Fantasy for children

and the books which provide it were under discussion on FB yesterday. I have been thinking about it ever since. 

One of the people with whom I associate on FB had put up two lists - ten in each - of books she believes are top of the list. Each author could only appear once. They came in approximately chronological order.

At the top of the list was "The Wind in the Willows". I have fond memories of the Senior Cat reading this to me when I was still a little too young to read it to myself. I have read it since then. I read it to a class of ten and eleven year old children. They were interested but a little bewildered by it. I wouldn't have called it fantasy but never mind. 

After that came things like "The Sword in the Stone" and "The Hobbit". The person writing the list chose Lewis's "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" from the Narnia series. I am not sure I would have chosen that one but I would have included something from the series. 

"The Borrowers" get a look in too. Yes, highly imaginative but I am not sure they are in the top ten. 

Joan Aiken's "Blackhearts in Battersea" was chosen over "The Wolves in Willoughby Chase" and "The Owl Service" was chosen rather than something like "The Moon of Gomrath" but both Aiken and Garner should be on the  list. Their contribution to children's literature of the 20thC is extraordinary.

I would not have included "Watership Down". First I am not sure it is fantasy as such and second I do not like the book. I never could see what others see is so good about it. Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" would certainly come ahead of that for me. 

The author of the list chose Diana Wynne Jones book "Fire and Hemlock" over any in the Chrestomanci series but I think I would have chosen "Charmed Life" or perhaps "Howl's Moving Castle"

In the second list the author chose Puck of Pook's Hill - yes a classic. I would have chosen "Five Children and It" over "The Enchanted Castle" but perhaps because I know it rather better. I am glad that "Winnie the Pooh" and "The Box of Delights" make it and one of Boston's books should definitely be there so perhaps "The River at Green Knowe" is as good as any.

Tom's Midnight Garden is magnificent and should be in the first rather than the second list. "Marianne Dreams" and "The House in Norham Gardens" are both worthy inclusions.

But would I have included "Northern Lights" or "The Prisoner of Azkaban"? No, probably not because there are things missing from the list, Goudge's "The Little White Horse"  is the first and King's "Stig of the Dump" are two I would want on the list. I might even think about including Macdonald's "The Princess and Curdie" but would that be because my paternal grandfather gave it to me because of his Scots heritage?

There are others too but I looked at those lists and realised I have read all those books - and some I have read more than once. I haven't checked to see if they are all still in print and I wonder whether today's children would read all of them. What would you put into a list of 20th/21stC British children's fantasy? (North America you can have your turn later.)