Right now I'm actually reading the Animorphs series, one per week, as part of an informal book club with my partner (who knows the books well) and some friends. We convene on Saturdays and I've been really enjoying it so far. People definitely weren't kidding about how dark and how violent these books are willing to get (and we're only just starting!), but K.A. Applegate is a really good writer. She's crafted a convincing enough POV for a bunch of teenagers that the kid-friendly prose feels immersive and not off-putting to a thirtysomething who's particular about craftsmanship. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes!
Those books are so much more intense than people think! A bunch of morphing kids almost single handedly waging war on another class of aliens on behalf of another. Making massive decisions sometimes like if they should be pretty genociding a species given the chance to, or sacrificing more for the sake of the good. It was an intense series for kids really. I love it.
Yeah! I'd seen quite a few people talking about how dark and tragic and morally murky the series is, and so far it's really living up to that reputation. Already I'm seriously concerned for how much fun Rachel seems to be having, and side-eyeing the convenience with which the kids got embroiled in this in the first place.
I was raised a JW with strict parents. My friend’s parents were less strict, she snuck me each book as she finished them. We were obsessed with the series.
I'm curious how far in the series you are. I read the first 10? books as a kid, then binged the whole series as a 30 yr old this past spring. The grey morality and true horror of war stuff Applegates put into a kid's series is crazy. In particular the last chapter of Rachel's last book will haunt me forever.
We're only up to the third book right now, so there's plenty of heartbreak and horror still to come. I was really impressed with how Tobias' rather unique POV was handled and the change of pace it brought to the series.
Ooh, I'd love that! Already I can tell they would've been a really transformative experience for me had I read them at a young age (I think I got a lot of the same effect and messaging from His Dark Materials).
I read most, if not all of them when I was around 8-10 years old but so much of it went over my head!! I was just like "haha turning into animals cool", I didn't really understand how dark it was.
It's amazing what messed-up things can fly over your head as a kid! I rewatched The Land Before Time a few years ago and child-me was surprisingly chill with this hopeless mid-apocalypse story.
Yeah, people definitely weren't kidding when they hyped it up on that front! I think it's a valuable kind of darkness, though - the kind that helps prepare you for life.
I've been finding the series pretty enjoyable so far. Like I said, they read like the actual thoughts of a teenager (and a teenager in the nineties, in the most endearingly dated wau), rather than just simple prose aimed at kids, and the author definitely didn't mess around when it came to letting the audience know that war is a zero-sum game and authority should be questioned.
It's still funny how the authors managed to get Scholastic to publish the series for kids, with the amount of mature content it has. Not complaining though, was definitely a huge influence to me in my formative years even if I only managed to read a volume here and there and not the whole thing. Going back to read the whole thing proper when I was in college was a wild ride.
Me too - I wonder if the premise was silly but obviously appealing to kids to the point that no-one edited them heavily. Whatever the case may be, I'm glad a lot of young people had this as an influence.
I read a lot of these as a kid but I never finished the series. I went back a few years ago to finish the series as an adult and...wow, I did not remember it being that intense.
I read these in my 40s along with my children; love them! However, I never did finish the series and from what I understand it goes to some weird places.
I was super into animorphs, and the one book from my collection that I kept into adulthood was #19. A few times, I've pulled it out to reread it bc of how sweet the ending is.
Hopefully the opposite for me. Hated it as a tween, but I think I’d like it more as an adult. Back then I was really into hard sci-fi and couldn’t stop picking apart stuff like an alien planet filled with humans. Now that I’m less picky about high concept sci-fi I’m hoping to read it again.
I read it at 9 and it scared the crap out of me. The second one was okay, and the third in the trilogy, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, was my favorite and still holds up well today.
This was my favorite book from the time the teacher read it to us in 4th grade. I was too impatient and had my parents buy it for me so I could finish it myself instead of waiting for the teacher. I just re-read it last weekend. Still love it!
I grew up in another culture, so I missed all the American kid books. I’m now enjoying the Bunnicula series and the Goosebumps series right along with my kid. I love Bunnicula.
Last year for autumn I reread toad and frog for fun. It's a kids book I did read as a kid but I loved re-experiencing it as an adult and I'm talking early year reader kids book lol like K-3 probably. Its honestly such a sweet wholesome kid's book. The art is so warm and cozy and stunning. it's a lovely little venettes about the simplicities of beauty in daily life with good friends.
This series was a big part of my husband's childhood, and I'd never even heard of it so we read a big collection of them together last year. While they're definitely the low-reading level kind of simple they're really charming.
I especially loved the too many cookies story. "But we can open the box." lol
I was in my early 20s when the first Harry Potter book came out, so I read them all as an adult!
English is not my first language, so any American or British children book that wouldn't have been easily accessible in my language (for reasons of translation or availability) would have been missed by me as well. I can't think of any example right now, but my husband and many of my friends are native English speakers and they often talk about books from their childhood that everyone seem to know, but I have never read them.
Edit: Someone in the comments mentioned A Wrinkle in Time. It's an excellent example of a book I heard of as an adult from my English speaking friends and thus read in my late 30s for the first time.
I read the Harry Potter books as an adult and loved them. My daughter and her husband had to buy 2 copies as they came out, since neither would wait for the other to finish. Such kids
When I read the first book, I could see what all the fuss was about. It was head and shoulders above most kids books out there. The last few books could have used a firm editor, in my opinion
My kids didn’t get into them, but I started reading my son’s copy when I was 40. Really liked them! Now my daughter’s getting into them in her late 20s.
Hahahaha I feel the same when I see the Anne of Green Gables book series in the kid section! Those are my favourite books! I reread them every few years and I am now in my late 40s!
I actually just finished *Matilda* earlier this week. I feel like I missed out on some of the appeal from not reading it as a kid, but it's still kind of a cute story.
This was mine too. For whatever reason, my brother got them as a present and I got the Chronicles of Prydain. They’re both fantastic series, but I really wish I’d taken the time to read His Dark Materials earlier
Narnia
I enjoyed them. It was interesting noting the cultural and zeitgeist changes (like the children drinking wine *gasp*)
The Chronicles of Prydain
I read 1 as a kid. Didn't get it, really. I that I had read one of the middle books. Again, interesting but obviously for kids. I don't know much about Welsh culture.
