First things I remember reading were those Ladybird books of classic stories, Billy Goat's Gruff, Heidi etc. And Topsy and Tim books.

I remember the first long story I wrote, it was a bout a bunch of people that went off in a spaceship to find a new world. I didn't give the characters names, thry were refered to as 'the man with the ladder' for example. He was very useful when they decided not to go into the cave, but over the top of it instead, as they needed the ladder to get on top of the cave... I remember the front cover I drew (in was in a little A5 exercise book) it had a giant purple Manta Ray on it, which featured in the story somewhere.

The next story I wrote was about a Mummy. I never finished it, but I did come up with my first character name. Eric Pallet.


Ben

I can't remember the title!

It's one of the first books I remeber and it went something like this: A brother and sister move into a small village and she just happens to have an ancient (and presumed lost) magical stone as a bracelet. She's spotted by a witch and they discover a secret world of elves goblins and wizards etc and basically have a pretty amazing time - Oh, and the good wizard and the bad wizard turn out to be brothers and I think it's based on an old English legend.

I must have been seven or eight I suppose and utterly riveted, completely drawn into another world. Now I have a son I was thinking of buying it for him to read in a few years time; but as I said, I can't remeber the title.

Does it ring any bells with anyone?

Harry

Oh, and Swallows and Amazons.

When I was five, since I'd read all the recommended books for my year at school, the headmaster gave me two books to keep me occupied. They were the bible and Tales of a Thousand and One Arabian nights. The latter was my favourite, and I'm sure led to thoughts of being the storyteller, Scheherazade. However, it wasn't until recently, when talking to a friend who had read the book in arabic as a teenager, that I realised that the original is about sex, sex and more sex! Not really one for infant school children!

Adele.

When I was a youngster, I remember writing stories, and more disturbingly drawing pictures, of different ways to kill people.
I think my parents were quite worried at the time, didn’t seem to do me any harm though?

As for reading, I think it was “The Hobbit”, although “Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nym” and “Penny and Tuppence” do feature strongly in my early memories.

Grinder

Ah Adele you frisky minx, I can see you there with your battered copy of Arabian Nights. I prefer mine in breadcrumbs, but that's just me really.

Didn't there used to a cartoon called the Arabian Nights, or was that Arabian Knights? I'm sure it had no sex in it, but have never read the originals. Are they very saucy then? Not sure if I've ever been turned on by a book that didn't have glossy pictures of babes doing unspeakable things everywhere, but willing to give it a try!

Grinder, I'm with you. After moving on from the literary depths of Star Wars the Novel (still written by George Lucas you know), the Hobbit and Lord of The Rings was definitely a massive inspiration for me, then a series of Terry Brooks "orginals" about a group of travellers who have to find this artefact right, and destroy it, else this dark wizard thingy would raise an army and throw the entire world into chaos. Great idea, wonder where he got it from? My fantastical days took a battering (not again!) from Raymond E Feist's amazing(ly complicated) "Magician" which is difficult to get into when your 12, I can tell you. Unless I am particularly dumb, which is probably more the case.

God, I can ramble on can't I????

At the moment my six year old son is reading “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, he’s completely obsessed. As soon as he’s finished he goes right back to the beginning and starts reading it again. I suppose he’ll remember it when he grows up (if he doesn’t I’ll surely remind him).

I wonder if I did that when I was young, I know I’ve read favourite books more than once, but I can’t for the life of me remember finishing a book and immediately reading it again?

Davey might be with me on this one, “The Lord of the Rings” never strays from my bedside table.

Grinder

Dav, I've got a Penguin Classics translation but haven't read it yet; must get to it! As for the cartoon, yes, I have vague memories of Ali Baba style adventures on Saturday mornings(and of Banana Splits, another fave). They were all very chaste. For the kind of movies you're looking for, I'm sure Sultan Silverelli could recommend a few.

Adele.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, illustrated by Mervyn Peake, which, when read at the age of eight or nine, scared the wits out of me, gave me nightmares for about two years - and is still a huge source of inspiration! That and - wait for it - On The Edge Of The Primeval Forest by Albert Schweitzer, read at the same time.........God knows how that one ended up in the bookcase!


