Childhood books

[illumina3]

I remember reading these books as a kid during the 80s, but I can't for the life of me remember the titles or the authors. Can anyone help?

1) About a girl who goes to live with a relative (aunt? grandmother?) on a Scottish croft, and discovers seals living nearby.

2) Well before Harry Potter, this book was about a boy who discovered he could do magic, and learned spells from an old man in the village. There was a girl, a little older than him, who was more advanced, and could turn herself into a cat. I think it was the first in a series.

TIA

[sixtyten]

Re: Childhood books

Book one is Seal Morning by Rowena Farre

[illumina3]

Re: Childhood books

That's it, thank you!!

[RetroAEROSMITH]

Re: Childhood books

Im not sure on those books to be honest.

I used to flick through my sisters bunty or misty and stuff like that. They used to have some decent spooky stories that id love to reread, 2 that stick in my mind were one to do with a chinese girl who had to cross a bridge and she had a cat with her, there was a monster or something on the bridge and i remember the end where she hits him in the eye with a stone? The second involved a girl who when babysitting came running downstairs and had gone back in time...anyways a fire breaks out and again she runs downstairs and she goes back to her time or something..

All in all they had some wicked stories...for an 8yr old...picture stories really not novels.

[illumina3]

Re: Childhood books

No idea about those. I know I had a book of stories, and one in particular stuck in my head, about a medieval girl whose parent were trying to marry her off, and all she wanted to do was to go into the local convent and illuminate manuscripts. Her dowry was given to her sister and she got her wish, but at the end she saw a young man bricking up a rose into the wall of the convent.

[ClaudineJones]

Re: Childhood books

Can anyone put a name to an illustrated book I had? All I can remember is there was a little man who had a horsedrawn caravan, the horse was called Nightmare and had human feet.

[sixtyten]

Re: Childhood books

Mr Tumpy & His Caravan??

[darren]

Re: Childhood books

one of my fav books as a kid was the B F G.

i have a lot of others but can never remember the name of them.
watership down is a very good book which i love.

[ClaudineJones]

Re: Childhood books

That definately looks like it could be it Sixtyten. Thank you

[illumina3]

Re: Childhood books

Thought of another one. Kid's book from the late 70's early 80s about a child who is always getting into trouble, and has a best friend who I think might have had learning difficulties. The protagonist is never referred to as he or she, and has quite an odd nickname, and as the reader you make the assumption that it's a boy (the friend is clearly a boy); however at the very end the child is up on the roof of the school and a teacher comes out and yells out the child's full name - turns out she's a girl.

[illumina3]

Re: Childhood books

Thought of another one. Kid's book from the late 70's early 80s about a child who is always getting into trouble, and has a best friend who I think might have had learning difficulties. The protagonist is never referred to as he or she, and has quite an odd nickname, and as the reader you make the assumption that it's a boy (the friend is clearly a boy); however at the very end the child is up on the roof of the school and a teacher comes out and yells out the child's full name - turns out she's a girl.

For some strange reason, the name of the book came to me right after I wrote the above - and it's
The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler

[Brer Bunny]

In answer to your first post, was the 2nd book one of the ones in Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" series?
Also sounds similar to one I read which involved a boy finding a secret key and getting help from a magic cat called Tabitha although I don't remember the name of that one.

[Heather74]

Re: Childhood books

OMG wow! I was only telling Sixtyten last night(or the night before) I thought the cat from the OP was called Tabitha!!!
Brer does something about 'talisman' also ring a bell?

The boy,the key and Tabitha all fit into the book I read

Infact I think the key was the Talisman?? Damn I was only about 7 when this book was read to us in school.I'm racking my brain cell to try and remember more

[steve242526]

Re: Childhood books

There's something very familiar about that book with the ending being a girl and not a boy ! That's gonna drive me mad all day now !

[Heather74]

Re: Childhood books

I'm now convinced the book I remember was probably part of a reading book series maybe only available to schools?


After reading your thread here Steve https://forums.doyouremember.co.uk/t...k+reading+book does the Talisman make any sense to you ?