The Little Prince. I read it as a grown up and found it very sad and melancholy. I can’t imagine how I’d feel as a kid and probably found it weirdly sad.
One of my favorites. But. We read it in 7th grade and I remember my whole class hating me because my teacher went off on a whole diatribe about how everyone but me failed the test, and no one but me understood the book at all. On and on.... it was awful. Like, Lady, you're not doing this little nerd any favors here!!
I read Anne of Green Gables a few months ago. I enjoyed it a lot although as Anne gets older the plot goes faster and faster until it was pretty rushed at the end (although I understand this is because she gets into less incidents as she gets older and spends more and more time studying which doesn’t make compelling reading, but I would have liked some padding).
I'm just after reaching the parts of the book where it starts speeding up on my first read
:( one minute it's like "two months pass" and you're like "whoa, slow down!" And then it skips to a birthday, and then whatever came next and then you see Anne's birthday come up and you're like " What! Her birthday just happened, didn't it!" She had two birthdays in span of about four chapters!
I want 16 books of Anne as she was in the beginning! Nooooooo
I read the Percy Jackson books in my mid/late 20s. I've always been fond of Greek mythology, and at the time I didn't do a lot of reading for fun because of work, and these were nice quick reads to get me into reading again (at least, something other than scientific articles and dense books ;))
Read these in my 30s, they were fun quick reads. I think you can tell the author has some experience with teenagers (he was a teacher first, I think) because there are times you can sort of see him thinking about what message is being sent and correcting for that.
It was fun to see someone play with the old Greek/Roman myths.
I read almost all the Trixie Belden books as a kid but didn’t manage to get ahold of all of them back then.
So ten years ago I went through the whole list and requested every one I hadn’t read from my local library system. Could not get the last one, even through inter-library loan. Ended buying it used online for a few dollars.
Oh Trixie Belden! I thought I was the only one! I started reading them every summer when I was around 10. My mom had the original 12 then we searched and found almost all of the rest of them. I found the collection a few summers ago and started reading the first few, it was like meeting up with old friends. Glad to find another fan!❤️
Warriors (cats) by Erin Hunter. Read the first arc The Prophecy Begins (6 books) recently (I'm 34) and I was astounded at how good it is! I would have loved them as a kid! I laughed, cried, felt rage - the whole shebang.
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke has strong crossover appeal for children and adults, with an unexpected subplot about a character who responds to childhood neglect by >!literally growing up too soon!<. It was a very memorable, bittersweet reading experience.
I second this one: The Thief Lord was a childhood favorite that I still revisit from time to time (I still have my original copy, although it looks a little rough around the edges)! I’d add Inkheart to the list too.
I read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and A Wrinkle in Time. Both were pretty good! I felt like a kid again reading them. Suspending my adult perspective for a while.
I’ve read a few original books that were made into movies: Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, etc. The one that surprised me the most was The Fox and the Hound. Disney really did that author a favor! The original has a terrible, whiney, preachy ending in my opinion.
I’m suffering my way through the Percy Jackson series (for the sake of my nephew haha). I was in middle school when they first came out and had long since moved on to adult literature, but several of my friends read and enjoyed them.
I am a retired elementary school teacher, so I got to pick out a lot of kids books from the library. I enjoyed the Percy Jackson series. A fun take on old gods
Haven’t seen the films, but I am somewhat interested in the Disney show that comes out soon.
I’m trying to get my niblings into reading (4, 9x2, 10, 14). They’ve had a tough life and the middle three were “homeschooled” and abused by their grandmother (not my mother) and never taught to read until last year. The 10 year old said he’d read the Percy Jackson books if I read them too so here I am.
Look if you never read the books and don't take the films too seriously they're mid
The TV show looks really good.
You should also introduce your nephew to the Lightning Thief musical.
That's what finally got me into the books. It's really catchy
I hope your niblings heal and have long healthy lives with a positive support network. Trauma is no joke. I wouldn't have been able to survive my childhood without books.
I like Wrinkle, but it's easily my least favorite of L'Engle's Time series. A Wind in the Door was my favorite as a kid because of Proginoskes, but I also really love A Swiftly Tilting Planet.
Tons of them. I mostly liked animal books as a kid (BIG RED, Marguerite Henry, CLARENCE THE TV DOG, the Silver Chief books, BLACK BEAUTY, etc.) and I didn't read a lot of the classics until I was an adult. I wasn't that fond of the Moffats, but I loved the Melendy stories, especially the first couple (THE SATURDAYS, THE FOUR-STORY MISTAKE), also ROLLER SKATES and the sequel THE YEAR OF JUBILO, all the Anne Shirley books (didn't read them until after the miniseries in 1985, when I was 30), the Little House books which I didn't read until I was in my 20s, Madeleine L'Engle's other family story set, the Austins--most of L'Engle I read in college and afterward--I remember when *House Like a Lotus* came out, I was 29 and so excited.
I recently taught it to some kids when I was teaching English in Korea, I appreciated it a lot more! And picked up all the William Blake references haha
The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Anne of Green Gables are both ones I read recently in a book club. I liked the former a lot and feel like I probably appreciated it more as an adult than if it was assigned reading as a kid. The latter I liked enough to read a couple sequels, but wondered if I would have liked more if I was closer to Anne’s age when I read them. I read A Wrinkle in Time to my kids earlier this year and liked it.
There are some books I read in my youth that I’ve decided not to go back and reread, because in my memory they are lovely and perfect, and I don’t want to taint that by reading them again from my current perspective.
I haven't done so, but the likes of The Phantom Tollbooth, The Cricket of Times Square, and the third Judy Blume Fudge novel are among books I want to read.
I reread A Series of Unfortunate Events every few years, it was my favorite as a kid and still one of my favorites as an adult. I feel so cozy every time I read them!
I still read Nancy drew books sometimes. And when I go visit my parents I like to read the books I loved as a kid
Esp if I haven’t been reading in awhile they help me get back into it
Goosebumps.
Our library had one copy of each book in the series and those books were in high demand.
You were lucky if you could get your hands on one, once in a year.
And my parents never bought books.
(No public libraries, maybe the membership was expensive (?) so that option was out too)
Now even though that series is meant for “Kids”, I have all of them on my kindle.
Sometimes I just stare at the covers.