Mike

Adele -

Oh I KNOW mr Relli could recommend some right publications! Best leave it alone though, I got too much to do with my life without spanking it all away, if you'll forgive the expression. Anyway, I'd prefer putting the time into finding the real thing!! Penguin Classics version though, must be loads of sex in that and, yes, maybe even pictures - hoorah!

Banana Splits - used to give me nightmares, as my brother loved it and I was a grizzling little toddler, but those ape things driving around in weird vehicles were freaky shit! What a nonce eh?

Grinder - I have an old copy of LOTR my Dad gave me, from about 1969, which goes with me everywhere when I travel, though its falling apart now and maybe its time to leave it at home!

Aaargh, Ben! Topsy and Tim! Did anyone else have Johnny and Jennifer Yellow Hat when learning to read at school?

I'm scared by the number of us girls that were into Enid Blyton. How comes we're not all baking fairy cakes rather than being on the net having opinions?

I remember Banana Splits. I have a theory that all Saturday morning children's programmes are really made for the benefit of teenagers/twenty-somethings who have been out taking drugs all night.

Cath

There is nothing quite like reading as a child and being conjured and metamorphosized by what one reads. It is a kind of alchemy, awakening and maturation all rolled into one. In my teens I realised that writers were the people who would help me transcend the parochialism of my environment. They did but I had to wait before I could 'be that way'.

As a juvenile I read The Eagle, The Topper and TV Fun (long time ago, huh, folks?) Like Cornelia, I also read Enid Blyton. I read Jennings books. As a teenager I read Huxley, Orwell, Viginia Wolfe and then got into Kerouac and Sartre.

It was Lawrence Durrell that made me want to write - he was so vivid, hallucinatory!

Hamburger Yogi

Harry,

The book you describe is The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner and it is still in print, as is the sequel, The Moon of Gomrath as well as others of his books like Elidor and The Owl Service which people have mentioned in the same thread. I loved his books as a child and still re-read them now as I think he's such a stunning writer - so buy them for your son for the future but read them yourself now. I agree with what someone's said above about descriptions of places in Elidor - I read it as a child living in the south and it was evocative but about a place which meant nothing to me - when as an adult I moved to Manchester I was fascinated to find the landscape of the book still here - although the wilder Cheshire landscapes of The Weirdstone and Moon of Gomrath are harder to find - wealthy, commuter belt version of Alderley Edge just doesn't seem quite dark enough - though you can still drink at The Wizard pub or tea rooms, can't remember which.

<Added>

and yes, definitely Swallows and Amazons, Narnia books, Black Hearts in Battersea etc

VM, you're a star!

It all comes flooding back, and I'm delighted they are still print. I shall be at the book shop at the earliest - or if all else fails Amazon.

I'm glad there is another Swallows and Amazons fan around, and of course the Chronicles of Narnia are beautiful. I hope the upcoming film does them justice.

Cheers

Harry

Also (can't think why I didn't mention her before) are there any other Rosemary Sutcliff fans out there? I read her endlessly and wrote her the only fan letter I've ever written to a writer. Have only recently read her autobiography which was fascinating on many fronts - her career as an artist, experience of disability etc.
I didn't think I wanted to be a writer when young, but since I have started writing for children I would say that Rosemary Sutcliff and Alan Garner are my biggest inspirations and people I'd most like to be as good as - bit of a tall order, but never mind...

Wow VM, what a list of my favourite authors! I adore Rosemary Sutcliffe, right since I first read Knight's Fee when I was nine ( a very long time ago). I think she's been a huge influence on the way I write. I also adore Alan Garner - I saw him at the Edinburgh Book Festival last year and he was wonderful. Swallows and Amazons, of course, Narnia, great at the time but a bit too much on the allegory now, Wolves of Willoughby Chase and other Joan Aitkens. I didn't read LOTR until I was 13 I think, I've read it every few years since, but it was more the world building that impressed me rather than Tolkien's writing style. Leon Garfield was good too.

Cas