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).

Omg thanks for the Green Knowe tip, I’m planning a visit!

I regularly re-read The Children of Green Knowe (every Christmas), The Dark is Rising, A Country Child and Magic in my Pocket, both by Alison Uttley, and The Changeover. Also the Narnia books, and a book called Camerons at the Castle which I used to love. Oh, and a set of books about Susan - Susan Rushes In etc. Also The Once and Future King and The Wizard of Earthsea series but I really think those are more like adult books, especially later on the series.

Oh, also The Stolen Lake by Joan Aiken!

I love Joan Aiken! Also still read Milly Molly Mandy.

Yes, also to Malcolm Saville (love the username Witchend) I wanted to be Peter as a child. She was fabulous.

Pony books for me were Pullein-Thompson or the 'Jill' series by Ruby Ferguson. Lorna Hill books on ballet (as well as Ballet Shoes). How about Pamela Hill's 'Swish of the Curtain'?

It's interesting that we've all read lots of the same books - how old are you, folks? (I'm 51)

I have read and enjoyed I Capture The Castle as a child and an adult. Also The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

I think to understand and enjoy Adrian Mole, you need to be roughly the same age as him in each book. I was 13 when the first one was published and grew up with him, as they are written roughly in real time.

But a lot of the jokes in the first two Adrian Mole books won't be obvious to someone his age. Some because they only really strike home once you're out of adolescence yourself (the general teenage stuff) and some because they're written in a deliberately naive way - does another 13 year old spot his mother's affair for example? The 'real time' account of the school trip is funny when you read it as a young person but far funnier once you read it through the eyes of the teachers.

Actually, very good point YouCanStay. I was trying to say that AM books are not children’s books - that you have to be at least teenage - and you’ve said it much better than me.

Yy to Laura Ingalls Wilder. I re-read these recently with DD and loved them all over again. If you like them I recommend the annotations which explain some things Laura glosses over. Although they are stories, I don't think they can be beat for a picture of daily life in that era.

Frances Hodgson Burnett has also stood the test. I read Secret Garden and Little Princess to DD and loved them all over again too.

Did any of you read the Nancy Drew mysteries? I also enjoyed All of a Kind Family when I was young. This series followed a Jewish family recently arrived in NYC in the early 1900s.

I haven't re-read any of Judy Blume's books for children but still remember the Fudge books.

The Sea of Trolls trilogy.

"How about Pamela Hill's 'Swish of the Curtain'?"

Bless I haven't thought about this for years, thank you for reminding me. It was one of my favourite books when I was young. (I'm 61 btw.)

The Michael Morpurgo chikdren’s novels. I couldn’t put down “When the Wales Came”.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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?