I had never read all the chronicles series until I met my wife. I love to read, so she was amazed that I had never read them… so we went through a bunch of other kids ones to “catch me up”… watership down, some dahl I missed, David walliams full catalogue…
Now I offer to read to my kids, so it’s a nice break from my “adult” books. Read the wings of fire series with them and actually mostly enjoyed it… just started the alcatraz vs the evil librarians and enjoying that as well…
Some were pretty painful (some “Patterson” series’s most notably), but I find it’s nice to get some lighter stuff mixed in to keep from making reading seem like a chore.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My older was interested in it and wanted to watch the movie. We have a rule: Read the book first. And I follow that rule with them. It was okay. At some point I want to read the sequel.
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
I'd never come across it as a kid, and first discovered it when I was looking for German books. I'd studied German at school, forgotten a lot in the year or so since, and wanted to try reading a proper book that was originally in German, without switching to English or already knowing the story. It was a perfect level for me and I really enjoyed it. I was really surprised though that everyone I mentioned it to had fond memories from reading it as a child, when I'd never even heard of it before lol. I then went on to read Momo and I think I like that one even more :)
For some reason, in spite of being an avid reader growing up, I had never read the Betsy-Tacy books until a few years ago. The series is unique in that it starts very simple (picture book level), and the books get longer and more complicated as the girls grow up.
Overall, I really liked it - the stories are fun and the girls are relatable. One of the later books has a really odd storyline about Ouji boards, which comes out of nowhere and harshes the vibe, but those were considered benign entertainment back then at the level of Monopoly or Risk.
The Redwall books. I just checked the first book out of the library. They were popular when I was in school but I just never read them. As an adult I'm super into fantasy so I'm hoping I can find it enjoyable as an adult.
The Little House on the Prairie books. I read Little House in the Big Woods as a kid but never read the rest of the series so I started reading through those. A lot of the more harsh parts kinda went over my head as a kid. So it's nice to read through them.
I also have that book Hatchet. My younger brother read it in school but I never did and it seems interesting and I want to give it a try.
Have you started Redwall yet? Would like to year some opinions on them.
Like you, i never read them despite them being popular when I was younger. Thinking about giving them a go if they're worth it.
I’m currently trying to read all of the Dear America books. They’re easy to read, and pretty much just have one true moment of horror per book. American Girl has been delightful to revisit also, they’re super quick reads with so much heart.
I am reading the works of Marguerite Henry to catch the ones I missed. Also slowly working my way through the Newbery Award winners. I have enjoyed those.
Making my way through the Narnia books for the first time at age 34. I think Lewis has a tremendous amount of upside but was surprised at how young of an audience it’s pitched for. I always sort of assumed it was sort of young adult stuff but it’s definitely more for late elementary schoolers.
I'm reading the Earthsea cycle right now, which is absolutely incredible. The writing is so good that it's hard to imagine it was supposed to buy YA fiction.
I was in my late teens/early 20s when Coraline and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman were released, but I adore both books as an adult and would've absolutely loved them as a child.
I’ve always loved kids scary stories collections—*Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark* being my favorite by far—and I started writing a book of them of my own, so I went and ordered a massive amount of collections off ThriftBooks for inspiration not long ago and I’ve really enjoyed a lot of them. The Dark-Thirty, Ask the Bones, and The Kingfisher Book of Scary Stories are three of my favorites.
It really helped me with writing my book, too. I just finished it, my great friend provided incredible illustrations, and I’m awaiting the proof copy right now.
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with comics, graphic novels and manga, so I actually missed out on a ton of middle grade level stuff - honestly, all I typically read was *Magic Tree House, Geronimo Stilton,* and whatever was required reading for classes. It wasn't until I began my English program in University that I finally began to read novels, and I decided to blend both kids and classics. Some of my favourite finds, aside from the more popular ones like *Harry Potter, Narnia* and *Percy Jackson*, were:
*Avalon: Web of Magic* \- a corny, magical series about three girls saving mystical creatures and seeking out a mysterious realm. The art was cute, the characters fun, and it was just the right amount of funny, heartfelt and sappy!
*The Little Prince* \- One of my favourite children's tales to this day, the imagination and somber tone stuck with me days after finishing it. I'll never look at *that* image the same way again XD
*Septimus Heap* \- After a first attempt that left me feeling bored yet intrigued, I gave the first book a second shot a few weeks later...aaannnddd ended up binging the entire series *and* its sequel series, *Todhunter Moon*. The magical lore, multiple perspectives and fascinating world wrap you up in a warm hug of fantastical adventure <3
*Anne of Green Gables* \- I always meant to try the first book as a kid, but it wasn't until I was an adult that I finally grabbed the box set for the series and fell in love with its charming cast and atmospheric wonder.
*The Mysterious Benedict Society* \- While I was old enough to figure out most of the puzzles, I decided to turn my brain off and just enjoy the ride, and it was well worth it. I even picked up the fourth entry written years later, and was pleasantly surprised by how well it fit right in.
*Bartimaeus* \- I had a friend recommend this to me, and I thoroughly believe I enjoyed it more as an adult than I would have as a young teen. The mystery, wit and twists kept me hooked through the whole trilogy.
*The Hardy Boys (1930's-60's)* \- Yeah, the series is shallow, repetitive and bland at times, but I'll always have a soft spot for Frank, Joe, Chet and the rest of the gang. There's enough corny cliffhangers and comradery to enjoy no matter your age!
I've been running through the popular series I 'missed' in the last few years (my 30s). A few stand-outs:
\- **Frog and Toad**: Charming. Very simple (low reading level type simple) but comes off as thoughtful minimalism.
\- **The Wizard of Oz** Series - absolutely bananas. Like Santa Clause showing up to blow people away in bubbles and then yeeting back to who knows where bananas. I found the silver=magic pretty interesting though, given the time the books were written (lines up with 'amazing' radium I believe).
\- **A Series of Unfortunate Events** \- the tone is really grating. All the adults suck and most of them should be in jail. Ridiculous in a bad way. Might be fun for young kids though?
\- **Percy Jackson** series and spin-off: Pretty good for YA, the mythology is engaging and I think the author is clearly trying to send good messages to teenagers.
\- **Vampire Academy** series and spin-off: I would probably have loved this as a pre-teen. The writing gets noticeably better in later books, Demetri is 100% an Angel knock-off and I have many many problems with his age/position vs. Rose. Attempts at good messaging, not all work but attempts were made (esp.with mental health issues). Heavy focus on petty teenage drama in the first few books, some classism.
