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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

Children's books still enjoyable for adults

86 replies

Tigertots · 05/10/2017 11:06

Anne of Green Gables

Richmal Crompton's William books

Jacqueline Wilson (my own personal faves being Sleepovers, Candyfloss, and Bad Girls)

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett: I first read it when I was 14, nearly 15, having seen it in WHSmith's, and correctly identified it as a book with "Anne of Green Gables appeal". When my English teacher learned I was reading ALP, she said "That's very young for you; really good stuff, but it is a book for 11-year-olds."

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce, and Cold Christmas by Nina Beachcroft (two very similar books; the latter is, sadly, out-of-print and under-rated).

OP posts:
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RustyBear · 05/11/2017 23:59

This thread is reminding me of a lot of books I want to re-read...

Snailo · 31/10/2017 07:51

What a great idea for a thread OP! I completely agree with the poster who said so many children's books are full of beautiful writing (ie they're not rubbish because they're written for kids take note celebs
For me it's the opposite in fact, because books I read as a kid have stayed with me and been more important to me than books I've read as an adult. All my favourites have already been mentioned though. I love Green Knowe and Box of Delights and read them every Christmas. Dodie Smith, Noel Streatfeild, Nina Bawden etc such great writers. Going to dig some of them out now!

MaroonPencil · 30/10/2017 22:38

OMG dizzy Children of the Dust is the most traumatic book ever written. I read it once aged 11, I couldn't bear to ever even look at the cover again!

missyB1 · 30/10/2017 22:26

Still love The Chalet school series.

Dizzybintess · 30/10/2017 22:25

I regularly re read forever and tiger eyes xx

LapdanceShoeshine · 30/10/2017 22:21

Oh yes, Judy Blume’s Fudge books (as mentioned by a PP) are very funny, though I only met them as an adult. Ditto the Anastasia books by Lois Lowry.

DD1 (born 1982) was my introduction to all of those Smile

Dizzybintess · 30/10/2017 22:20

And children of the dust

Dizzybintess · 30/10/2017 22:19

Go tell Alice -anonymous is just as striking a read as when I was a teen too.

Dizzybintess · 30/10/2017 22:18

Anything by Judy Blume really

Anne of green gables

And the twilight books

ElChan03 · 30/10/2017 22:17

And as I posted I'd forgotten about the narnia series by cs Lewis and the malory towers series by Enid blyton (as much as she's gone down in my estimations since seeing Enid with Helena Bonham carter)

ElChan03 · 30/10/2017 22:15

I have a few

Harry Potter as I grew up with it, a firm favourite

His dark materials by Phillip Pullman and his Victorian saga.

Secret garden by frances hodgson burnett

Goodnight Mr tom by Michelle Magorian

The doomspell trilogy by cliff mcnish

The magicians guild series by trudi Canaan

The old kingdom series by Garth nix

CousinChloe · 30/10/2017 22:08

For me, the Chalet School and Noel Streatfeild. But my DD has just turned 4 - would anyone recommend any of these books for relatively mature little girl? Maybe Milly Molly Mandy. Just William?

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 30/10/2017 22:01

I can highly recommend the Sinclair's Mysteries books by Katherine Woodfine.

SureIusedtobetaller · 30/10/2017 21:57

Oh yes! To Jon Klassen, the expressions are hilarious.

SureIusedtobetaller · 30/10/2017 21:56

Maggie Stiefvater Scorpio Races and the Shiver series. More for teens but fantastically well written.
The Marlow books of course.

Ttbb · 30/10/2017 21:50

Anne of green gables is great!
Oliver Twist
A series of Unfortunate Events
Where is my Hat? By Jon Klassen (dear god I love that book so much, it's everything that I never had as a child. Forget parents with a functioning relationship, that book was the real gaping hole in my childhood)
When I was a child I think tight that To Kill a Mockingbird was a children's book for sone reason.
The cyrsalids/day of the tryphids type classic sci-fi
Funny Bones
Winnie the Pooh
All Beatrix Potter books
Wind in the Willows.

ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 30/10/2017 21:49

Goodnight Mr Tom, though I don't know if 'enjoyable is the right word, I sob my heart out at THAT bit!!

AnneOfCleavage · 30/10/2017 21:48

Trebizon (school series)
Judy Blume: Blubber, Deenie, Are you there God it's me Margaret and not forgetting Forever!!!
Goodnight Mr Tom
What Katy did
The Narnia series - The horse and his boy et al

Just read the next lot in the series of Malory Towers which aren't written by Enid Blyton so not racist, sexist etc.

Potcallingkettle · 30/10/2017 21:33

Children of Green Knowe
The Runaways (same author as Little White Horse)
Biggles
Chalet School series
Diana Wynn Jones Chrestomanci series
Noel Streatfield -any book
Loving the trip through some nostalgia , going to try some of the recommendations above.

BlessYourCottonSocks · 30/10/2017 21:27

Glad to bring back happy memories, Louise. I remember being disappointed in some of the follow on books like Maddy Alone, sadly.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 30/10/2017 21:18

I still like the Moomintroll books - actually I prefer them as an adult.

AlannaOfTrebond · 30/10/2017 20:55

Anything by Tamora Pierce. I disappear for hours whenever I get a new one.

WalterandWinifred · 30/10/2017 20:47

I was also going to say anything by Michael Morpurgo. My Mum has been passing my son’s collection round her friends 😂

Mupflup · 30/10/2017 20:41

The original Nancy Drew books, I've reread quite a few of them in recent years

FormerlyFrikadela01 · 30/10/2017 20:37

I too was first introduced to Adrian mole at roughly the same age as the first book and have read them all multiple times through the years. I certainly get more humour from the first 2 as an adult. The final book floored me though.

My go to childrens books would be Railway Children, such a beautifully written story.

I also have a book called vampire twins. It is teenage horror of the trashiest order, it makes point horror look like the classics but I can't help but like it and it fills me with nostalgia every time I pick it up.