Listmania!
I'll always have a place for these on my bookshelf
Alanna, the First Adventure (Song of the Lioness (Paperback))Alanna, the First Adventure (Song of the Lioness (Paperback)) by Tamora Pierce
Buy new: £4.99 / Used from: £2.37
Alanna is a heroine beyond all heroines. I want to learn to swordfight! Start of a series which you'll get hooked on. I know, I am.
Ballet Shoes: A Story of Three Children on the Stage (Puffin Books)Ballet Shoes: A Story of Three Children on the Stage (Puffin Books) by Noel Streatfeild
Buy new: £3.99 / Used from: £0.01
I particularly like Petrova, since she did not want to be a singer, dancer or actress. Hurrah! Showbiz is overrated, but this book is not.
White BootsWhite Boots by Noel Streatfeild
Buy used from: £2.77
Alas this seems to be out of print. Try ebay, because its as good as Ballet Shoes. Perfect for little girls, and for us bigger ones too.
SnowfallSnowfall by K. M. Peyton
Buy new: £4.71 / Used from: £2.31
At its simplest; a historical romance. But its so much more than that. Mountain Climbing, escaping tradition and defying expectation. Beautifully crafted.
FlambardsFlambards by K M Peyton
Buy new: £4.49 / Used from: £0.01
As above, but horses and aeroplanes, a dysfunctional family, and a young girl caught in the middle.
The Little White HorseThe Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
Buy new: £4.99 / Used from: £0.01
Better than the average fairy tale. Girl and her 'true love' defeat evil and live happily ever after with a delightful cast of extras.
Artemis FowlArtemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Buy new: £4.89 / Used from: £0.01
Introducing Holly Short, LEPrecon, keeping the faerie folk secret from us up here. And a teenage boy, who, like usual, is up to no good. With a large amount of gold at stake, chaos is bound to ensue
The Recruit: Bk. 1 (CHERUB)The Recruit: Bk. 1 (CHERUB) by Robert Muchamore
Buy new: £4.39 / Used from: £0.40
A boys action story really - children recruited as spies! Good clean fun.
Stormbreaker (Alex Rider 1)Stormbreaker (Alex Rider 1) by Anthony Horowitz
Buy new: £5.00 / Used from: £0.01
Young boy becomes a spy through suspiciously contorted circumstances. Well told adventure. Not as gripping as it was, but still on my shelf.
Homecoming (Collins Modern Classics)Homecoming (Collins Modern Classics) by Cynthia Voigt
Buy used from: £0.01
A story of true determination, family loyalty, and some twists of fate along the way. Again, the start of a series, an unusual family but one you'll wish you were part of.
Ender's Game (The Ender saga)Ender's Game (The Ender saga) by Orson Scott Card
Buy new: £5.49 / Used from: £0.65
I'm not normally a fan of science fiction, but this drew me in. A mixture of action and politics, good for both young kids and some deeper insights for us older kids.
Ender's Shadow (Shadow Saga)Ender's Shadow (Shadow Saga) by Orson Scott Card
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £0.34
Reads in parallel to the above. A story of its own, and also tells the other from another point of view. Excellent.
Swallows and AmazonsSwallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £1.27
Classic! I'm definitely living vicariously, but I love it!
Naughtiest Girl CollectionNaughtiest Girl Collection by Enid Blyton
Buy used from: £2.98
You'll have to get these separately, but I put this one since it's a set. The title says it all! Some good ole boarding school fun.
First Term at Malory TowersFirst Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton
Buy new: £4.99 / Used from: £0.44
In a similar vein to the above. Midnight feasts, matrons, pranks on mistresses and lacrosse matches. My school was rubbish in comparison!
The Seeing Stone (Arthur)The Seeing Stone (Arthur) by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Buy new: £5.24 / Used from: £0.01
Arthur (of round-table fame) as a young child, and his journey (both spiritual and actual) into maturity. Great fantasy stuff. This is book 1 of 3.
Gatty's TaleGatty's Tale by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Buy new: £5.24 / Used from: £0.01
Not to be read until after the above, when you've got to know Gatty, and want her to have a story of her own for yourself.
Little House on the Prairie (Classic Mammoth)Little House on the Prairie (Classic Mammoth) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Buy new: £3.39 / Used from: £0.01
A TRUE tale of pioneer family life. Makes me wish I was there. Part of a series - read them all.
The Ordinary PrincessThe Ordinary Princess by Mary Margaret Kaye
Buy new: £5.24 / Used from: £5.20
Some fairytale romance. Short and sweet.
All American GirlAll American Girl by Meg Cabot
Buy new: £3.89 / Used from: £0.01
A bit of teenage chick-lit. Damn all these young girls for finding love; it's much harder in real life! Ah well, its good stuff all the same.
HolesHoles by Louis Sachar
Buy new: £5.24 / Used from: £0.01
A tremendous tale, and a tale within a tale. Surprisingly deep (pun intended, of course!)
KelpKelp by Linda Aronson
Buy used from: £0.01
Fun. An large, odd family with really strong glasses, and a girl who just wants to fit in. Then her rich, cool uncle arrives, and things turn out better than could be expected :-)