Children’s books that make you cry

[BikeRunSki]

When DD (now 6) was younger I could never finish The Paper Dolls without shedding a tear.

Tonight, we’be just finished the Sophie series (Dick King-Smith). The last 2 or 3 chapters had me crying my eyes out. DD was “but Mummy, it’s only a book’”.

Mole and the baby bird.

Goodbye Mog, AKA The Book That Doesn't Exist.

Oh dear, almost every book mentioned so far - but how have you all missed Greyfriars Bobby? And Oscar Wilde's children's books? Baa baa black sheep (Kipling, not the rhyme). Quite a lot by Kipling actually, the worst offender being Thy Servant, a Dog.

Thanks Niffler, I think it is War Horse!!

I used to cry at some of the Aesop's Fables too!

Holly and Ivy - Rumer Godden

Orlando, I agree. That part of Pooh is just so tragic one can't even think of it.

Greyfriar's Bobby (abridged version for young children).

And most of the aforementioned stories.

Once there were Giants (Martin Waddell & Penny Dale)

And more recently
The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips (Michael Morpurgo)

TimesNewRoman The Snail and the Whale gets me as well - there is just something about the writing and the lines
"And she gazed at the sky, the sea, the land,
The waves and the caves and the golden sand,
She gazed and gazed, amazed by it all,
And she said to the whale, "I feel so small."

It's my favourite of the Julia Donaldon books by a long way.

The Selfish Giant

Oscar Wilde

The Heart and the Bottle makes me blub but leaves the children unmoved -I think it's not really a book for children.

jassmells is Perkins he one with the blind boy and his cat that goes missing while he's on holiday and he can tell that the cat who got found wasn't his by touch and manages to get his cat back? I've not read it for years but really loved it.

Also I forgot about The Incredible Journey. That one always makes me cry too

The selfish giant and The happy prince
A monster calls made me cry buckets
Harry and Hopper
Missing Mummy - a great book for younger bereaved children but so incredibly sad

The Toymaker by Martin Waddell

"And she made it with love, for she had not forgotten"

Also Where the Wild Things Are gives me a pang when the wild things say "Oh please don't go, we'll eat you up we love you so". It is the echo of what Max said to his mother that got him sent to bed. It breaks my heart.

‘cool’ by Michael Morpurgo, about a boy in a coma (strange subject for a children’s book). Spoiler alert. -he only comes around when his dad bring s his dog to the hospital -previously he thought the dog had been killed. I definitely welled up at the end.

For all those that said "dogger", I ordered it yesterday from Amazon and it arrived today and I sobbed. Loved it! Thanks!

The Little Boat

I don't even know why.

another vote for The Velveteen Rabbit

I bought Love You Forever based on previous threads of this ilk. It starts off nicely enough but then it gets creepy as fuck! There would be some serious recommendations that the poor boy go NC if he had ever started a thread about his dm on here - the woman’s a fucking nutcase! Who gets a bus accross town, lets themselves into their grown up child’s house, then sneaks up to their bedroom and starts rocking the sleeping body they find there. No wonder there was no sign of a mother to the sons newborn daughter. The mil had probably buried her in the garden.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! gets me every time though.

I have a huge lump in my throat now. I havent read most of these books. I’m 48 years old and have never had children. But sorely tempted to go into the bookshop tomorrow and play Russian roulette in the children’s section...

Yes to "The Paper Dolls". I had no idea what it was about prior to reading it and was surprised at how much it touched me.

My mum used to read me Oscar Wilde's children stories when I was little and "The Selfish Giant" and "The Happy Prince" are particularly heart rendering for me, even now !

Onemouseplace
those are the exact lines that get me too.

Wherever you are my love will find you, by Nancy Tillman.

I wanted you more than you will ever know
So I sent love to follow wherever you go.
It’s as high as you wish it. It’s quick as an elf.
You’ll never outgrow it... it stretches itself!

Makes me weep every time.

For older children: The Book Theif by Marcus Zusak.
I thought 'I am David' was enough (read when I was 10)
but ds and I have just gone through TBT and we were both moist eyed.
(tbf it is about a 10 yr old orphan in Nazi Germany and is narrated by Death) It is an extremely good read for young teens but, oh boy....