\- **Tamora Pierce** series: I'd recommend these to kids, especially the 'Protector of the Small' subseries. It's rare to find feminism that holds up over time (we've progressed \*so far\* in the last few decades) but this one does a good job while still being a fun adventure.
Alice in Wonderland. I always knew I just had to read it at some point. A friend of mine was a big fan of the book and so she lent it to me. A few weeks later she asks me if I’m liking it and I was ashamed to admit to her that I honestly was a bit disappointed. I thought it was a bit… well, not childish, just on a child-level reading. I expected it to be the kind of children’s book that sounds deeply philosophical to adults, like The Little Prince. But I just couldn’t grasp any sort of message behind what seemed to be just a sequence of nonsense events.
About a month later, that friend and I did mushrooms together, and boy, did I finally *get it*. The nonsense *is* the message.
Island of the Blue Dolphins. I recall as a child wanting to read it and being told “I was reading at a different reading level so I wasn’t allowed to read it”. That has stuck with me since I was a child. I got the book as an adult. Ironically, my (at the time) 3 year old saw me reading it and wanted me to read it out loud. So I read that book with my 3 year old. “Thanks” to the teacher who told me no to a book, I tell my child yes to every book. My (now) 5 year old has me reading a human anatomy book to her.
Harry Potter series. I was a bit too old when they were coming out to be interested, but I read them for the first time years later in my 30s after I saw a few of the movies and I had fun reading them!
There are actually quite a few that were so memorable to me as a child that I reread them as an adult. Out of my mind by Sharon M. Draper, is the first one that comes to mind. That was an incredibly moving book to me as a young girl so I knew it would be a great read as an adult.
The second most notable one is The missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I don't think I ever got to read past the third book but the plot is so memorable and has been lodged in my adhd brain since 2010, and thats a miracle considering i can't even remember what I ate for dinner last night 🤣
Whatever books by Diana Wynne Jones that I didn't manage to get as a child. I love her books so much, but never had too many (by my standards, at least). So far I've read through Hexwood, Conrad's Fate, Power of Three, The Game, Homeward Bounders, and Fire and Hemlock. When I was younger I read through all the other Chrestomanci books (Witch Week was my favourite), Black Maria, Dogsbody, Enchanted Glass, The Ogre Downstairs, the Dalemark Quartet, the Howl's Moving Castle series, and Time of the Ghost. Still hoping to get more, haha 🤞
Midnight is a Place and Wolves of Willoughby Chase…both by Joan Aiken. They were before my time when I was a kid but I discovered them in my 30’s. Dark, somewhat historic and great fun to read.
The *Alex Rider* books by Anthony Horowitz. Discovered them in my 20s (even though they started being published when I was in primary school) and got immediately hooked. Loved the second-to-last volume (*Nightshade*) but the latest one (*Nightshade Revenge*) was utterly disappointing though. Still, I am happy re-read the older volumes from time to time...the action and suspense never get old!
Kind of. I (mid-1950s native) read *To Kill a Mockingbird* for the first time a couple of years ago.
I probably picked up on subtexts I never would've caught as a child. For example, the Cunninghams being dangerously broke, probably because (although it was never stated) they raised a huge crop of cotton only to see the prices offered for it drop to nothing because of the Great Depression. This also explained why >!Cunningham found Tom Robinson guilty (and probably hated doing it); not because he was a racist but because he couldn't afford to anger Bob Ewell, a man prone to violence!< There was also the end, where >!Atticus' unswerving dedication to the law would've caused Boo Radley a great deal of needless pain if the sheriff hadn't intervened !<
Haven't even read them yet, but the two that come to mind are *The Polar Express* and *Where the Wild Things Are.* I should read both.
I read *A Wrinkle in Time* a few years ago and hated it. Also read *The Neverending Story,* as I'd seen the movie but never read the book - loved that one. I started Harry Potter in my thirties even though I was a teenager when they first came out - and I'm still a huge fan and reread them every few years.
Harry Potter! Wasn’t allowed in my Uber Christian household. My mom a few years ago, after divorcing my step dad who was super controlling, gave me the complete set for Christmas. It was one of the best and most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever been given.
I'm reading Coraline for the first time now. We love the movie, and I didn't realize it was a book the first time I saw it. It's interesting to see the differences. It's a book I can tell I would have loved as a kid; I adored Roald Dahl's books and this book gives those kinds of vibes.
They did a good job on the movie! Really fleshed out the world and captured the creepiness of the Other Mother. I wonder if I'd have been disappointed by the movie if I had read and loved the book as a child.
Oh man I read all the Christopher Pike novels in high school in the 90’s! The only one I kept was Remember Me because it really stuck with me. Are they still good as an adult or do you find the ridiculousness? There’s a trilogy by Caroline B. Cooney that wicked creeped me out as a kid. I got them on ebook last year and my adult brain just picked them apart.
Was the Caroline b Cooney ones the fog/fire something else? I definitely remember that series!
I have the trilogy books of the party/graduation and remember me series.
Christopher pike books were always so good . They are definitely written for young people, and definitely, in the 80s/90s 🤣 I've knocked a few out. The adult ones I found were pretty much the same, just longer.
I've been on the hunt for monster for a few years, that one always stuck with me.
I recently joined Audible, and there are a couple of point/nightmare hall books by Diane Hoh on there. I haven't found any others yet. I've had a wee listen, and it's hard to tell if it's the story or the super painful narrator, but they are hard to get through. Especially when she was the ghost in the Accident 😅
City of ember series. I fell in love with that trilogy as a child and I would gladly pick it up again. I re-read it when I was about 17 after reading it when I was 10 and it was still good. Id be interested to see how I feel about it now.
I read Paddington for the first time when I was 30 and it was absolutely delightful. I don't think I actually would have liked it as much as a child but I'll be making sure my own kids read it.
*King Matt the First* by Janusz Korczak. A story about a boy who is crowned king.
It's a heck of a book. It starts off with fun and fantasy, later explores how easily (and often) children are manipulated by adults, toys with the costs and benefits of democracy, touches on the horrors of war...and shows it all through the eyes of a child.
