Reading Children's Books as an Adult

Oh I loved this book as a child! My absolute fav! I still have my childhood copy at home somewhere 😍 inspired to dig it out!

Tom's Midnight Garden brings back memories of reading a page at a time with my two eldest- we took it in turns to read a page each before bed - have to read it again
Same with The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Wind in the Willows was one of the texts on my English Literature degree. A great book is a great book. I love rereading books I liked as a child and I have gone on to read children's books I didn't read as a child. I found there were actually five books in the Katy Did series for example plus lots more of Anne of Green Gables than were available in bookshops in the 1980s.

My favourite is The Circus is Coming.

Shout out for Antonia Forest’s Marlow books, which are sophisticated and brilliantly written.

It was a very very long time ago I only remember it was an exciting story. Glad they've removed the worst elements

@Purplebunnie
Kiki was in all The (Whatever) of Adventure books. Which I liked a lot as a child, but actually blocked my DC from reading, as they were rampantly racist even by the standards of the time.

Modern editions have removed the worst elements fortunately.

Anything by Eva Ibbotson!

@ruethewhirl I think Kiki was in the ship of Adventure! Well if not I've read another book with her in it

I worked on a Sunday at a riding stable so I think I was a little more aware of how much horses cost!

The Secret Garden is one of my favourite books - and the best book I have ever read on bereavement and grief.

Black Beauty is absolutely harrowing- angry and enraged at suffering, so tough to read I could never face it again. The last paragraph when he dreams he back in the orchard with his mother & Merrilegs makes me tear up every time 😢

My DD adored A Little Princess, so I gave her The Secret Garden. She read Chapter 1, and refused to read further as it was terrifying.

A fair response really - how many children's books kill off everyone except a child and a small harmless snake in the first 20 pages?

Another vote for Lucy Mangan's Bookworm. I have her Bookish on my to buy list.

squasyhat The Arthur Ransome books are so good, I must have read them all at least a dozen times.

I love reading children's books as part of my overall reading.

I have the audiobook of The Wind In The Willows and it's a nighttime comfort listen at times.

I never read it until I hit my 30s.

Love Michael Morpurgo books, although usually results in tears!

Childhood favourite also includes The Phantom Tollbooth

Loved Ruby Ferguson's Jill books! (unfortunately as an impressionable kid they also made me run away with the idea that you could buy a pony for forty pounds and finance its keep by helping out at a local stable. My parents must have been so relieved when I finally caught on that that was all pie in the sky. 😄)

I did read a lot of Blyton too, didn't read The Ship of Adventure but did read The River of Adventure and fell in love with Kiki the parrot, she cracked me up. 😂

The sheep pig, flour babies, Percy Jackson, the hobbit, just William, the hodgeheg, diggers, truckers are all books I've read recently either because I fancied it or because it makes DD want to read something different

How bizarre! I have literally pulled some of the books you mentioned from DDs bedroom today for me to read again. She never read the secret garden which was my all time fave. She is a huge reader but somehow missed this box set out. We’ve said we will make a conscious effort to read them before Easter.

Reading doesn’t have any rules. Read what you want and interests you. I’m 57 and I’ve read and re read my Enid Blyton and Chalet School books all my life! I enjoy them still.

I’ve just re-read them too! I’d forgotten quite how mean the girls could be when Gwen puts on weight and gets spots.

I have recently re-read The Song of the Lioness books by Tamora Pierce. I loved those as a kid and they were still good in my 40s.

Try October October by Kayla Balen - it’s brilliant

Absolutely loved Mallory Towers and read and re-read them when I was younger. Have actually just finished reading them to my DD who is 12. Reading a chapter or two each night before bed. We've both really enjoyed. Always loved the midnight feasts, swimming in the sea pool and wanted to go there to have Miss Grayling as a headteacher. The recent BBC adaptation took some liberties though! 😂

These are some of my favourites. I love childrens books. Currently reading the Malory towers books again.

I recently read Charlotte Sometimes and The Wolves of Willoughby Chase for the first time. Enjoyed them both.

@user405927 We used to borrow a tape from the library of Kenneth Williams reading Just William and it was great. Very camp (obviously!) but very funny. My sisters and I still quote bits of it in his voice.

@Purplebunnie I do enjoy a bit of Ruby Ferguson, Jill Crewe is a great character. My favourite parts are where she tries to look sophisticated by putting on lipstick or side-parting her hair ("Ann and I looked at least sixteen"!) and then an adult ruins it by sending her to bed early

I still read loads of the books mentioned here and love them!

100% with you on DWJ especially Howl's Moving Castle.