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A SURVEY TODAY found less than half of Irish parents read to their children every day.
The survey by St Michael’s House, which provides services for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, revealed 44% of adults believe they read more as a child than their children do now.
It got us feeling all nostalgic for the days of being tucked up cosy in bed, battling the sleep so we could hear whether Little Red Riding Hood’s granny would be alright or just to laugh at our parents’ funny impressions.
Here are some of the memories that came back to us…
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. I remember it being really soothing and kinda almost musical in how it would be read. The illustrations are really nice and since I loved it so much my mum recommended it to other parents and for each it became one of their favourites.
I had a Ladybird version of Goldilocks and The Three Bears before I even started talking and my mam read it to me every day because I was really into books. The words in it made up some of my first and when I was two my parents managed to convince my cousin I could already read because I had memorised all the pages and murmured things like “too hot” or “just right” as I turned the pages.
Enid Blyton was the one and only in my house and if my parents has guests over I would demand they read me my bedtime story – I think I just liked to mix it up a bit. They had a BBQ one night and I asked for ‘the man with the funny accent’ to read to me. The poor man – from Northern Ireland – gave in to my request and read Goldilocks or something to me. (Sorry I wasn’t a very PC child – in fairness I thought his accent was great!)
I have an abiding memory of this book being read to me as a child:
Absolute nerd alert. Does anybody remember the Childcraft series of books? They were like the World Book but for young kids. We used to get read them. They were nature, science, maths, geography and other fun learning! It also had a Stories one with fairy tales. I think they were mostly Aesop’s Fables. There was also another set of moral tales called Chicken Licken.When we were allowed have fun, we loved the Mr Men and Little Miss books.
My dad did an amazing Gollum impression reading The Hobbit. I can’t believe he was overlooked for the films.
I can’t really remember the specific books from when I was really young, but there was no shortage of Famous Five / Secret Seven / Roald Dahl books in the house after that. My dad always used to ask “Will I read it to you or give you the synopsis?” And that’s how I learned the meaning of the word synopsis.
And this classic was a favourite with one of our staffers:
Your turn – share your memories and preferences in the comments below.
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The faraway tree and the magic wishing chair stories in fact anything by enid blyton :)
Loved her books.
Have just finished the enchanted tree trilogy with my kids 6 and 8, and they loved it, niece currently eating up the twins.., Mallory towers books, enid blyton is still going strong
Enid Blyton was always a winner in our house, and still is, with my 7 year old is reading the likes of the Magic Faraway Tree series now, with the Famous Five, Secret Seven and Mallory Towers all waiting for her when she wants them.
I blame The Faraway Tree series for my adult self’s penchant for psychoactive substances. Real life was never going to be engaging enough after reading that kind of thing at a formative age. Chairman Mao had a lot of sound ideas in relation to culture.
For me it was definitely the Famous Five
did ye ever read the five find outers ? fatty Larry,Daisy, Pip and Bets, the obligatory dog Buster and then mr. goon the village plod and his nephew Ern, friend of the gang, bain of Goon’s life.. They were my favourite still worth a read I reckon…
My dad read the Five Find outers to me. Loved them all when I was young. I remember the Mr. Meddle books too.
the secert garden.. always wished i had one
The Enchanted Wood series by Enid Blyton.
Bought these for my twins before they were born! They are 3 now & still obsessed with the Gruffalo but anyday soon….
Me too. My kids aren’t quite old enough either. The gruffalo and the gruffalos child are firm favourites of theirs.
Mine went through that including The Stick Man and Aliens Love Underpants / Dinosaurs Love Underpants.
They then progressed to my daughters favourite. Percy the park keeper series – One snowy nightwas her favourite but she loved them all. I read the Chronicles of Narnia to her as I breastfed her as a baby.
I remember learning how to read at school…the books always had Dick and Jane…grew up reading Mallory Towers, Secret Seven and Judy magazine. Got my first shock reading Adrian Mole. A truly remarkable book.
Gave my guys the Adrian Mole books when they were 13…I’m not sure if they read the whole book through..but they certainly got the gist.
I really admire authors of kids books…they are a special breed that can infuse a kids mind…thats why we all still love a good kids book
Oh my god Percy I LOVED him
George’s marvelous medicine would definitely be up there. I went through a phase when I was a kid of making weird concoctions out of stuff I’d find in the bathroom thanks to that book.
Sorry didn’t see your post 100% agree with you. Making concoctions was fun. Though I eould have been killed for using house hold items. Stuck with the old mud pie, containing grass, worms, slugs, twigs, leaves, flowers, dirt and water …
Yum
Anne of green gables, Chalet Girls, Nearly anything from Enid Blyton . There was and is nothing nicer than getting lost in a good book.
Enid Blyton really has lasted the test of time, always loved her books. Watership Down and The Wind in the Willows were always two favourites of mine.
The Twits.
Loved Roal Dahl. Reading through them all again now with my daughter… On The BFG now.
All I can remember is those adventure books where you’d have to turn to a specific page to continue or read the outcome. Great and slightly quirky father I have. He used to make us orange sandwiches too, exactly how you might think they’d be made. Love him.
