Children's books still enjoyable for adults

[Tigertots]

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).

DH age 50 recently read Anne of Green Gables for the first time (we visited PEI) and was blown away.

I read Charlotte Sometimes a week ago, based on a recommendation here.

I also re-read the Katy books a while ago.

His Dark Materials series is fab. I also reread all the Harry Potters whenever I need something comfortingly familiar. I love reading my old books when I go to stay with my parents - Noel Streatfield especially.

Antonia Forest - Marlows books
Monica Edwards - Punchbowl Farm & Romney Marsh
Penelope Farmer - Charlotte Sometimes, Marianne Dreams
Phillippa Pearce - Tom's Midnight Garden
Noel Langley -Land of Green Ginger (esp. if you can get the unabridged version)
Monica Dickens - Cobbler's Dream (the original of Follyfoot, but much darker)
John Verney - Friday's Tunnel, February's Road etc
Arthur Ransome - Swallows & Amazons books
Sylvia Waugh - Mennyms books
Mary Norton - Borrowers books
KM Peyton - Flambards books

Robert Westall.

The Wheatstone Pond was adapted by Radio 4 a few years back. I enjoyed it in that format, too.

KM Peyton has written much more than Flambards, such as the Pennington books. They're great, too.

Haven’t read whole thread yet but most of those I’ve seen so far, plus (somebody may have mentioned these already) all the Monixa Edwards - Romney Marsh & Punchbowl - I wanted to be Tamsin or Lindsey 😊

Monica

@EBearhug - I know there's a lot more to KM Peyton than Flambards - I was just running through some of the ones on my own shelves. Most of the Peyton books apart from Flambards I read when I was a children's librarian, so I never saw the need to actually buy them!
If you're a Peyton fan, can you tell me which was the one where a boy survives in the North Sea wearing some kind of flotation suit his brother invented? I'd like to read that one again in particular.

Watching with interest! Not heard of Cold Christmas - but just discovered it for 16p on Amazon, so ordered!

Loved Greene Knowe, Dark is Rising and Alan Garner. Also Noel Streatfield.

Anything by Diana Wynne Jones, but particularly Howl's Moving Castle and Fire and Hemlock.

yes to Robert Westall.

Little White Horse is probably my favourite book ever - but closely followed by 'Knock Three Times' by Marion St John Webb - and I'm pretty sure that is out of print.

If you're a Peyton fan, can you tell me which was the one where a boy survives in the North Sea wearing some kind of flotation suit his brother invented? I'd like to read that one again in particular.

Can't tell you off the top of my head, but might be Windfall - if not, then the Plan for Birdsmarsh or Thunder in the Sky. They're all early ones and may not be in print any more, I don't know. Will try and remember to check my copies when I'm home later.

Apart from lots mentioned here already, Rosemary Sutcliffe books - Eagle of The Ninth and others.

Margaret May - I loved her young adult ones, especially the Changeover. Also John Marsden's ^Tomorrow When the War Began" series.

ooh...anyone remember Quest for Orion? I loved that.

Adrian Mole was written for adults!

I'm a serial rereader of Diana Wynne Jones. Not sure about the literary merit, but they're fantastic comfort food.

EBearHug - oh yes, I love The Changeover, and The Catalogue of the Universe

Margaret Mahy, not May.

Stupid autocorrect.

Ooh, I used to love the changeover, lost my copy somewhere over the years. Perhaps I'll buy it again. There was another Mahy one but I only have a vague impression of a teenager with a walkman and a leather jacket, and I don't know if that was my interpretation or actually in the book! Of course there's the risk that they'll be disappointing on adult reading, a lot of things have been.

Goodnight Mr Tom

Harry Potter

A little princess

I end up re-reading these every couple of years

I still read my ‘Milly Molly Mandy’ books !

I read my DC The Little Princess now on Little Lord Fauntleroy and recently reread 101 Dalmatians.

I see therein a new Anne of Green Gables tv series on Netflix kids and when I was ill I watched some.

Love Milly Molly Mandy, with Little Friend Susan, and those wonderful line drawings.

I like Mr Gum books. I'm 47

Monica Edwards
Malcolm Saville
Violet Needham
Antonia Forest
Gwendoline Courtney
Chalet School
Arthur Catherall
Elizabeth Goudge
John Pudney (Fred and I books)
Geoffrey Trease
Noel Streatfield
Diana Wynne Jones
Joan Aiken's (esp Saddle the sea group)