What books can I buy my daughter?

There are some good Roald Dahl hardback books (with illustrations by Quentin Blake) around at the moment. We bought a fabulous one for our nephew's christening and his father couldn't put it down. I can't think what it was called though, sorry!

I would buy this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Winnie-Pooh-Complete-Collection-Stories/dp/0416199615/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228687697&sr=8-2

What about non-Disney Winnie the Pooh? I don't think you can go wrong with Dr Seuss either.

Oooh, thanks Pud, can't believe I didn't think of Roald Dahl, I used to devour his books. And I love the Quentin Blake illustrations too.

I'd second Roald Dahl. As a child I had a boxed set of four books - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox & The Magic Finger - which I treasured. He's written many more since those days, of course, so how about the Roald Dahl Treasury hardback?

? Non-Disney Winnie the Pooh might be a winner too.

What Dr Seuss books do you recommend Mwnci? We have 'The Places You'll Go' but I'm not familiar with any others (except for the Cat in the Hat which my sister and I didn't like because he was very naughty ?).

i've just read when i was a child i read 'the sheep pig' (the babe book) and i loved it ?

I have bought the The Worst Witch and The Worst Witch Strikes again for my niece for christmas and I am so tempted to give it a quick read!

I absolutely loved Mildred Hubble as a child.

Charlotte's Web?

Milly Molly Mandy?

What Katy Did etc.?

Books I think every girl should read in her lifetime (read: books Clara will be made to read ?) include:

What Katy Did series
Little Women series
Malory towers (originals please, none of the modern PC rubbish)
Anne of Green Gables series (and indeed the Emily books also by LM Montgomery)
Wind in the Willows
Everything by Roald Dahl
Everything by AA Milne but it must absolutely categorically be the original EH Shepherd illustrations - anything illustrated by Disney should be burnt
Magic Faraway tree series (but see note to Malory Towers)
Chalet School series
The Ordinary Princess by MM Kaye
Swallows and Amazons series
The Secret Garden
Charlotte's Web
The Narnia Chronicles
The Children of Green Knowe

Ummm that's a start - I'm sure there are hundreds of other ones which will come to me ?

Little House on the Prairie series
Tom's Midnight Garden

I was addicted to these! (still am ?)

Dr Seuss box set I know it's over-budget but I've seen similar for cheaper, there are mini ones on play.com for £23.

I only read a few as a child but I really, reeeeeally want to read them now so am inhabiting eBay accordingly ?

I remember the one with Grizel in it and the confusion over the German for hot water versus holy water. How they laughed in teh hairdressers ?

But not as funny as the cloves / apple pie / cloves of garlic! Or the cod liver oil fried doughnuts.... She really didn't cook much!

All Enid Blyton

Sometimes Charlotte (or it could have been the other way around)

When Hitler stole Pink rabbit/ bunny

The Drina series

Water Babies

Another book I loved, I can't remember what it was called but, think it may have been 'stray' it was about a London alley cat. Loved it.

Also did anyone else read the 'across the barricades' series?

I used to love our hard-back copy of the Grimms fairytales ?

Ooooh - MF's Drina suggestion made me think of everything by Noel Streatfeild, from Ballet Shoes to White Boots to Party Frock and onwards (preferably with the original titles, not the ones they changed to make them all shoe-related)

Flowery the Grouch sent me several Noel Streatfeild books last year and it was amongst the best gifts I have ever had ?

I know it's a bit Celtic/Welsh but what about a nice Illustrated copy of the Mabinogion? You can get english languages versions I'm sure.

Not in hardback, but this is a great bargain: http://www.redhouse.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productSearch_10151_18251_148225_100___10_SimpleSearch_2_1_2__basicSearch_roald%20dahl

I may have to get it myself!

Wow, thanks for all these. I've not read them all but I've heard of most, I can't wait till they're reading 'proper' books. That's Not My Puppy is engrossing but the plot is rubbish.

Monkey Fingers- is it the Carbonel series by Barbara Sleigh you're thinking of? I loved those. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonel_series

Five Children and it was a favourite of mine, also mrs pepperpot and the brer rabbit books, I think the brer rabbit books were Enid Blyton.

The book people have some really good sets of books for much lower prices than you would pay on the high street e.g. 20 Dr Seuss for £20. They also have enid blyton sets and others....

http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&pageSize=10&beginIndex=0&searchScope=SimpleSearch&resultType=2&resultCatEntryType=1&catgrpSchemaType=2&vipStatus=&fromPage=basicSearch&layout=oneColumn&pageNumber=&pageSizeOption=10&format=&sortOption=DEFAULT&ageRange=&onlySets=&categoryName=Babies+%26+Toddlers&categoryPath=%2F59607%2F59611&categoryId=59607&luceneSearchType=CATEGORY&searchTerm=

What, no Forever by Judy Blume?!

I have a beautiful copy of Alice in Wonderland that I'm keeping for Claude. Have you considered a poetry book? I had several anthologies that I loved when I was younger - I can't remember the names of them though. Something like the Victorian Garden...

Melawen has a huge collection of these and I've been raiding her collection even though she's at one end of the country and I'm at the other. Can't remember though if I have to post some back or get the next 2/3 from her (wedding brain is still in effect!)

Jo

I found it even cheaper, I love the book people:

https://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10051_138512_100_48107__category_

I bought this set for my daughter when she was little and she still loves it now (aged 6).

The Book People is fabulous in general for childrens books.

I think we've bough the Dr Seuss box set for most family babies, and a few others besides.

I'd second pretty much everything Hazel said (I think we had identical childhood reading tastes) and add Heidi.

I'd second almost everything on Hazel's list (except Little Women, which I never got on with), especially the Ordinary Princess, which is the most wonderful fairy story ever.