I read all the Secret Seven and all the Famous Five Books I could get my hands on. When I was younger I remember reading/being read the Ladybird books and the Golden books. Still see them in the shops today.

Also loved Famous 5 and the Magic wishing chair books - never got into the Secret Seven. Loved reading Russian fairy tales and Greek mythology. Later all the horsey books I could get my hands on: My Friend Flicka, Green grass of Wyoming, Thunderhead. Some of the minor must reads - Little Women, What Katy Did series, etc. School set books tended to put me off the classics at the time, which was a sad omission.

My favorite writer as a child was Lois Lenski. She was a writer of an incredible series of American regional books set all over the U.S. My favorites were "Prairie School", "Cotton in My Sack", and "Strawberry Girl." The books are very charming and nostalgic. Though they were quite contemporaray when written. I now have 6 first editions and 2 signed by the author.

She was an amazing woman who looked a bit like Eleanor Roosevelt. When researching a new book, she would go to the area she would be writing about and live with a local family for weeks to pick up the local dialect, stories, and culture. She also illustrated the books herself.

I doubt they were very popular outside of the U.S. Not sure how interested kids in other countries would have been in coal mining in Appalachia or sharecropping in Arkansas. But still, I find them charming.

I loved "Jacob Have I Loved" and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret."

Does anyone remember these other faves?
"Sylvester and the Magic Pebble"
"Miss Nelson is Missing"
"The War With Grandpa"

I also really liked the Sweet Valley Twins series & the Baby Sitters Club.

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Wait...wasn't that Colin Thiele??

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Yes, you are quite right - it was Colin. What on earth was I thinking when I typed Robert?