Childhood books

I was talking to a colleague the other day about our childhood memories of fairy tales, legends and history, and how we first became aware of such things. To her, the Andrew Lang collections were the definitive collection - the books she read as a child, and still returns to every few years. For me, it was the various collections by Ruth Manning-Saunders. I remember seeing the Andrew Lang books in the library, but I never read them - a fact that horrifies her, since to her they are so seminal. I also have strong memories of Tales told again by Walter de la Mare. I think this was the book that contained Molly Whuppie, which I particularly liked. I think this might also have contained the story of the hobyahs ("Hobyah! Hobyah! Hobyah!")

Myths and legends I definitely got from Roger Lancelyn Green: Robin Hood, King Arthur (she got her King Arthur from Rosemary Sutcliff), Greek legends, Troy and Norse legends. I don't think I had anything by Hans Christian Andersen, since none of those stories ring any particular childhood bells. I might have had a Grimm collection, but I'm not sure, and I'm fairly sure I had a battered book of well-known fairy tales, told in boring language, with brightly coloured pictures.

I have no memory of having any book of nursery rhymes, and probably learnt them orally, although I do remember a record of nursery songs, which had a big orange teddy on the front.

History I got from Ladybird books, which in those days had bright blue borders, and the Hamlyn Children's History of the World, by Plantaget Somerset Fry.

Hmm... All nostalgic now...