Here’s Our Favourite Kids Books

With it being #LiteracyMonth, we got to talking about our favourite kids books from our childhood. It turns out we all have a diverse mix of childhood favourites, but the common trend amongst all of us is that we were big into books when we were young.
It’s always been known that reading is a great activity to stimulate and encourage learning in children, and a link has been found between those children who are read to from an early age and how well they do in school and later on in life.
In fact, we encourage you read to your children as early as possible. Reading to your children from a young age will will help them with literacy, and it will encourage independent reading (both as youngsters and in later life). Although for many of us, we don’t think about this. We simply recall the great memories of quality time spent with our noses in a book.

Your favourite books can be some of the fondest memories as a child, memories that you cherish for years to come.

Many of us will remember trips to the library to pick out new books, and our parents reading to us before bed. I’m sure just like us, you’d plead for “just one more page please mummy” as the gripping tale of a monster, or princess, dog, alien, or wand toting boy overcame unique challenges upon their epic adventure.

To prove this, we asked our team what their favourite kids book was as a child, and why they remember it so well.
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The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson

Charlotte Hopkins, Happy Nest
My favourite kids book was The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson. I read it myself when I was around 8/9 after I got it handed down to me by my older sister. She gave me all the Jacqueline Wilson books when she finished reading them, but The Story of Tracy Beaker was my favourite. It was fun, crazy, funny, sad and random all at the same time. I became particularly obsessed after watching the TV show. This was the book that started my addiction to buying and reading a whole collection of books. I still have a whole collection of Jacqueline Wilson books, including The Story of Tracy Beaker, and must admit I have watched the TV show in recent years. Sadly, I don’t read books as often any more but I still have a big collection.
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The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Neuza Morais, Staff Blogger
My favourite kids book was The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I loved it as it was so easy to read, yet so powerful! I first read it when I was about 8 years old and liked it, but it was around the age of 17/18 that I re-read it and could understand the meaning more deeply. I actually picked it up last week at the library to read it to T and Sofia… I cried!
My favourite quote is, “and now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
 
“I’m pretty sure the book is still somewhere in my parents house. I still love to read now, I just wish I had more time to do so.’”
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Dad’s Mouse Stories

Tess Batley-Moss, Nanny & Family Consultant
Reading was always important in our household growing up, and as I got older I would always read to my younger brother and sister too. We would love the Mr Men books and Peter Rabbit, and as I got older I loved Jacqueline Wilson, Goosebumps and Harry Potter.
My parents were great at encouraging us to use our imagination. I remember mum sitting down with us to draw our favourite characters from books, and my dad used to come up with the BEST ‘mouse stories’. He really should get them published.
The mouse stories were always top of the list when we requested a bedtime story; dad would make them up on the spot. These were about a mouse that would get into mischief. They would change each time and might involve Mrs Mouse, Mr Mouse or children mice. Mr or Mrs Mouse might be in work or the children mice in school and it would just involve some funny adventure of the day. We must have been really young when they started and they lasted years and years, probably right through primary school, we still talk about them now.
[bctt tweet=”We would draw our fave characters from books, our parents always encouraged us to use our imagination. #raisingareader” username=”@happynestuk”]
Books, imagination and storytelling were always encouraged both at home and in school. It must have impacted me as I’ll always read now. I love curling up on a rainy day with a Spotify playlist, coffee, and a good book!
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We’re Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

Emily Moran, Marketing Intern
One of my favourite kids books when I was around 3 years old was called We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. I used to read it with my Mum, I liked it because it was very interactive and involved lots of actions and singalongs. Unfortunately I don’t think I have a copy anymore, I feel as though it may have been passed down to my siblings. Reading was very important when I was younger, both to encourage learning and also as an important part of spending time and bonding with family. I still read and buy books now, although mostly only when I go on holiday. I can usually get through at least 4 books in a week when I’m abroad.

[bctt tweet=”Reading was an important part of family bonding when I was younger! #raisingareader #literacymonth” username=”@happynestuk”]
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Bad Jelly The Witch by Spike Milligan

Marcus Hood, Graphic Design Intern
My favourite kids book when I was young was Bad Jelly The Witch by Spike Milligan. I found it hilarious! I look back now and it’s bizarre with awful illustrations, but it’s still great toilet humour. My dad read it to me for the first time, but I have read it multiple times since and find it just brilliant to be honest. I went through a phase where I didn’t read much as I was busy. However, I have recently started reading again and I am currently enjoying a book called ‘American Gods’ that is very interesting and quite deep.
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Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Kareem Ssenyonga, Web Design Intern
Up until starting primary school I didn’t really have a favourite book, but when I got to primary school I started reading the likes of Roald Dahl and Dr Seuss. My Favourite would probably be Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. I read it before watching the film. I liked it because I could relate to the children in the book and imagine what it would be like if I was one of the characters. I read most of these on my own or as part of a class in primary school. I don’t really read books anymore, I mostly read articles relating to current news, business, and sports.
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The Story of Shy The Platypus by Leslie Rees

Hope Skinner, Social Media Manager
Oh gosh, there are too many to decide on just one! Usually I have a pretty good memory for these kind of things, but I actually had to ask my mum and do a quick Google search to remember the name! I would say that one of my favourite kids books (from really early childhood times) is The Story Of Shy The Platypus by Leslie Rees – which you may not have heard of as it’s an Australian 90’s classic children’s book according to Pinterest.
I have this vivid picture in my mind of sitting on my bed in the bedroom I shared with my younger brother, and mum would sit in between us and read stories before bed. My eyes would be drooping but I’d still request to read ‘just one more page.’ Reading is a huge part of my life, and even though for a while all I had time for was textbooks or business books, I definitely feel this has had an impact on my career choices – I’m never stuck for words. 😉
Growing up I constantly had my nose in a book – Rainbow Fish, Harry Potter (which I re-read each year), The Pony Pals, The Babysitters Club, and anything John Marsden – it’s not uncommon for me to stay up well into the early hours because I simply can’t put it down!
[bctt tweet=”My eyes would be drooping but I’d still request to read ‘just one more page.’ #raisingareader #literacymonth” username=”@happynestuk”]
You don’t get that page turning feel that you do with a physical book, but these days I have a Kindle. I’ve been travelling a lot in recent years so it’s more compact, and it’s easier to return books back to the ‘library’ (avoiding overdue fees which I’m a constant sucker for). I probably go through a book a week, and there’s nothing better than escaping into a good story on a lazy Sunday with a pot of Earl Grey tea.
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The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe by C.S Lewis

Ella Batley-Moss, ‘the boss’
I was about 8 or 9 when I first read The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe, I’d say it’s probably my favourite. At first mum read it to me, but then I would read it again to myself. There’s still a copy of it on the bookshelf at my parent’s house; they’ve always been really passionate about us reading. Dad’s Mouse stories are the best! Now that I’m a mother myself, I’m enjoying reading to my daughter too, it’s such a special time in our day.
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Where’s Spot by Eric Hill

Baby Fearne
Special mention goes to our very own Happy Nest baby, who these days is loving Where’s Spot and any book that she can put in her mouth! 😉

Read More: Embracing The Happiness Of Children

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What’s your favourite kids book? Do you still remember having to fill out the paper card (omg we’re so old) at the library to loan a book? Do you still do much reading when you can find the time? Share with us your favourite kids book! You can find us on social media at @happynestuk.

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