The Last Unicorn – Peter S. Beagle
I came to this after watching the amazing animated film (I’m ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE) and fell in love. It’s a fantasy classic that tells the story of the last unicorn and her journey to find all the others of her kind. It shifts from pantomine, to pathos, to heart-breaking. Beautiful.
Similar to : the Last Unicorn movie (which is still a treat but is very scary in places so be warned if you watch it with littlies)
The Chalet School in Exile – Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Although this is a few titles on in the series, it is one of the best pieces of wartime children’s literature you will ever read. Brent-Dyer’s attitude and treatment of the Nazis remains stunning and her invention of the Peace League as a way for women to fight war is ideologically miles ahead of its time. Amazing, thought-provoking book. (Ignore the hideous cover!)
Similar to : the rest of the Chalet School series. Start with The School at the Chalet.
Millions – Frank Cottrell Boyce
A ridiculously stunning book, Millions is the one book I would have loved to have written. Brothers Anthony and Damien have a whole shedload of money fall into their hands after witnessing a train robbery. Trouble is, they only have days to spend it because Britain is about to join the Euro and the money they’ve found is all in pounds. This book is very very perfect and Damien is an amazing character.
Similar to : Nothing. Perfect. Go read it.
The Animals of Farthing Wood – Colin Dann
Dann was a keen naturalist and it shows in this tale of animals banding together to find themselves a new home after their current is threatened by the encroachment of man. Writing the animals as Fox, Vixen, Badger etc, Dann carefully avoids sentiment and over anthropomorphising and creates a thrilling animal saga.
Similar to : Tarka the Otter
The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
This was originally published in serial form and it shows. There’s a gorgeous sense of readability to it, the pacing is brilliant and it remains a classic of its time. There’s swords, swash-buckling, derring-do and some amazing intrigue going on. Last month I went to a Musketeer festival in the South-West of France where people sauntered around the centre of the village and slapped their thigh a lot and called for beer. It was amazing and this book is wholly to blame for that (and also for my obsession with ‘sturdy Gascon ponies’)
Similar to : The Man in the Iron Mask
The Silver Brumby – Elyne Mitchell
The Silver Brumby is one of the richest books I know. Set in the wilds of the Australian outback, it is the story of Thowra – the silver brumby. The first of a massive (and gorgeous) series that sings with love for the landscape it is set in, it’s a treat for horse-lovers that remains beyond compare.
Similar to : Bambi
Persepolis – Marjane Satrapi
An intensely vivid and personal graphic novel, this is the autobiography of Marjane Satrapi, a girl growing up in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. Full of a witty, and sharp sense of humour, and also a sardonic self-reflection on life, this book is superb.
Similar to : the film version – also very very brilliant.
Black Beauty – Anna Sewell
Nominally a book about a horses life, this proto-animal rights book remains superb and relevant to today. There’s also a rite of passage in it that every reader must go through – frankly, if you don’t weep buckets when XXXXXX XXXXXX then I’m going to come and have a word.
Similar to: Watership Down
Macbeth – William Shakespeare
Shakespeare gets a bad rap sometimes and it’s not fair. This play is brilliant. There’s death, witches, ghosts, trees and come-uppance(s) a plenty. I love this play and it is very much worth reading. Take the lines out of the book and play with the language. I still love the witches parts for example.
Similar to : The Duchess of Malfi (but there are MAJOR adult themes in that one so be warned).
Ballet Shoes – Noel Streatfield
Streatfield wrote a ton of stuff about children on the stage and exploring alternative avenues of fulfilment (ice-skating, circus(ing) etc). This is one of her best-loved and it’s endured for a reason. The story of Pauline, Petrova and Posy remains engaging, warm and very very lovely.
Similar to : Sadler’s Wells
Daisy May Johnson 
Great to see 2 of my favourites there with CS in Exile and Ballet Shoes. Agree that the Exile cover is awful, though – I have a copy of an old edition that my aunt gave to me years ago; it’s falling apart but at least it’s a nicer picture!
That lot of reissues did not do the Chalet School any favours with those covers! I remember them being fairly uniformly horrible. Exile’s so epic though it deserves a spotlight whenever it can. Thanks for commenting!
This is a great list of, for me, both familiar and less familiar titles, all beautifully sold and with witty “similar to” comments. Thanks for a reminder of good things to look forward to!
I’m so pleased you’ve enjoyed it! 🙂