This book was written by a pediatrician who ran a very progressive orphanage in the ghettos of Warsaw. When WWII broke out, his little patients (mostly Jewish) were sent to the camps. The doctor had many offers of sanctuary, but refused to leave the children. He marched with them into Treblinka, where he died.
Enders Game.
I think I would have loved this book as a 12 year old. It feels like it was made to appeal to a certain kind of kid that’s convinced they are smarter than everyone around them, that their nerdy interests are in fact signs of great potential, and that if they really wanted to, they could effortless defeat their bully.
As an adult though… it all just feels like a power fantasy. Nothing wrong with a power fantasy, I think all people need them, but it’s harder for it to hit the same way as an adult when reality has shown that the middle schoolers obsessed with RTS games grew up way more likely to have a folder full of NFTs than they were to become four-star generals.
The narrative writing is okay, but the dialog is atrocious. All the children, even the six year olds, speak in weirdly stilted sentences that sound like 30-something English majors trying to debate each other. Yes I get that Ender is a prodigy, but:
a) All the child characters talk like this
b) a six year old prodigy isn’t just a little adult. They are a six year old who happens to be very good at a few things.
With that being said, it’s a first novel. I wouldn’t be that hard on it except the version I had opened with an incredibly whiny prologue by Orson Scott Card, where he complained about all the adults who had pointed out the flaws above and more. His response was basically that they just didn’t “get it” and instead turned to all the praise he’d gotten from tween and teenage readers over the years. Now this kind of essay can work. For example, when Dave Pilkey [speaks about censorship of children’s books](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eA6_yp2CvlU) he comes across as badass, because his books were actually being torn out of libraries for superfluous reasons.
That is not the case with Card. People were pointing out flaws in his writing and instead he buried himself in the praise of kids who already liked it. When asked to write a prologue for a book he wrote decades earlier, Stephen King talked about how rough it was to read “The Gunslinger” and it was full of mistakes he wouldn’t make nowadays. Given the same task, Card proclaimed he was the first author to take children seriously. The vibe is less “literary maverick” and more “40 year old who only plays Warhammer against teens”.
I am Asian and i didn't know much about classic literature tbh. I found about Anne of Green Gables around two years ago, thanks to 'Anne with an E'. I'm glad i got the book and gosh, it's lovely💗
Moby Dick. We didn't get to it in high school. I finally read it about 10 years ago. It's a hairy dog tale about the big fish that got away. To read so much for so long for such an underwhelming ending.
My book club is all about books we missed as kids. We started with Misty of Chincoteague, Hatchet, and then Boxcar Children. Next is Book Thief, a steep change in pace lol.
Pat the Bunny really lacks a coherent plot. The characters are pretty flat, and there's not much of a redemption arc.
So I expect it to be adapted into a Marvel movie any day now.
I read A LOT as a child, but when I was younger, "the little house on the Prarie " [along with Dr Quinn, medicine woman and many others] was one of my fave shows. However, I never knew there was more than just "little house on the Prarie" the book because I never read it.
About two months ago (a month into my current preg), I was digging into some old books I was given and found a copy of my very own 🥰
Then 🤔 I realized I had NEVER even held a copy...so I opened it.. and began flipping through, and as i did, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, and I started to cry.
After wiping my face and double checking the book for tears, I flipped open the cover to find the list of ALL of the series...come to find out, 'Little house' is book 2 of 9 🤨☹️ and I felt even more heartsunk...because I had only heard of ONE other book in its entire series "little house in the big wood' which happened to be the first book 😬🫣 [which I've also never read 😒]
Another is called "Father Bear comes home" (its the same art and stories as the Nick Jr show, Little Bear, LITERALLY his stories from BEFORE he became own of my fave before school shows as a kindergartener 🥰). Now I read little bear and Arthur to my 4y.o and it just reminds me just how beautiful some books can be.
I didn't read harry Potter as a kid. I tried reading it as an adult and couldn't get into it despite everyone ranting and raving about them. I expected them to be addicting due to the hype.
Right now I'm actually reading the Animorphs series, one per week, as part of an informal book club with my partner (who knows the books well) and some friends. We convene on Saturdays and I've been really enjoying it so far. People definitely weren't kidding about how dark and how violent these books are willing to get (and we're only just starting!), but K.A. Applegate is a really good writer. She's crafted a convincing enough POV for a bunch of teenagers that the kid-friendly prose feels immersive and not off-putting to a thirtysomething who's particular about craftsmanship. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes!
That sounds so fun! Wish I could find something like that, my partner and friends aren’t readers unfortunately
I'm sure you could find some bookworm friends online for something similar! It's what I did, I should add.
Those books are so much more intense than people think! A bunch of morphing kids almost single handedly waging war on another class of aliens on behalf of another. Making massive decisions sometimes like if they should be pretty genociding a species given the chance to, or sacrificing more for the sake of the good. It was an intense series for kids really. I love it.
Yeah! I'd seen quite a few people talking about how dark and tragic and morally murky the series is, and so far it's really living up to that reputation. Already I'm seriously concerned for how much fun Rachel seems to be having, and side-eyeing the convenience with which the kids got embroiled in this in the first place.
I was raised a JW with strict parents. My friend’s parents were less strict, she snuck me each book as she finished them. We were obsessed with the series.
I'm really glad to hear you had a good friend and alternative influence in that kind of environment!
JW?
Jehovah’s Witness.
Thanks!! Best I came up with was Jesus Worshipper, lol
Lol no problem, they’re big fans of him too.
I'm curious how far in the series you are. I read the first 10? books as a kid, then binged the whole series as a 30 yr old this past spring. The grey morality and true horror of war stuff Applegates put into a kid's series is crazy. In particular the last chapter of Rachel's last book will haunt me forever.
We're only up to the third book right now, so there's plenty of heartbreak and horror still to come. I was really impressed with how Tobias' rather unique POV was handled and the change of pace it brought to the series.
You HAVE to read the Andalite Chronicles. It’s the prequel book to the series and still blows my mind to this day.
The plan is to do the whole series, side content and all!
I remember the Hork-Bajir Chronicles being great as well!
Haha I'm 29 and I love animorphs, I've reread the whole series twice as an adult. I really hope there'll be an animated series one day
Ooh, I'd love that! Already I can tell they would've been a really transformative experience for me had I read them at a young age (I think I got a lot of the same effect and messaging from His Dark Materials).
