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Quiz about Books and Stories We Used to Enjoy as Children
Quiz about Books and Stories We Used to Enjoy as Children

Books and Stories We Used to Enjoy as Children Quiz


The Royal Society of Literature asked several of their Fellows what they thought young people in twenty-first century Britain should be encouraged to read. So I asked my family to nominate their top ten books. Help me identify them?

A multiple-choice quiz by bracklaman. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
bracklaman
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
231,141
Updated
Dec 07 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
2056
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. The oldest members of my family group thought that this book, which was written by a famous 19th Century American author to help educate children about the Classical Mythology of Ancient Greece, was very influential in their early reading. Can you identify the author and book, I wonder? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. This book was thought by both younger and older members of our little group to be a powerful tale of struggles by man and beast during the pioneering days in North America. It has been the subject of more than one film and television series of course. So, can you identify the author and book? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Only those of us who are just starting their reading lives didn't rate this book as being a scary and thrilling maritime adventure novel. It introduced the world to a one legged sea cook among many other memorable characters. Can you identify the author and book, I wonder? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Surprisingly to me only I had read this, but hopefully our conversation stimulated the others to borrow it from our library. Another South Sea adventure with pirates, undersea caves and characters including Peterkin, Jack and Ralph. Can you identify the author and book I wonder? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. This series of children's books was fondly remembered by my wife who used to read them to our children when they were growing up and also by them now in their thirties. This is the clue:
"A __________ is small and shy and fat, and has a _______pappa and a _______mamma. They live in the forests of Finland. They like sunshine and sleep right through the winter. The snow falls and falls and falls where they live, until their houses look like great snowballs. But when spring comes, up they jump....".

So which characters are we describing?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. This was nominated by my thirties-something son, who remembered how much he had enjoyed reading this series of exciting detective novels for children. So, can you identify the series, which first appeared in German? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Well remembered by younger and older generations alike the series of books about this main character has been delighting generations of young children since her first appearance more than sixty years ago. Other characters and friends include "Little-friend Susan" and "Billy Blunt". So which main character were these books about and who was the author? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. We all agreed that this author of over 400 children's books was one of our great favourites. We all decided that this particular series featuring Pam, Colin, Janet and of course their dog was the one to challenge you with. Can you tell me the collective name of the characters, their author and of course the dog? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. A definite favourite with all generations of my family, this book featured a character that walks and talks and has a personality like no other. It can be mean, sulky, and snide, and unpleasant. So, can you identify the book and author from my clues? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The older men of my family remembered this book with some fondness which was probably tainted by over exposure to its Disney incarnation no doubt. However, the book is a heart warming fantasy of a kitchen boy who assumes his inheritance as a mighty king. My final clue to you is to remark how all of my dining tables have always been round so no favourites in my kingdom. What book am I describing here? Hint





Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The oldest members of my family group thought that this book, which was written by a famous 19th Century American author to help educate children about the Classical Mythology of Ancient Greece, was very influential in their early reading. Can you identify the author and book, I wonder?

Answer: "Tanglewood Tales " / Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) had a widely varied writing career. His list of credits include: 'The Snow-Image, and Other Twice-Told Tales' (1852), 'The Life of Franklin Pierce' (1852), 'Chiefly About War Matters' (1862), 'The Whole History of Grandfather's Chair', (1840), 'A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys' (1852) and 'Tanglewood Tales' (1853).
2. This book was thought by both younger and older members of our little group to be a powerful tale of struggles by man and beast during the pioneering days in North America. It has been the subject of more than one film and television series of course. So, can you identify the author and book?

Answer: "Call of the Wild" / Jack London

Jack London (John Griffith Chaney) was born in San Francisco 1876 and died 40 years later in 1916. Many regard him as America's first successful working class writer. His own biography reads like a graphic novel, with a variety of turbulent and passionate life experiences all of which contributed to his powerful novels.
3. Only those of us who are just starting their reading lives didn't rate this book as being a scary and thrilling maritime adventure novel. It introduced the world to a one legged sea cook among many other memorable characters. Can you identify the author and book, I wonder?