I devoured Enid Blyton and Roald Dahls books as a child…I am so glad my kids have got the booking reading gene from me .
Mr.men books
My dad did all the voices for Gulliver’s Travels. We nearly raced to bed.
But the one book me and all my sisters read was Matilda by Roald Dahl.
It resonated for all of us.
Used to love Irish myths, legends and fairy stories – Sinead Bean de Valera wrote wonderful books. Also have fond memories of Fantastic Mr. Fox and James and the Giant Peach. And Ballet Shoes – in fact anything by Noël Streatfeild. And I loved the Walter Macken books – Seek the Fair Land, Flight of the Doves…. And read as much Enid Blyton as I could get my hands on. We had no TV so books it had to be!!
Loved loved loved Walter Macken
Not a name I’ve heard in a looooooonng time. Flight of the Doves? And what was the other one, The Golden Ox or something like that. Great books
Roald Dahl, What Katy Did or the Amelia Jane series by Enid Blyton. I read them to myself at a young age as my Dad was sporadic to say the least and always tried to skip pages! Funnily enough, I’m reading the Twits to my four year old, which she finds hilarious
The Grimm fairy tales. The real ones. Not the casterated and sanitised ladybird book ones. Could not get enough of them as a child.
If you thought Harry potter was dark. You ain’t seen nothing.
If Disney had to make Snow White according to the original book version. There would have to be a 21 rating.
Original fairy tales were horrid and bloody (medieval people were so bloodthirsty). Over the years they were softened and made into cute happy ever afters.
Yea bloody and gory. Just the way every 4 to 8 year old likes it.
True! I think that’s why Dahl is so popular still & David Walliams is gaining popularity. I loved books with a dark element to them, still remember staying up late with a torch too scared to sleep until I got to the end of a chapter that broke the tension or in some cases the end of the book.
I still love reading & have spent so many hours reading to and with my children that we have worlds of jokes stories & references to share. Reading is such a social activity.
Choose Your Own Adventure books.
Anyone remember those?
I do! You had options as to what direction the story took.
Under the Hawthorn Tree and Wildflower Girl by Maritta Conlon-McKenna. Was obsessed by the Babysitter club and Sweet Valley Twins books when I got older too!
Tom McCoughran’s series of books about Irish foxes. Began with Run with the Wind. Can’t wait to read them to my children.
Hans Christian Anderson – The snow queen
And
Georges marvelous medicine.
I loved the concoctions George made, uses to make mud pie myself :)
As kids, the five of us loved it when the Da would read Frank O’Connor’s ‘The First Confession’ to us. Something in how he’d do the voices and the accents in particular used to make us laugh. Everytime I see a confessional I imagine a child kneeling on the elbow rest and can’t help grinning.
Tis hardly a cheery kids tale, but we fecking loved it, perhaps only for the devilment of young Jackie. No matter what sort of mischief we’d be up to, at least we weren’t trying to kill Granny!
http://www.ireland-information.com/firstconfession.htm
Loved Judy Blume as a pre teen.
When very young I used to love the Noddy books. Later in childhood I read just about all the Enid Blyton school stories, Famous 5, Secret 7 etc and of course the Chalet School books and the “Jill“ horse stories
Roald Dahl was, my favourite as a child. Love him. Kids still read his books. It’s great.
I always wanted Peter Pabbit, Beatrix Potter books. They looked so pretty.
Danny the Champion of the World – Roald Dahl- deadly.
Loved the scene with the pheasants in the wood…
Matilda ! Loved it
Kids books are the best.
Roald Dahl’s books are great
Irish Fairy Tales & Legends was my favourite book :)
Turf-cutters donkey ….written by Dev’s wife
The Wind In The Willows, Danny The Champion Of The World and Merry Mister Meddle!…
I loved “My Naughty Little Sister” series…I could relate to her! Also remember the Childcraft books. My brothers and I would smuggle the purple one “Guide for Parents” for the laughs. Some very vivid pictures of skin conditions and genital health issues which led to much skitting at the dinner table
Enid blyton, kind of strange to find out she was a complete whack job.
The little caterpillar
the front cover alone is nostalgic
The very hungry caterpillar* woops
karen , The First Confession & The Confirmation Suit were my favourite, too!! From my schooldays!
Charlie and the great class elevator.
Glass* oops
Funny, me and my pychriatrist were just taking about this topic…. Anything from Stephen King.
Always the attention seeker, Glen!
Yeah, my six year old grandchild loves Misery and Pet Semetary, read them to her all the time. Her little brother is a massive Fifty Shades of Grey fan, and her twin has just finished reading A Game of Thrones.
O_o
Not really Mick!!
I’m just trying to make others laugh.
Laughing at you glen, not with you.
As long as you laugh that’s the main thing !!!! God knows some of you really need too aye Jason.
And there is nothing wrong with that, Glen. But come on, books you read as a kid, or were read to you. I did the Enyd Blyton stuff, the Brothers Grimm, but Dahl was my favourite because it had a slightly dark touch to it at times. I guess that is the strength of old fairly tales. Remember reading Captain Underpants to my son at bedtime which he loved.
