My favourite books as a child

My sister and I were recently talking about the books we loved as children and how they stay with you all your life. As an adult I'm always looking for the next book to read that will draw me in and reveal its secrets. And there is a strong convention about never revealing the plot in reviews. Which I think is right. But as a child knowing the plot did not spoil the pleasure at all. I would read my favourite books again and again and loved revisiting my favourite scenes. Here are the books that have stayed with me since childhood.

The Borrowers Mary Norton 
I cannot recommend this too highly for the way it stimulates the imagination. I loved the idea of a little people borrowing, not stealing, the things they need. They had their own code of honour and were never wasteful. Their names - Arriety, Homily and Pod Clock are inspired because they are just that bit non-human. It's a wistful book too because I seem to remember that the Borrowers had got smaller and smaller because of their fear. Now that is a powerful idea.

Anne of Green Gables L.M. Montgomery I adored this and read the entire series of Anne books. Anne is such a spirited character. I got so much pleasure from reading about the sparring between Anne and Gilbert Blythe and this was the first love story I read. It follows the familiar pattern of initial antagonism blossoming into love. I remember vividly the scene where Gilbert picks up one on her plaits and says: "Carrots".
"You mean, hateful boy!" she exclaimed passionately. "How dare you!"
And then - thwack! Anne had brought her slate down on Gilbert's head and cracked it - slate not head - clear across.

Little Women Louisa May Alcott
I love the way Alcott sets the story up. In the opening scene where the four sisters are talking about Christmas the essence of their characters is already revealed. It is of course Jo's point of view which dominates and it is her courage and non-conformity that we all respond to. Like millions of young readers I was heartbroken when Jo turned Laurie down and married vain, self-centred Amy instead.

I must also give honourable mention to two other much loved books:
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield which I read when I was eight and ballet-mad and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. This is a coming of age story and I remember feeling very grown up as I read about the fascinating Cassandra Mortmain - now there's a name! 

Finally, I saw a mention the other day of a book which I loved reading to my daughter Amelia when she was little. It's called Pig in a Muddle and involves a pig who escapes from prison and has all kinds of adventures including being locked in a department store. It is hilarious and is told in satisfying rhyming couplets and the authors are Mira Lobe and Winfried Opgenoorth. Highly recommended.

My novels THE LIE OF YOU and AFTER THE STORM are published by Head of Zeus.