What children's book did you first enjoy as an an adult?

[PunchyAnts]

I only read L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables for the first time earlier this year. I watched the series with my Granny and loved it but never got around to the book. It was a rare (for me) case of hoping the book lived up to my happy memories of the film and thankfully it really did.

As a side note, I watched 9 minutes of Anne with an E on Netflix last night and sorry to anyone who adores it, but there's only room in my heart for one Anne.

Any children's books you read first as an adult and enjoyed?

The whitby witches trilogy and the wyrd museum trilogy by Robin Jarvis

I first read The Hobbit in my 30s. Well, to be honest, I listened to it on audiobook. God, I loved that book.

I also read (well, listened to) the Narnia books as an adult. Loved them too.

I'm a big fan of kids books. I keep meaning to read several of the classics: Winnie the Pooh, The Wind in the Willows, Black Beauty, etc.

I first read the Narnia books as an adult and loved. Harry Potter too, though to be fair, they weren't out when I was a child. Definitely continue with the Anne books.

Also loved The Little House on the Prairie books as an adult. I think I would have found them a bit dull as a child, but I find the depictions of daily life really fascinating now. My favourite is The Long Winter.

Yes! The Long Winter is fascinating as is the one with the grasshopper infestation....on the Banks of Plum Creek. I read them to my boys and we were all . Very interesting.

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman. I remember being stunned by the arctic scenes, and the whole concept of daemons.

Good recommendation. Definitely a book for adults as well as kids.

I was astonished at how well-written the Narnia books are. We tend to think of them as kid's books, but they can definitely be enjoyed by adults. In places, the prose is beautiful – more beautiful than many adult classics. I was also struck by how demanding they are. Hard to imagine the average ten year old getting through them. Maybe children in Lewis' day had higher literacy levels.

Don’t bother with Anne with an E. I’ve read all the books many times and hated it. Totally misses the spirit of the original and lots of changes. Hated it.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (Divergent book and movie) Captivating and funny
I hoped they would make it into.a series or movie.

I've only watched a little of it, but it seemed so much darker. I absolutely love the old adaptation with Megan Fellows, I think it encapsulates the book perfectly.

Me too with this one! Have only read Northern Lights so far, but have on my list to read the others!

When I was in my mid-twenties I went on holiday to a rented manor house in the middle of nowhere with a group of uni friends who were all voracious and indiscriminate readers.

One of them was doing babysitting in the evening to subsidise her PhD and turned up with a book and its sequel which we'd never heard of but she'd been reading to her charges as a bedtime story and highly recommended. All ten of us ploughed though the first volume in the course of that week and went on to read all six sequels: and that is why Jo Rowling is a billionaire.

I do read quite a lot of middle grade/YA books. Sophie Anderson's books are fantastic. Enjoyed Charlie Higson's The Enemy series, never thought I'd like anything to do with zombies, but both DS and I were hooked. And Robin Stevens' Murder most unladylike series, though it is uneven, some books are better than the others. Loved Thomas Taylor's Malamander (the other books in the series less so).

Forgot to mention Hunger Games, excellent series.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase after my daughter asked me to read it.It's a good book.She also asked me to read Rooftoppers ,Wolf Wilder and The Explorer as she loved them so much.Also very enjoyable

Oh Sophie Anderson's books are beautiful 😍

There are themes here, aren’t there! I’m another one for Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Garth Nix. Also the Artemis Fowl books, great fun although my favourite is the first.

Currently reading my way through Narnia with DS2 (7) who also has The Horse and His Boy as his reading book from school (which is slow going!). I’m enjoying rereading DSs my childhood favourites enormously.

Harry Potter.

@PunchyAnts watch the Megan Follows Anne of Green Gables and sequel. It's very true to the books and I adore it.

The Wind in the Willows. It has been in my TBR pile for ages (think, years) and I love the precision of the prose and the evocations of the countryside.

I never read the Narnia books as a child, so might add those to the list.

I just googled that as I read the first Earthsea book when I was 12 and I reread the full series nearly every year. I love them too!

Oooh that is still on my list, a friend gave me a lovely old copy of it and have been meaning to read.. might have to bump it up!

I actually think that Anne with an E was like the Anne I read the book about when I was a teen. I only watched parts of any film on YT recently.

Another vote for “Carries War” here

"The Boy At the Top of the Mountain" John boyne
"The Gone Book" Helena Close
Lots of Michael Murpurgo
I didn't mind the first three Harry Potters but not after 3
What Katie Did
Tully
Carrie's War
When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit
Goodnight Mr Tom

The Ghost of Thomas Kempe

The House in Norham Gardens

The Dark is Rising series (I wish I’d had these as a child)

Northern Lights trilogy

The Box of Delights

Harry Potter (read the first one in 2001 when I was 20, then read 2nd and 3rd a week later!)

His Dark Materials Series - read in my mid-20s

The Hunger Games - read probably not long after they came out, so I was late 20s/early 30s