Reading Children's Books as an Adult

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I was a fairly avid reader as a child but feel I missed a lot of the children’s classics like Wind in the Willows, The Secret Garden, Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables etc.

I’m thinking I might read them now as a (fairly mature!) adult. Has anyone else done this? It isn’t too weird is it?!

And if you have done / would do it, are there any books you’d recommend?

Thanks.

I was listening to Radio 4 this morning and Ali Smith spoke so eloquently about Charlotte’s Web that I’m planning on re-reading it.

A good book is a good book. Of course the themes may be less adult but that doesn’t make something not worth reading. I’m constantly reading books my DS are bought (they’re 9 and 13) and have thoroughly enjoyed (in the last few years) things like Percy Jackson, Murder Most Unladylike and The Swifts.

Of course! I reread Narnia, Harry Potter, the. DArk is Rising series, I love them. I heard Ali Smith too this morning. IV' e never read Charlotte's web, but I shall now.
CS Lewis himself said he never made any distinction between adult and children's stories, and there is Tolkien's book 'on Fairy Tales'.
A good book is a good book, so enjoy!

I regularly reread children's books that I enjoyed in my childhood
I also often read the books that my children are reading and enjoying. It gives us something to talk about together.

Absolutely nothing wrong with reading children's books.

I always have a mix of books on the go and feel completely unapologetic about reading whatever I like and feel like in that moment

I've got treasure Island on my list to read this year as I never read that as a child

All the books you've listed would be great choices

I read Anne of Green Gables every few years and I still love it.

The Prince and the Pauper
The Secret Garden
Ballet Shoes
The Little Princess
Pollyanna

I also loved When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbir. Has anyone read that recently? Last time I read it I was 10, I may get it again!

If you have an Audible subscription The Secret Garden and Wind in the Williows are available “for free” at the moment. I’ve listened to The Secret Garden and it was hilarious! All the “learning to speak Yorkshire”. And the Christian Science line of “get those children out in the fresh air and they will be cured.” The animals, birds and plants are described beautifully.

Good point I haven't read that book since childhood I think I'm putting that on my list for this year!

I first read this as an adult and loved it, also the two sequels.

Love the Wind in the Willows and have been promising myself a re-read for a while.

I need to replace my copies of The Chronicles of Narnia as they need a re-read

The Hobbit is a must

The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and the Owl Service by Alan Garner - I need to read more of his work

The Box of Delights - John Masefield

E Nesbits Treasure Seekers, Five Children and It, Hardings Luck

Harry Potter

Swallows and Amazons and Coot Club by Arthur Ransome are the only two I've read by hi but he wrote plenty

If you are a horsey person then Ruby Ferguson is good

The Punchbowl Farm books by Monica Edwards are good

Monica Dickens (Dickens Great Granddaughter) has also written a lot of books some of which which were made into the Follyfoot Farm TV series. I've not read any of her other books

I was not much of a fan of Enid Blyton as I was too much into horsey books but I have read the Ship of Adventure which I remember as being a very good read

And to quote other PPs a good book is a good book

I reread Josephine (Swedish writer), Alice in Wonderland, What Katy Did and I’d love to reread the Bullerby children books only my childhood ones have gone and they’re for silly prices on Amazon.

I read / re-read children's books all the time (im 58, no children).

To add to your list:
Carrie's War
The Children of Green Knowe
Little House on The Prairie
The Little White Horse
The Silver Sword
Tom's Midnight Garden
The Warden's Niece
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

There's a wonderful little book by Katherine Rundell ' Why you should read children's books even though you are old and wise'.
I love children's literature.

I just read this to my 9yo - my first time as well as hers and it was definitely worth it

I remember reading several of those as a young child - I was quite advanced for my age back then and read a heck of a lot. I remember them being not half as childish as a lot of books for my age group at the time. I'd also recommend the What Katy Did books. I may even re-read some of the books mentioned in this thread again - if I ever get through the hundreds that are already on my Kindle just waiting to be read!!

I think it's odd when adults only read children's books - I know a few who have only read the harry Potter books and never read otherwise.
However re-reading a childhood favourite is different. I recently read and enjoyed Holes, a YA book and I have a copy of E. Nesbitt's The Phoenix and the Carpet tbr. I last read it when I was about 7 in 1965.

I’m listening to Just William by Richmal Compton in my car at the moment.

And I read Tom’s Midnight Garden about once every five years.

I have the complete set of Arthur Ransome books left to me by my Mum and they are my go-to comfort reads. My user name tells you my favourite one 🙂

Excellent taste. If I could only read one author for the rest of my life Arthur Ransome would be a strong contender. Missee Lee for me, followed by Pigeon Post, but it gets difficult to choose after that.

There is little more comforting when life is getting beyond you than sitting down and reading (or re reading) children's books.

Thanks to a very very lovely Mnetter, I recently reacquired copies of the Mr Whisper books which I adored utterly as a child and have now spent many happy hours losing myself in the stories again. I regularly re read some of the fantasy books that transported me as a child (Silver Snaffles is adorable still), and have many others on my shelves that I have re-bought as an adult.

I first read Anne of green gables as an adult and loved it.

Yes yes yes to Tom's Midnight Garden!

And do read as much Diana Wynne Jones as you can lay your hands on. Some more YA that children's books but all superb.

I don't know if this a great observation but in the main children's books are written by adults so I don't see how it can't go both ways to be an adult reader of them.

No, not weird at all. C S Lewis was a professor at Oxford yet he re-read Squirrel Nutkin every Autumn to get him in the mood for the season. He said that if a book is worth reading at one age it is worth reading at any age.

Personally, I love the Narnia books, and also The Wind in the Willows and Roald Dahl’s stuff.