The article was actually about sharing something of yourself, Glen, not hiding behind awkward jokes! ;- Go on, we could love you more if you let us inside!
Ok mick
Ladybird books !!! Happy now !
Actually just googled ladybird books from the 70′s. Some of them covers I haven’t seen in years, brings back memory’s.
I thought it was funny, Glen. =D
Thanks Mrs S
Patricia Lynch’s wonderful books.
My mother read the first Harry Potter book to me and I loved it. As the series progressed so did my reading ability and I would read an odd chapter to her. By the end I read the last book to her.
Anyone remember Cornelius, rabbit of tang? My favourite!
Anything by Roald Dahl, the hobbit, the temper tantrum book, where the wild things are. And a few too many others to mention.
Enid blyton and roald dahl ladybird books and jaqueline wilson as a young teen and many more i was never out of the library when i was younger
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl, and Hennesy goes West by Vincent Banville classic books for any boy. Great memory’s. Mug of cocoa and tucked up in a nice warm bed with your book. No worrys or stress. Feeling safe and happy, a feeling every child should have.
Anything by Roald Dahl.
George’s Marvellous Medicine & Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cops and Robbers by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
I remember one of the first letters I wrote as a child was to Enid Blyton praising her books and asking cor more peter rabbit…but since it was my first letter, I may have put my own address on the letter…
Live and learn!
Maybe it’s just as well, I think Peter Rabbit is a Beatrix Potter character?
You’re spot on, Beatrix Potter that’s who I meant, all these authors popping up on the feed blurred my judgement!
Ann & Barry, funnybones, Roald Dahl & secret babysitters club!
Enid Blyton books, Roald Dahl, Alice in wonderland, gruffalo and the tiger who came to tea
Anything by Enid Blyton ! I’m that old
All Enid Blyton.. fantastic
Fantastic mr fox and Debbie does Dundalk lol
Not Dundalk does Debbie.. lol.
Not Dundalk does Debbie followed by Ardee and then Drogheda lol.
Started off with Enid Blyton’s famous Five, The Biggles Books, haunted every secondhand bookshop for more. Love reading still, read to my kids fro Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Storys and Roald Dahl books. Hard to get books from my favourite authors where i live now. Nice to see the human side of a few people here who would be advesaries on other threads.
Got The Tiger who came to tea for my daughter and we loved it,had to be read every night…….,great memories
Stig of the Dump and Fungus the Bogeyman
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I cried my heart out when Black Beauty met up with his old friend Ginger, now emaciated and broken by the harsh treatment of his cruel master.
Haynes manuals!!
Darren Shan books <3
The wishing chair by Enid blyton -snuggled up with my mom shed read one page I’d read the next
I loved the Bobby Brewster books by H.E Todd i was always down in the library getting the next one out!
AmeliaJane…by Enid Blighton
My mother used to read to me from “Tanglewood Tales: A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys” by Nathaniel Hawthorne which was my favourite book before I could read for myself. It’s a retelling of the Greek Myths for children. Happy memories!
The little prince, the selfish giant and the Mr men books. It’s so sad to see parents are not reading with their children, the love of books and reading are such amazing gifts for your children. My little one is 3 and she’s read too every night and long will it last.
I loved ‘Where the Wild Things Are’.. As well as Brer Rabbit, Faraway Tree, Mister Meddle, etc, Beatrix Potter (wanted to change my name to Jemima!) Then moved on to Roald Dahl, Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys.. So so many books to love!
I had the complete Noddy series. Now my nephew is reading them …. 30 years on!
Enis blyton’s island of adventure and the rest of the adventure books -her best series I thought. Also adored walter farley’s black stallion series, moorland mousie, for want of a saddle and so many others!
It’s Pin Bin Dim Dominilli! Cormac MacRaois
Milly Molly Mandy anyone?
The 1st books I remember reading was red hen & thumbelina. The 1st book I remember buying was the worst witch. The 1st book I read my children apart from the ‘read a book a night collection’ was Enid Blyton magic tree series. I was a fantastic five fanatic and Santa used to bring me the 3 or 5 stories in one book selection. The pain in my poor hands trying to hold the thing while under the covers. It was too cold to sit up lol
Noddy by Enid Blyton
And the disney short story version of The Aristocats
Oscar Wilde – the angry giant. Such a beautiful story
The tiger who came to tea was in our house alright. Very Fifties feel to it! Here’s a version of it read aloud for anyone who is feeling nostalgic…
The Bear Under the Stairs
Mr Tickle…read it recently again to my nephew still seriously funny
Enid blyton
Bryan Jacques. Author of the Redwall series. Wonderful
Thomas the Tank Engine anyone?!
The BFF or Danny the champion of the world were always winners in my house.
The famous 5 read every single one can’t remember names now I think Julian Anne Georgina Timmy was the dog
The Buy&Sell
LOTR and The Hobbit nough said
“The Three Investigators” series of books.
The Life of the Saints…
If I said D. H. Lawrence, then that be ok??? lol.
I’ve been reading this one to my little lad lately, and he loves it! “My Dad” by Anthony Brown
I think I might be trying to brainwash him on some level!
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