Answer: "Treasure Island" / R L Stevenson

Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson was born in Edinburgh. He was the only son of Thomas Stevenson, a prosperous joint-engineer to the Board of Northern Lighthouses, and Margaret Balfour, daughter of a Scottish clergyman. Thomas Stevenson invented, among others, the marine dynamometer, which measures the force of waves. Thomas's grandfather was Britain's greatest builder of lighthouses.
4. Surprisingly to me only I had read this, but hopefully our conversation stimulated the others to borrow it from our library. Another South Sea adventure with pirates, undersea caves and characters including Peterkin, Jack and Ralph. Can you identify the author and book I wonder?

Answer: "Coral Island' / R M Ballantyne

Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825-1894) was born in Edinburgh. He died in Rome after an extended period of residence on mainland Europe. In addition to writing the novel 'Coral Island', his poem 'The Lighthouse' was also widely appreciated.
5. This series of children's books was fondly remembered by my wife who used to read them to our children when they were growing up and also by them now in their thirties. This is the clue: "A __________ is small and shy and fat, and has a _______pappa and a _______mamma. They live in the forests of Finland. They like sunshine and sleep right through the winter. The snow falls and falls and falls where they live, until their houses look like great snowballs. But when spring comes, up they jump....". So which characters are we describing?

Answer: The Moomintroll

Tove Jansson is known as the creator of the Moomintroll books and a gifted artist. She was born in Helsinki, Finland on August 9, 1914.
6. This was nominated by my thirties-something son, who remembered how much he had enjoyed reading this series of exciting detective novels for children. So, can you identify the series, which first appeared in German?

Answer: "Emil And The Detectives" / Erich Kästner

Emile first appeared in German but the books have been widely translated throughout the world.
7. Well remembered by younger and older generations alike the series of books about this main character has been delighting generations of young children since her first appearance more than sixty years ago. Other characters and friends include "Little-friend Susan" and "Billy Blunt". So which main character were these books about and who was the author?

Answer: Milly-Molly-Mandy / Joyce Lankester Brisley

Joyce Lankester Brisley was the author of a series of children's books which have never been out of print since the first book was published (1928). Her books have been translated into many languages and are favourite reading for parents and children alike.
8. We all agreed that this author of over 400 children's books was one of our great favourites. We all decided that this particular series featuring Pam, Colin, Janet and of course their dog was the one to challenge you with. Can you tell me the collective name of the characters, their author and of course the dog?

Answer: Enid Blyton / Secret Seven / Scamper

Enid (Mary) Blyton (1897-1968) published an amazing number of children's or juvenile books, at least 600 by one account. She certainly was one of the most prolific authors of all time, with over 700 books and 10,000 short stories to her name. Despite being pilloried by critics from time to time, she wrote books that children loved to read and her popularity was confirmed by my family poll.
9. A definite favourite with all generations of my family, this book featured a character that walks and talks and has a personality like no other. It can be mean, sulky, and snide, and unpleasant. So, can you identify the book and author from my clues?

Answer: "The Magic Pudding" / Norman Lindsay

According to the website this author Norman Lindsay (1879-1970) wrote "The Magic Pudding" to settle an argument with a friend who claimed that children liked to read about fairies. Lindsay argued instead that they liked to read about food. The author of several novels, Lindsay was also a caricaturist, sculptor, painter, and pen-and-ink artist renowned in Australia and beyond.
10. The older men of my family remembered this book with some fondness which was probably tainted by over exposure to its Disney incarnation no doubt. However, the book is a heart warming fantasy of a kitchen boy who assumes his inheritance as a mighty king. My final clue to you is to remark how all of my dining tables have always been round so no favourites in my kingdom. What book am I describing here?

Answer: The Sword in the Stone

T.H. White (Terence Hanbury White) (1906-1964) was an Indian born writer who was best known for his novels that retell the Arthurian legend. His quartet of stories are frequently published as one volume "The Once and Future King". For young children just beginning to stretch for longer stories they are a good read.
Source: Author bracklaman

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