Through the pages of my misspelled youth

I was a late bloomer when it came to reading. I preferred to spend my days running wild, making mud pies and playing with dolls than sitting down with a good book. I coasted through Reception and Year 1 but in Year 2 during an ill-fated group reading exercise, my abysmal reading skills were discovered and reported to my mother. Ah, Mrs.Pinto, the first teacher I adored, she was 4 feet 5 inches of pure despotic greatness. There she is below (see if you can spot me!)

My mother, appalled at my inability to read a full sentence, gave me lots of chances to make a go of it, which I managed to ignore. Finally, she reached the end of her tether and one afternoon got a ladybird classic, The Goose Girl, and a ruler, and sat me down and made me read it from start to finish. I got through it with lots of stumbling and mumbling and the ever-present threat of a smack from that ruler to keep me going and something magical happened.

I was hooked.

While slightly terrified of my mother, I now knew I could make it through a book and it did wonders for my confidence. I started reading everything in sight, and we had a lot of books, thanks to my darling Father. Later, my sister and I started to accompany him to the Eloor Lending Library every Sunday after church to get our books for the week, and looking back, it is one of the happiest memories from my childhood.  Equally fun times include my sister hiding books from me so I couldn't start them before her and frantically reading chapters of the same book as her to get ahead and taunt her with it, when she went to the loo. Thank god she took ages in the loo and library books were not allowed.

So, for this year’s World Book Day, I have taken a trip down memory lane to remember the books and authors that have stayed with me over the years and shaped me into the writer that I am today and hope to be in the future.

Ladybird Classics

• The Goose Girl – A story of betrayal, magic, and a hidden princess finding her rightful place.

• Stone Soup – A timeless tale of resourcefulness and community spirit, where a clever stranger turns nothing into a feast.

• Rumpelstiltskin – A dark and intriguing tale of a miller’s daughter, an impossible task, and a mysterious name that holds power.

Find them here: https://www.ladybird.com/

A Lost Treasure Trove: The Rainy Day Fun Book

One book from my childhood that I still long to find again is The Rainy Day Fun Book. A delightful mix of random poems, games, and activities, it was the perfect companion for grey afternoons spent indoors. I can recite from memory a lot of the little ditties, a particular favourite being about a lobster

I don’t suppose a lobster knows

The proper way to blow his nose

Or else, perhaps, beneath the sea

He has no need to sniff or sneeze.

I mean come on, that’s pure genius, eat your heart out Julia Donaldson.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales

• King Thrushbeard – A lesson in humility and love, where a proud princess learns to value kindness over arrogance.

• Cinderella – The classic rags-to-riches story that never lost its charm, with fairy godmothers, magic pumpkins, and the ultimate ball gown transformation.

This book told me the unvarnished truthful fairy tales where the evil stepsisters were made to dance to death in red-hot iron shoes and the prince in Rapunzel was blinded by falling into thorny bushes. I shivered in horrified delight while reading these grisly endings, not for me were the sanitised, twee versions that are found today. Life isn’t all sunshine and butterflies, so our stories shouldn’t be too.

Find them here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/GRF/grimms-fairy-tales

Just William Books – Richmal Crompton

William Brown, the mischievous and loveable scamp created by Richmal Crompton, was an absolute delight. The Just William books were filled with William’s schemes, his gang of Outlaws, and his ever-thwarted attempts at good behaviour, making for endless laughter and adventure.

This was my first experience of unconscious gender bias. Richmal Crompton is a woman, something I didn’t find out much later. She so perfectly captured the personality of the much-malingered little boy William that I always thought it was written by a man. They were incredibly funny and often made me laugh out loud.

Find them here: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/richmal-crompton

Enid Blyton

She was a prolific writer and pretty much took over our bookshelf. I know these days she’s been vilified as xenophobic, racist, homophobic and more and her books sanitised for today’s consumption, and it’s probably true, but I loved her and her use of language and her storytelling ability. To my younger self, those perceived inequalities were not apparent, not once did I think, “ Hey, there are no brown kids in her stories.” The characters and their personalities, and values like friendship, trust, and loyalty, stay with me, not the colour of their skin or their preferred pronouns. I have to say, though, 30 years on, and I have still not been brave enough to try a cold tongue sandwich that was a staple through her books in those many picnics and midnight feasts.

• Noddy and Mr. Pinkwhistle – Ideal for younger readers, full of playful mischief and gentle moral lessons.

• The Faraway Tree and The Wishing Chair – Magical adventures in enchanted lands that made me wish I could climb into the pages.

• The Famous Five & The Five Find-Outers – Classic mysteries with daring children, secret tunnels, and smugglers to uncover.

• St. Clare’s and Malory Towers – These school series fed my fascination with boarding school life, midnight feasts, and mischievous pranks.

Explore Enid Blyton’s books: https://www.enidblyton.co.uk/

Roald Dahl

No author captured my imagination quite like Roald Dahl, whose quirky, often dark tales always had a touch of magic and mischief. Like Enid Blyton, his books always made me hungry, I love a good feast and picnic. I adored his use of language too, particularly the deliciously jammy, sticky, chewy, gloriously twisting and multi-syllabic insults like festering gumboil, flea-bitten fungus, and made up words like squinky squiddler, troggy little twit, snozzcumber and so many more.