I read most, if not all of them when I was around 8-10 years old but so much of it went over my head!! I was just like "haha turning into animals cool", I didn't really understand how dark it was.
It's amazing what messed-up things can fly over your head as a kid! I rewatched The Land Before Time a few years ago and child-me was surprisingly chill with this hopeless mid-apocalypse story.
I was a big fan of the books. That nickleodean series that came out in the late 90s crushed my soul.
Yeah, I recently read them having only read the first eight books a long time ago. They are very dark...
Yeah, people definitely weren't kidding when they hyped it up on that front! I think it's a valuable kind of darkness, though - the kind that helps prepare you for life.
I am too. I can't believe how much body horror there is. Like it was written by David Cronenberg.
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I've been finding the series pretty enjoyable so far. Like I said, they read like the actual thoughts of a teenager (and a teenager in the nineties, in the most endearingly dated wau), rather than just simple prose aimed at kids, and the author definitely didn't mess around when it came to letting the audience know that war is a zero-sum game and authority should be questioned.
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I hope you enjoy!
It's still funny how the authors managed to get Scholastic to publish the series for kids, with the amount of mature content it has. Not complaining though, was definitely a huge influence to me in my formative years even if I only managed to read a volume here and there and not the whole thing. Going back to read the whole thing proper when I was in college was a wild ride.
Me too - I wonder if the premise was silly but obviously appealing to kids to the point that no-one edited them heavily. Whatever the case may be, I'm glad a lot of young people had this as an influence.
I read a lot of these as a kid but I never finished the series. I went back a few years ago to finish the series as an adult and...wow, I did not remember it being that intense.
I started these but they’re not all available at my library.
Most of them are available online on openlibrary if that helps!
Just what I was going to say!
I read these in my 40s along with my children; love them! However, I never did finish the series and from what I understand it goes to some weird places.
I've heard it gets wild, but that makes me morbidly curious as much as anything. What a fantastic thing to share with your kids!
I was super into animorphs, and the one book from my collection that I kept into adulthood was #19. A few times, I've pulled it out to reread it bc of how sweet the ending is.
I read *The Phantom Tollbooth* a few years ago and loved it. Highly recommend.
My partner has been begging me to read that as it was his fave! So definitely on the list lol
My third grade teacher read that to us. I can't thank her enough.
I wore the spine out on two books as a child: The Phantom Tollbooth, and Matilda!
I read it since so many people love it but I didn’t like it at all. Maybe I would have liked it as a kid.
I bought it as an adult having never read it as a kid and I didn't like it at all either.
Me too! I didn't get around to it until I was 50, but it was extremely clever and entertaining.
A wrinkle in time somehow I never read as a kid, I finally read it, I liked it, but wish I had read it as a 12-13 year old
Sadly I only got to read it a few years ago and I did not like it. I'm fairly sure I would have loved it as a child.
Hopefully the opposite for me. Hated it as a tween, but I think I’d like it more as an adult. Back then I was really into hard sci-fi and couldn’t stop picking apart stuff like an alien planet filled with humans. Now that I’m less picky about high concept sci-fi I’m hoping to read it again.
I read it at 9 and it scared the crap out of me. The second one was okay, and the third in the trilogy, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, was my favorite and still holds up well today.
I read it in my late 20s and it scared the crap out of ME. Loved it. Can’t believe I missed it as a kid.
I really enjoy A Wind in the Door, the first sequel.
This was my favorite book from the time the teacher read it to us in 4th grade. I was too impatient and had my parents buy it for me so I could finish it myself instead of waiting for the teacher. I just re-read it last weekend. Still love it!
I grew up in another culture, so I missed all the American kid books. I’m now enjoying the Bunnicula series and the Goosebumps series right along with my kid. I love Bunnicula.
Bunnicula is a favorite of mine. My dad got it for me when I was sick and we read it together
I remember the Bunnicula series very fondly! I’m glad you are enjoying it.
The Bunnicula series is fantastic. Perfect selection for October!
Last year for autumn I reread toad and frog for fun. It's a kids book I did read as a kid but I loved re-experiencing it as an adult and I'm talking early year reader kids book lol like K-3 probably. Its honestly such a sweet wholesome kid's book. The art is so warm and cozy and stunning. it's a lovely little venettes about the simplicities of beauty in daily life with good friends.
Yes, I read them as an adult, too. Such gentle books. Also Wind in the Willows.
It's so weird, when j was a kid I didn't really care for them but now they are so meaningful.
This series was a big part of my husband's childhood, and I'd never even heard of it so we read a big collection of them together last year. While they're definitely the low-reading level kind of simple they're really charming. I especially loved the too many cookies story. "But we can open the box." lol
I was in my early 20s when the first Harry Potter book came out, so I read them all as an adult! English is not my first language, so any American or British children book that wouldn't have been easily accessible in my language (for reasons of translation or availability) would have been missed by me as well. I can't think of any example right now, but my husband and many of my friends are native English speakers and they often talk about books from their childhood that everyone seem to know, but I have never read them. Edit: Someone in the comments mentioned A Wrinkle in Time. It's an excellent example of a book I heard of as an adult from my English speaking friends and thus read in my late 30s for the first time.
I read the Harry Potter books as an adult and loved them. My daughter and her husband had to buy 2 copies as they came out, since neither would wait for the other to finish. Such kids
haha I remember how people were literally obsessed with these books :)
When I read the first book, I could see what all the fuss was about. It was head and shoulders above most kids books out there. The last few books could have used a firm editor, in my opinion
Agreed! With everything!
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My kids didn’t get into them, but I started reading my son’s copy when I was 40. Really liked them! Now my daughter’s getting into them in her late 20s.
There is no right or wrong age for a nice story!
I (27) get personally offended when I have to go to the “youth” section of the library to borrow a Harry Potter book 😂
Hahahaha I feel the same when I see the Anne of Green Gables book series in the kid section! Those are my favourite books! I reread them every few years and I am now in my late 40s!
I read them in my late 20s probably close to 15 years after they came out, loved them.
I actually just finished *Matilda* earlier this week. I feel like I missed out on some of the appeal from not reading it as a kid, but it's still kind of a cute story.
Didn’t read His Dark Materials till I was in my late twenties, absolutely loved them, fantastic books!
