sailors https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000CI1X9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_WMACCJJ4W0X8HPW3GPMV

WE John's wrote an excellent series of sci- fi books ( not quite. Biggles in Space )   - Kings of Space

Also BB,  the Forest of Boland light railway

With all this knowledge of early books perhaps someone can answer this one.

Ithink it was in the mid 1950's that I read a book aboutchildren who embarked on a sort of fantasy journey involving wrecked ships in a strange world.
I have no real recollection of the story or plot but recall that the final words, spoken I think by a parrot, were "Finis Halsey, finis". I've tried Googling it without success and wonder if any one out there can help?

Quote from: LASteve on August 25, 2021, 09:21:55 PM

The first book I remember being totally capivated by was "Swallows and Amazons" - I couldn't wait to get home from school and pick up where I'd left off. Eventually I read the entire series and loved them all. In hindsight, "Roger the Cabin Boy" might not be an acceptable name nowadays, neither would "Titty", his young sister.

As our Lady radio Officer puts it for the 3 Rivers Race which competes over the rivers and broads mentioned in COOT CLUB and  the BIX SIX...

No Rogering on the radio,...

Quote from: Railwaygun on August 26, 2021, 10:32:09 PM
WE John's wrote an excellent series of sci- fi books ( not quite. Biggles in Space )   - Kings of Space

Iha
Ve a vague  recollection  of Kings of space but preferred Issac Asimov's Lucky Starr books. Johns als wrote Gimlet books about a commando abd Worrals books a WAAF pilot

An excellent book. My late father bought me a copy of "British Railways Today and Tomorrow" by G Freeman Allen, too.

My memory of books I read at age 10 or less is very vague now - too many technical manuals and Sci-Fi books as a teenager I suspect. I do remember, and still have, my original 'pocket' sized Thomas the Tank Engine books which are well thumbed. I did read comics and such like as my Father worked in the printing industry, and could get those printed by his employer at reduced cost.
Cheers

I read Black Beauty and Adventures of Robin Hood so many times that I think I still know them off by heart.  Other than that it was Enid Blyton ()of course) and a range I haven't seen mentioned - Kemlo by E Elliot

I am not sure if it has been mentioned before in this thread but I read

Little Black Sambo.

Not PC nowadays though.

GE

Tintin, Paddington, Arthur Ransome, WE Johns,Pooh, john Bunyan, and anything that wasn't nailed down in the school library!