Comments on: From the Archives: A Child’s Delight

By: Captured — Here in the Bonny Glen

Captured — Here in the Bonny Glen — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:20:35 +0000

[...] book? I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. I read about it (but not too much) in Noel Perrin’s A Child’s Delight, and ordered a copy based on Perrin’s recommendation. Over two years [...]

By: Crowing over Crow Books — Here in the Bonny Glen

Crowing over Crow Books — Here in the Bonny Glen — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:54:14 +0000

[...] In yesterday’s post (a reprint from 2007) I discussed at length a picture book we treasure: Johnny Crow’s Garden by Leslie Brooke. You can see the whole thing, illustrations and all (and what illustrations! ), at Project Gutenberg. (That’s Brooke’s charming Johnny Crow at the top of this post.) [...]

By: Joanna

Joanna — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:24:06 +0000

Have you read ‘The Painted Garden’ by Streatfield? It’s about three English children who go (very reluctantly) to California with their parents to live there for a summer in an attempt to improve their father’s depression after he’s accidentally (no fault) run over a child in a traffic accident. Pretty eldest child Rachel wants to be a ballerina, small Tim is a talented pianist, but it’s the middle child, sulky, cross, plain Jane, who wants to be an animal trainer, who has the really exciting adventure . . . if you want to know how, think of the other very well known children’s book with ‘Garden’ in the title. You’ll also meet a couple of people you knew from one of the other Streatfield books you mentioned in your post. And if you like this one, you might want to try ‘Apple Bough’ – or even ‘Tennis Shoes’.

What about ‘A Little Princess’ (much better than the film) or ‘The Lost Prince’ by Frances Hodgson Burnett?

Or Joan Aiken’s ‘The Wolves of Willoughby Chase’ and its sequels?

I love Mistress Masham’s Repose, and the Green Knowe books too.

Have you ever read Susan Cooper’s ‘Dark is Rising’ sequence? They’re based on Arthurian legend. . . look for ‘Over Sea Under Stone’ as the first one.

David Almond ‘Skellig’ This is brilliant – one of the best books I’ve ever read. Won’t talk about it too much because I’ll give too much away, but the main girl character is home-schooled.

There are so many good children’s books. I’d like to try the Betsy Tacy books but they’re hard to find in the UK.

By: MelanieB

MelanieB — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:34:40 +0000

I just took A Child’s Delight back to the library last week (or was it the week before last). Thanks again to you and to the Deputy Headmistress. I think I first read about it at the Common Room and then again here but it still took me a couple of years before I finally checked it out. It’s definitely going to come home with me again some time. Or maybe I will actually buy it.

By: Amy @ Hope Is the Word

Amy @ Hope Is the Word — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:05:50 +0000

I’ll have to look this one up! Thanks!

By: deputyheadmistress

deputyheadmistress — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:50:41 +0000

I loved reading this, and thanks for the links.

Mistress Masham’s Repose is a delight, and I love the Green Knowe books, too, but I met them both before Perrin. I Capture the Castle disappointed me in the end, but it was great fun getting there.

Dogsbody I never would have known about if not for Perrin, and that would be sad.

I was surprised Watership Down was under the radar, too, but then I wondered if perhaps it, and Millions of Cats made it back on the radar because Perrin successfully advocated for them. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

By: Kelli

Kelli — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:52:40 +0000

Apparently I was a very poorly-read child. Off to google now with list in tow… Thank you.