This was mine too. For whatever reason, my brother got them as a present and I got the Chronicles of Prydain. They’re both fantastic series, but I really wish I’d taken the time to read His Dark Materials earlier
Just finished re reading these. There was a ton of stuff I missed on my first read as a 10 year old!
Oh, whoops, those are kids books? I read them two years ago and I really really liked them, too.
Narnia I enjoyed them. It was interesting noting the cultural and zeitgeist changes (like the children drinking wine *gasp*) The Chronicles of Prydain I read 1 as a kid. Didn't get it, really. I that I had read one of the middle books. Again, interesting but obviously for kids. I don't know much about Welsh culture.
Some people call "Little Women" a kid's book. At 24 year old male I love it, it is pretty!
The Little Prince. I read it as a grown up and found it very sad and melancholy. I can’t imagine how I’d feel as a kid and probably found it weirdly sad.
Yes, I think The Little Prince is an adult's book disguised as a children's book. It's one of my favorites.
One of my favorites. But. We read it in 7th grade and I remember my whole class hating me because my teacher went off on a whole diatribe about how everyone but me failed the test, and no one but me understood the book at all. On and on.... it was awful. Like, Lady, you're not doing this little nerd any favors here!!
I read Anne of Green Gables a few months ago. I enjoyed it a lot although as Anne gets older the plot goes faster and faster until it was pretty rushed at the end (although I understand this is because she gets into less incidents as she gets older and spends more and more time studying which doesn’t make compelling reading, but I would have liked some padding).
I'm just after reaching the parts of the book where it starts speeding up on my first read :( one minute it's like "two months pass" and you're like "whoa, slow down!" And then it skips to a birthday, and then whatever came next and then you see Anne's birthday come up and you're like " What! Her birthday just happened, didn't it!" She had two birthdays in span of about four chapters! I want 16 books of Anne as she was in the beginning! Nooooooo
The Westing Game. I actually think I wouldn't have enjoyed it that much as a child, but really liked it as an adult.
I read the Percy Jackson books in my mid/late 20s. I've always been fond of Greek mythology, and at the time I didn't do a lot of reading for fun because of work, and these were nice quick reads to get me into reading again (at least, something other than scientific articles and dense books ;))
Read these in my 30s, they were fun quick reads. I think you can tell the author has some experience with teenagers (he was a teacher first, I think) because there are times you can sort of see him thinking about what message is being sent and correcting for that. It was fun to see someone play with the old Greek/Roman myths.
I read almost all the Trixie Belden books as a kid but didn’t manage to get ahold of all of them back then. So ten years ago I went through the whole list and requested every one I hadn’t read from my local library system. Could not get the last one, even through inter-library loan. Ended buying it used online for a few dollars.
Oh Trixie Belden! I thought I was the only one! I started reading them every summer when I was around 10. My mom had the original 12 then we searched and found almost all of the rest of them. I found the collection a few summers ago and started reading the first few, it was like meeting up with old friends. Glad to find another fan!❤️
Warriors (cats) by Erin Hunter. Read the first arc The Prophecy Begins (6 books) recently (I'm 34) and I was astounded at how good it is! I would have loved them as a kid! I laughed, cried, felt rage - the whole shebang.
Peter Pan and I still loved it as an adult! The writing style was so beautiful to me and I appreciated it more than I would if I was younger probably.
Same here
I was so surprised that Wendy Darling wasn’t a Disneyfied surname.
Just read secret garden and Anne of green gables a couple years ago … never read them as a child
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke has strong crossover appeal for children and adults, with an unexpected subplot about a character who responds to childhood neglect by >!literally growing up too soon!<. It was a very memorable, bittersweet reading experience.
I second this one: The Thief Lord was a childhood favorite that I still revisit from time to time (I still have my original copy, although it looks a little rough around the edges)! I’d add Inkheart to the list too.
I read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and A Wrinkle in Time. Both were pretty good! I felt like a kid again reading them. Suspending my adult perspective for a while.
I just finished the Harry Potter series and I actually kinda liked them.
Where the Red Fern Grows. Made it 35 years completely clueless. Cried til I popped blood vessels in my eyes.
I’ve read a few original books that were made into movies: Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, etc. The one that surprised me the most was The Fox and the Hound. Disney really did that author a favor! The original has a terrible, whiney, preachy ending in my opinion.
I will probably do Percy Jackson before the new show.
I’m suffering my way through the Percy Jackson series (for the sake of my nephew haha). I was in middle school when they first came out and had long since moved on to adult literature, but several of my friends read and enjoyed them.
I am a retired elementary school teacher, so I got to pick out a lot of kids books from the library. I enjoyed the Percy Jackson series. A fun take on old gods
Oh yes that’s another one I visited too! Are you liking it? I think I’d have liked it more as a teen.
No I’m really not lol. I will say that each one is better than the last, but that might be the Stockholm syndrome.
Haha perhaps! I thought they were mid, didn’t go past the second, but omg, miles better than the films which I saw when they came out🤣
Haven’t seen the films, but I am somewhat interested in the Disney show that comes out soon. I’m trying to get my niblings into reading (4, 9x2, 10, 14). They’ve had a tough life and the middle three were “homeschooled” and abused by their grandmother (not my mother) and never taught to read until last year. The 10 year old said he’d read the Percy Jackson books if I read them too so here I am.
Look if you never read the books and don't take the films too seriously they're mid The TV show looks really good. You should also introduce your nephew to the Lightning Thief musical. That's what finally got me into the books. It's really catchy I hope your niblings heal and have long healthy lives with a positive support network. Trauma is no joke. I wouldn't have been able to survive my childhood without books.
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I like Wrinkle, but it's easily my least favorite of L'Engle's Time series. A Wind in the Door was my favorite as a kid because of Proginoskes, but I also really love A Swiftly Tilting Planet.
Yes, I felt very much it was hours of my life I'd never get back again. It also felt too religious for me. I'd have loved it as a child, I think.
I read it as a child and as an adult. Didn’t much like it either time.
Tons of them. I mostly liked animal books as a kid (BIG RED, Marguerite Henry, CLARENCE THE TV DOG, the Silver Chief books, BLACK BEAUTY, etc.) and I didn't read a lot of the classics until I was an adult. I wasn't that fond of the Moffats, but I loved the Melendy stories, especially the first couple (THE SATURDAYS, THE FOUR-STORY MISTAKE), also ROLLER SKATES and the sequel THE YEAR OF JUBILO, all the Anne Shirley books (didn't read them until after the miniseries in 1985, when I was 30), the Little House books which I didn't read until I was in my 20s, Madeleine L'Engle's other family story set, the Austins--most of L'Engle I read in college and afterward--I remember when *House Like a Lotus* came out, I was 29 and so excited.
