Children’s books as adults

[Numberonecook]

I read some research in a magazine which suggested reading children’s books by yourself as an adult can be good for the soul. Taking the edge off stresses and strains of adult life and bringing a bit of fun back. Of course I read to my children when they were small but as soon as they because confident readers they just liked taking a book and reading by themselves. This study was about reading the book by yourself though for fun and not to your children.

I was a very keen reader as a child but once I got into my teens I stopped. I remember secret seven, rold Dahl, my naughty little sister etc back in the 80s but realised there was many classics I’d not read. My parents were very much ‘what do you want to read books for? Go play out’ Kind of people. The kind of people who scoffed when I said I was going to university because ‘people like us don’t do that’

So I’m just in the middle of the famous five series, I thought I’d give the reading children’s books a go. I can’t believe I’ve not read these before I’m hooked! I come away from the book with a warm fuzzy feeling. Maybe there is some truth in the study after all.

Maybe we should take some time to read a children’s book by ourselves from time to time. It felt a bit silly getting out my ff book on the train, I got some perculiar looks lol. But now I love them and I don’t care.

So I challenge more people to make the next book in their list a children’s book they havnt read before and see how it makes you feel. Let me know what you have read/ will choose to read.

Another vote for reading children's books as an adult. I recently read two of Lorna Hill's three Vicarage Children books, which are lovely.

I read Goodnight Mr Tom last year, and The Secret Garden. I'm going to treat myself to one of the Matilda 30th anniversary books too

I read a lot of children's literature, because DS's friends do not like reading and he needs someone to discuss his theories and feelings about his books. It is like a family book club. I really enjoy it.

Apart from the Harry potter series back in the day, I've not done this but why not. We enjoy children's films when they're on the tv and colouring in is very meditative so maybe I should dig out The Faraway Tree for a reread.

I used to read lots but I'm really struggling to find books to read since a bereavement left me avoiding anything with great emotional suffering or wrongs, which most books have central to them. A kids book could be just what I need. :)

I do this too, Shiny. It's great to be able to discuss his latest reads, when the rest of his peers aren't interested.

Thank you ProfessorMoody. It makes me feel better that we are not alone.

Another vote for the Chalet School here. My mum has been through a spell of depression. She can't sleep at night without reading but couldn't concentrate on a proper book but loved the Chalet School - I have about 30 in my collection

My parents gave away my collection of books to my cousin's children. So I've been buying them back (mostly as first editions if at the right price), I started doing this when my daughter was little and I wanted things to read with her.

I now have a complete set of Monica Edwardswhich is lovely @MissLingoss.

I also have The Woolpack, but I've been looking for The Great House to no avail. Another series I have started collecting is Rosemary Sufcliff's tales based in Roman Britain: Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch etc.
Funnily enough I really wasn't into History at school!

I love children’s books.
As a child I read the LWW the Chalet School series, the Malory Towers collection, the list goes on. I’ve got a box of children’s books in my apartment somewhere.
I also recommend the Beaver Towers if you prefer fantasy type books. I also tried the Faraway Trees series and the St Clare’s set. Anne of Green Gables was a personal family favourite.
Ballet Shoes is a classic.
The Adventure Series, another good set of books that are definitely also worth reading. So was the Famous Five and the Secret Seven.
Children’s books change constantly however.

Agree. I often read the Railway Children - it’s beautifully written, emotionally complex and it all turns out all right in the end. That’s what you need when your soul needs some healing.

I read “Are you there god it’s me Margaret” a few years back and really enjoyed it

I regularly reread the books I enjoyed as a child or teenager. Really comforting. DD is now reading some of them as well and she likes to discuss them with me. I’ve also read some more recent books like Jacqueline Wilson and Kes Gray’s Daisy books because DD wanted to talk about them!

I love children’s books and read them all the time. Noel Streatfeild is my favourite author. Also love Swallows and Amazons which I actually only discovered as an adult.

If you like Goodnight Mr Tom then you should also read Back Home by the same author. It's a wonderful, feminist take on the difficulty of resuming pre war life, when your family have spent the last five years apart.

I only read swallows and amazons as an adult too. They are such lovely books with great characters. It's really hard to choose favourite.

I love children's and teen books and read them all the time. Recently read apple blossom Noel streatfield and noughts and crosses Majorie Blackman. Heidi, ballet shoes and Anne of green gables are all favourites. As are st Clare by Enid blyton.

"Five children on the western front" made me weep. Was properly heart wrenching.

I’ll always have a fondness for Sara Crewe and Katy Carr.

I find a lot of the heroes and heroines of my old books unbearable now though.

Since having my own DC - especially since DD had some friendship issues as school - I can't bear the Chalet School books as all I can think is how miserable it must have been for those who weren't in the "in" crowd.
Ofherwise, I regularly re-read children's books & occasionally buy new ones too.

Oh yes, another one here who enjoys reading children's books from time to time.

I have a DD who is now in her early twenties so over the years I have read some of the recent fiction, e.g. all the Harry Potters and several of the Robert Muchamore Cherub books.

Also we introduced her to books we loved as a child and I still enjoy re-visiting:

• Blyton's Mallory Towers

• The Jill books

• Noel Streatfield - especially Ballet Shoes and The Circus is Coming

• Narnia books (though The Last Battle is a bit weird)

• Jennings and Darbishire stories (just read one last week)

• The Children Who Lived in a Barn

• The Laura Ingalls Wilder books

DD1 is 7 and we’ve just finished reading all the naughtiest girl in school books. I think I enjoyed them just as much, if not more, than her.
I read geek girl last month and enjoyed it.

Children of the Dust remember blubbing on the school bus while reading this. Don't think I could ever read it again.

I love reading teen fiction in general however. My DD1 is always passing books onto me.

How I live now is one of my faves. Loved all the HP books and tempted to read them again.

Concretesieve I thought I was the last person left alive who knows those books! I especially liked More About Mandy, with the little pocks and the dress that melted.

I like Michael Morpurgo books - I grew up in the 1970s/80s do they are all new to me.

@Itsnotmesothere - I read The Mennyms series first as an adult after DD recommended it to me and loved them.

I was a children’s librarian BC so reading children’s books was a very enjoyable part of the job, and I’ve just gone on doing it.

And if you have them on kindle, no-one on the train knows what you’re reading!

@Itsnotmesothere I came here just to mention them. My DD just read the first one and it was oddly nervewracking — I wanted her to love it so much, but didn’t want to let on how invested I was. Luckily she thought it was fab. Perfect excuse to buy the whole series again.