• Fantastic Mr. Fox – A cunning fox outwits three greedy farmers in a thrilling battle of wits.

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – A chocolate wonderland filled with eccentricity and life lessons.

• Danny the Champion of the World – A heartwarming father-son adventure set in the world of poaching and ingenuity.

• The BFG – This was a brilliant imaginative story about the Big Friendly Giant who brought us our dreams and how he made friends with a little orphan and together they save the people of London.

Roald Dahl’s magical collection: Find them here

Carolyn Keene and Frank W. Dixon – Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys

Mystery and adventure were my bread and butter, and no one did it better than Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Interestingly, while I remember the characters, I cannot remember a single story but they were a fun if vanilla read. This may be because they were written by a team of ghostwriters and the author names were made up, but this doesn’t detract from the fun they brought me.

• Nancy Drew Series – A teenage sleuth solving intricate mysteries with intelligence and bravery.

• The Hardy Boys – Brothers Frank and Joe tackled thrilling cases, offering action-packed adventures.

Find Nancy Drew & Hardy Boys books: Find our more about them here

Archie and Jughead Comics

As a young teen, I devoured Archie and Jughead comics. Their light-hearted high school antics, the eternal love triangle between Archie, Betty, and Veronica, and Jughead’s insatiable appetite made for the perfect escapist read between heavier novels.

Archie Comics: Find them here

Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal

New to the world of teen romance and while going through a particularly awkward phase where I just didn’t seem to fit in my skin, I found myself swept into the world of Sweet Valley High, following the lives of identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield as they navigated high school drama, romance, and friendships. Again, the stories all blend into one thanks to a fabulous team of prolific ghost writers. However, they were perfect and so far from my hum-drum reality that it was nice to escape for a bit into their blonde sun-shiny world.

Sweet Valley High books: Find more about them here

Sneaking into My Dad’s Bookshelves

As I grew older, I started borrowing from my dad’s collection, finding treasures that still hold a place in my heart and my bookshelf. A lot of these stories were animal-centric and for a long time I wanted to be a vet, zoo owner, and live between Corfu and The Shire. I also developed a passion for reading British Authors and Tom Sharpe, Douglas Adams, and Wodehouse delighted me for ages, maybe it was the hapless heroes I wanted to save... poor Wilt, Wooster and Dent. Terry Pratchett and the Discworld books were my travel buddies, the perfect size for journeys and infinitely re-readable.

• James Herriot’s Vet Series – Heartwarming tales of a Yorkshire vet, filled with humor, animals, and a deep love for rural life.

• Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals – A hilarious and enchanting memoir of an eccentric childhood in Corfu.

• Tom Sharpe and the Wilt Books – A riotous satire of British society, following the misadventures of Henry Wilt, a beleaguered lecturer stuck in a dull job and an even duller marriage.

• Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Absurdly brilliant sci-fi comedy that expanded my imagination.

• P.G. Wodehouse and the World of Jeeves & Wooster – Follows the bumbling aristocrat Bertie Wooster and his unflappable valet Jeeves, whose cleverness consistently saves Bertie from his own ridiculous escapades

• J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings – A masterpiece that remains on my bookshelf, its pages well-worn from multiple readings.

• Terry Pratchett and the Discworld Series – Whether following the bumbling wizard Rincewind, the pragmatic Granny Weatherwax, or the ever-efficient Death, Pratchett’s storytelling is rich with wit and wisdom.

📖 Explore these classics: James Herriot, Gerald Durrell, Douglas Adams, J.R.R. Tolkien, Wodehouse, Tom Sharpe and Terry Pratchett.

My Secret Love for Regency Romances

As I grew up a bit more, I developed a secret penchant for regency romances, with Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen reigning supreme in my collection. I read them all and loved them all. I tried the Brontës and Daphne Du Maurier but never warmed to the gothic themes and grand passions they depicted. Instead, I liked being a fly on the wall in the day-to-day lives of these fascinating folk, and if there was a little light mystery thrown in all the better. I rediscovered these books after I had my first baby, and reading through the night on my phone precariously balanced on my knee, while breast-feeding, made those difficult nights so much easier. Julia Quinn became a favourite long before the Bridgerton’s were a Netflix sensation, but since we’re talking children’s books, I shall save the sexy ones for another post.

• Georgette Heyer - The Grand Sophy – A witty, sharp, and delightfully unconventional heroine navigating the strictures of high society. Also adored Arabella.

• Jane Austen’s Novels – Though I adore all of Austen’s works, Pride and Prejudice remains my favorite, with Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s banter standing the test of time.

I have to add, that my grandmother has the same taste in books, and I used to make so much fun of her reading her stack of Mills & Boons from the library, from my lofty heights of literary snobbery. How the mighty have fallen. I get the appeal now, Chi, I really do.

Explore Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen: Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen

The Joy of Rediscovery

I have been trying to end this blog post for the last hour, but each time I remember a new author who shaped my perspective and added to my vocabulary, but I think 2000 words and 5 pages is plenty.

To conclude, now as an adult, I find immense joy in sharing these books with my children, watching their eyes light up at the same stories that once enchanted me. It’s a beautiful reminder that great books never age; they simply wait for the next reader to turn their pages.

What were your childhood favourites? Share your stories in the comments, I’d love to hear about them.

HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY 2025!