As an Adult, What Children's Books Have You Enjoyed?

[SprinkledGlitter]

I've seen an old thread about this and I thought I'd create a new one.

What would you recommend? I love discovering new books!

Thanks all

Adrian Mole - that has brought back memories, I remember it well! I must read it again as an adult 😀

I also loved all Enid Blyton Famous Five books as a child. I remember Mr Twiddle making me laugh. The Enchanted Wood series of books with Moon Face, Saucepan Man and Silky.

Another vote for Charlotte's Webb.

Some of these suggestions are what posters loved as a child but the question was children's books you've enjoyed as an adult!

Another one for The Dark is Rising - read it first as a child and re-read it every few years. So fantastic.
Bilgewater by Jane Gardam ( see my user name.) Also re-read it every few years. Just wonderful.
Same with The Giant under the Snow (John Gordon)
The Diddakoi ( Rumer Godden)
The High House (Honor Arundel)

There are loads more, as I love 60s/70s YA/children's fiction but these are the ones I tend to pick most often as a comfort read. Wasn't able to interest my now-adult dc in any of them though!

Some of these suggestions are what posters loved as a child but the question was children's books you've enjoyed as an adult!

A couple of the ones I mentioned are books I read as a child, but rediscovered as an adult.

Emily of New Moon LM Montgomery

Enid Blytons 'Adventure' series, my Dad used to buy them for me and I loved them.
I bought Castle of Adventure last year on EBay, and really enjoyed reading it again. Audible have a couple of this series in their £2.99 sale, so I might download those.

Also re-read Noel Streatfields Ballet Shoes a couple of years ago. When I first read it as a child, I so wanted a coral necklace!

Yes, and I definitely make a further distinction between books I first read as a child and still love as an adult, and children’s books I only read in adulthood.

For instance, I only read I Capture the Castle aged 25, and loved it. Antonia Forest’s Kingscote books I loved as a child, but I only read her Tudor-set books in my 30s. She’s a genius. Her books are incredibly sophisticated.

@EarringsandLipstick

Some of these suggestions are what posters loved as a child but the question was children's books you've enjoyed as an adult!

@TheSolstices

Yes, and I definitely make a further distinction between books I first read as a child and still love as an adult, and children’s books I only read in adulthood.

Me too

The Hobbit
Harry Potter.
His Dark Materials.

I only read I Capture the Castle aged 25, and loved it

Me, too! And the same age!

Some I have reread as an adult relatively recently:
White Boots, Noel Streatfeild
The Haunting, Margaret Mahy
Tom’s Midnight Garden
End of Term, Antonia Forest
The Dark is Rising and Over Sea, Under Stone

I also read fantasy and the lines between children’s / YA and adult books can be quite blurred.

I only discovered the wonderful Diana Wynne Jones as an adult. Likewise Garth Nix Old Kingdom trilogy.

Tamora Pierce - I read the first Alanna book as a child and was excited to find out over 20 years later that there were three more in the quartet! Also love the Protector of the Small quartet though I have more mixed feelings about some of her other books.

And someone already mentioned Frances Hardinge, who is an amazing writer. Recommend Unraveller, Cuckoo Song, The Lie Tree, and A Face Like Glass.

Books/authors I often re-read from my childhood:
Noel Streatfeild
Trebizon
80s Jean Ure
Judy Blume
Bullerby Children

Books/authors I discovered as an adult:
The Swish of the Curtain and follow ups
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Katya Balen
Arthur Ransome
Wonder
Holes and Small Steps

Books I enjoy reading to kids but wouldn’t read just for my own pleasure:
Mr Gum
Wolf Brother
The Bolds
Stig of the Dump

Percy Jackson series
Artemis Fowl series
Enola Holmes series

My kids despair of my morrigan crow obsession. Though my kids like it too, just not as much & they are now too old as well. My 15 year old did ask if we could listen to the new one when it comes out on audio book though!

I have also got several other adult friends into reading them!

Read this post and immediately logged into the library website to order Adrian Mole! I remember loving it as a teenager

Stig of the Dump is wonderful! Tom's Midnight Garden as well!

And Carrie's War!

Thank you

I did enjoy Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging (and the rest of the series by Louise Rennison). However, when reading them for a second time that seemed a bit more homophobic than I realised.

I just read I Capture The Castle for the first time at 44! It was great but I would have adored it at 16.

Yes! Reading them as a gay teenager was really dispiriting.

Just William

Anne of Greengables

If you love this, read Rebecca and The List Art of Keeping Secrets