Weekly Geeks: Childhood books

The first thing that comes to mind when someone says childhood books are the books from Annie M.G. Schmidt. Her books and short stories are legendary here in the Netherlands. Books like 'Pluk in the Petteflet', 'Otje' and 'Ibeltje' were great. I read them, or was read to from them, when I was very little until about a year or seven.

When I reached seven, I was good enough to read books myself, books with a little more text. My fascination with Enid Blyton books was born. I own a lot of her books, and still collect them. I want to have them all, even if it's just for 'having them', although I do hope I can pass them on to children of my own one day.

Then, when I reached puberty, I was reading pretty much everything I could get my hands on, but a book that stands out from among the masses is 'Gone With the Wind'. Not so much because of the story or the writing, but because of the history of the book I had in my hands. My grandmother read it, then passed it on to my mother, who read it, and now it was my turn. I read it when I was fifteen, I think.

I might have had more childhood favorites, but I don't remember them now. They haven't touched me in such a way that I can still recall them. Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that I switched to adult books when I was eleven, because I'd read all the childrens books I was interested in the library that in our village had to offer? Or maybe I just read so many books, only really good ones stick in my mind?

Anyway, what's your favorite childrens book?