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Original poster

As an Adult, What Children's Books Have You Enjoyed?

214 replies

SprinkledGlitter · 25/03/2024 11:43

I've seen an old thread about this and I thought I'd create a new one.

What would you recommend? I love discovering new books!

OP posts:
EarringsandLipstick · 25/03/2024 17:11

Millersmerkin · 25/03/2024 17:11

Mo Willems books about pigeon and his Knuffle bunny trilogy

LOVE the pigeon books!!

EarringsandLipstick · 25/03/2024 17:11

DrJoanAllenby · 25/03/2024 15:01

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer is one of the best children's books that can be reread as an adult.

that's interesting! I quite enjoyed it too (I read it to my DD when she was younger, my first time reading it) but my DD hated it; it really upset her with the time-shifting and Charlotte not being able to get back again.

Actually, I must find it tonight, you've made me want to reread it now (DD is now almost 17 so I'm going back some time!)

Millersmerkin · 25/03/2024 17:11

Mo Willems books about pigeon and his Knuffle bunny trilogy

Janetsmug · 25/03/2024 17:08

The Morrigan Crowe/Nevermore books, DD lost interest but I've read them all, they're brilliant 😊

iloveautumn3 · 25/03/2024 17:05

George's marvellous medicine

LipstickLil · 25/03/2024 17:02

To read to yourself or your DC? There are very few children's books that I enjoyed enough to read just to myself, although there have been a few:

'The Letter for the King' and 'The Secrets of the Wild Wood' by Tonke Dragt
'The House with Chicken Legs' and 'The Girl who Speaks Bear' by Sophie Anderson

tobee · 25/03/2024 17:01

Manyandyoucanwalkover · 25/03/2024 16:56

The CS Lewis books, Black Beauty, Swallows and Amazons and Watership Down. I wish I was a child again, so I could read all the amazing children’s books. They are so much better than adult literature.

I agree. I don't know if I was just more open minded as a child. Of if the books were more mind opening.

I loved how they completely took me away from myself.

Sprogonthetyne · 25/03/2024 16:58

I enjoyed the how to train your dragon series when I read them to DS. One of the only books I've caught up on chapters when it's been DH's turn for bedtime. We've done the hobbit together, which he enjoyed, but I think he's still to young for LOTR, which I'm a little bit disappointed by.

PSEnny · 25/03/2024 16:58

Marcus Sedgwick has some great books aimed at older children. I’ve enjoyed a few of those. Agree on His Dark Materials trilogy. There’s an Ian McEwen one for children, can’t remember its name but really enjoyed that!

Manyandyoucanwalkover · 25/03/2024 16:56

The CS Lewis books, Black Beauty, Swallows and Amazons and Watership Down. I wish I was a child again, so I could read all the amazing children’s books. They are so much better than adult literature.

Outonabranch · 25/03/2024 16:55

The Dark.

Young children’s picture book. About liking the dark. Which I do. It has a lovely rhythm and ambience to the writing.

tobee · 25/03/2024 16:54

I absolutely love Cold Christmas by Nina Beachcroft. And Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer. And The Silver Chair by CS Lewis, part of The Narnia Chronicles. These are books I've re read as an adult several times.

It's funny because I like fantasy elements in children's books. But they don't appeal to me at all in adult books. I like the redemptive aspect.

KnitnNatterAuntie · 25/03/2024 16:54

There's a wonderful book called "Cherry Cake & Ginger Beer" by Jane Brocket . . . it's a book of recipes inspired by childrens books. It's so beautifully written and I read several childrens books I'd never previously heard of after reading it

chickensandbees · 25/03/2024 16:52

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll, recommended to me by my DD, I loved it.

tobee · 25/03/2024 16:48

I love Bullerby Children books @Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain! Hardly anyone seems to know them

spartanrunnergirl · 25/03/2024 16:43

His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.

RollOnSpringDays · 25/03/2024 16:40

I did a module on Children’s Literature for my OU degree a couple of years ago. Set books included Little Women which I’d never read. Also Swallows and Amazons and Treasure Island. I enjoyed all three. There were other shorter books but I did enjoy these classics which I vaguely knew but can’t remember reading as a child.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 25/03/2024 16:39

The Anne Of Green Gables series

TonTonMacoute · 25/03/2024 16:37

Another one for Swallows and Amazons, which I didn't get at all as a child, but as an adult I think they are brilliant.

Susan Cooper
Lemony Snicket
Wolf Brother
Paddington

KnitnNatterAuntie · 25/03/2024 15:42

The Laura Ingalls Wilder books (Little House on the Prairie etc)

Heidi

The Railway Children

Noel Streatfield books

SilverSimca · 25/03/2024 15:20

I still love loads of books I read as a child but ones I have first read as an adult and enjoyed are:
All Diana Wynne Jones, the only one I read as a child was Witch Week
The Dido Twite books after Stolen Lake, I hadn't realised there were any more as a child
Philip Pullman
More YA than children's, but Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse

@DrJoanAllenby did you know Charlotte Sometimes is one of a trilogy? I'm trying to track the other ones down and read them!

DrJoanAllenby · 25/03/2024 15:01

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer is one of the best children's books that can be reread as an adult.

clarepetal · 25/03/2024 14:59

ohfook · 25/03/2024 12:00

I honestly think holes by Louis Sachar is the most amazing children's book ever written. The way all the separate storylines weave together is just fantastic.

I'd love to be a children's author but I could never write anything half as good as that.

Holes is amazing

SummerLightning · 25/03/2024 14:58

@longtompot yes I also enjoyed the scythe books. My 13 year old is obsessed!

longtompot · 25/03/2024 14:54

More a young adult than Childrens book, but I have really been enjoying reading the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman which are my 26 yo dds.

Scythe trilogy

Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, #1)

Thou shalt kill. A world with no hunger, no disease, n…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28954189-scythe

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