Black Beauty can still bring a tear to my eye. It was pivotal in reducing systemic animal abuse.
“Skellig” by David Almond. A truly wonderful book for both kids and adults. I still love to read it.
We read this at school when I was about 9 but I wasn't really mature enough to understand what a lovely book it was!
I highly suggest you read it again, it’s as magical for adults. :)
I recently taught it to some kids when I was teaching English in Korea, I appreciated it a lot more! And picked up all the William Blake references haha
Oh yeah that’s another one I read :) was a great book.
Space bread and I still ready it regularly. Original Winnie the pooh books.
Omg, the Winnie the Pooh books are genius.
As an adult you can pick up better the subtle humor and themes.
I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn at 17 and loved it, though it might've meant more to me if I'd read it younger.
It’s a beautiful book … I’ve reread it as an adult so many times and love it so much. Her other book Joy in the Morning is good too.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Anne of Green Gables are both ones I read recently in a book club. I liked the former a lot and feel like I probably appreciated it more as an adult than if it was assigned reading as a kid. The latter I liked enough to read a couple sequels, but wondered if I would have liked more if I was closer to Anne’s age when I read them. I read A Wrinkle in Time to my kids earlier this year and liked it. There are some books I read in my youth that I’ve decided not to go back and reread, because in my memory they are lovely and perfect, and I don’t want to taint that by reading them again from my current perspective.
I haven't done so, but the likes of The Phantom Tollbooth, The Cricket of Times Square, and the third Judy Blume Fudge novel are among books I want to read.
I am reading Animorphs at 38 and it is really fun to see all the 90's nonsens.
I reread A Series of Unfortunate Events every few years, it was my favorite as a kid and still one of my favorites as an adult. I feel so cozy every time I read them!
The Ramona series
I still read Nancy drew books sometimes. And when I go visit my parents I like to read the books I loved as a kid Esp if I haven’t been reading in awhile they help me get back into it
Goosebumps. Our library had one copy of each book in the series and those books were in high demand. You were lucky if you could get your hands on one, once in a year. And my parents never bought books. (No public libraries, maybe the membership was expensive (?) so that option was out too) Now even though that series is meant for “Kids”, I have all of them on my kindle. Sometimes I just stare at the covers.
I somehow missed the Phantom Tollbooth as a kid. We’ve read it multiple times with our kids and we all love the play on words!
Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Although Disney made use of it, the original unedited collection is hair raising.
Narnia. Started a couple times as a kid. Finally read it from start to finish in my early 20s. Loved it!
I had never read all the chronicles series until I met my wife. I love to read, so she was amazed that I had never read them… so we went through a bunch of other kids ones to “catch me up”… watership down, some dahl I missed, David walliams full catalogue… Now I offer to read to my kids, so it’s a nice break from my “adult” books. Read the wings of fire series with them and actually mostly enjoyed it… just started the alcatraz vs the evil librarians and enjoying that as well… Some were pretty painful (some “Patterson” series’s most notably), but I find it’s nice to get some lighter stuff mixed in to keep from making reading seem like a chore.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. My older was interested in it and wanted to watch the movie. We have a rule: Read the book first. And I follow that rule with them. It was okay. At some point I want to read the sequel.
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende I'd never come across it as a kid, and first discovered it when I was looking for German books. I'd studied German at school, forgotten a lot in the year or so since, and wanted to try reading a proper book that was originally in German, without switching to English or already knowing the story. It was a perfect level for me and I really enjoyed it. I was really surprised though that everyone I mentioned it to had fond memories from reading it as a child, when I'd never even heard of it before lol. I then went on to read Momo and I think I like that one even more :)
For some reason, in spite of being an avid reader growing up, I had never read the Betsy-Tacy books until a few years ago. The series is unique in that it starts very simple (picture book level), and the books get longer and more complicated as the girls grow up. Overall, I really liked it - the stories are fun and the girls are relatable. One of the later books has a really odd storyline about Ouji boards, which comes out of nowhere and harshes the vibe, but those were considered benign entertainment back then at the level of Monopoly or Risk.
I'd recommend How To Train Your Dragon, I loved the books as a child and having recently reread them, I still love them today.
The Redwall books. I just checked the first book out of the library. They were popular when I was in school but I just never read them. As an adult I'm super into fantasy so I'm hoping I can find it enjoyable as an adult. The Little House on the Prairie books. I read Little House in the Big Woods as a kid but never read the rest of the series so I started reading through those. A lot of the more harsh parts kinda went over my head as a kid. So it's nice to read through them. I also have that book Hatchet. My younger brother read it in school but I never did and it seems interesting and I want to give it a try.
Have you started Redwall yet? Would like to year some opinions on them. Like you, i never read them despite them being popular when I was younger. Thinking about giving them a go if they're worth it.
Redwall is one of my favorite series of all time. Overdue to reread again!
I haven't started it yet! But will tomorrow since it's my day off work! 😁 super excited to start it!
I read Hatchet for the first time in fourth grade, I reread it every few years, and it is still one of my favorite books.
I’m currently trying to read all of the Dear America books. They’re easy to read, and pretty much just have one true moment of horror per book. American Girl has been delightful to revisit also, they’re super quick reads with so much heart.
I am reading the works of Marguerite Henry to catch the ones I missed. Also slowly working my way through the Newbery Award winners. I have enjoyed those.
Making my way through the Narnia books for the first time at age 34. I think Lewis has a tremendous amount of upside but was surprised at how young of an audience it’s pitched for. I always sort of assumed it was sort of young adult stuff but it’s definitely more for late elementary schoolers.
I'm reading the Earthsea cycle right now, which is absolutely incredible. The writing is so good that it's hard to imagine it was supposed to buy YA fiction.
I was in my late teens/early 20s when Coraline and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman were released, but I adore both books as an adult and would've absolutely loved them as a child.
I read Bridge to Terabithia for the first time as an adult and sobbed my eyes out in front of a class of 5th graders. Fun times.
The Earthsea series and it’s quite beautiful! I wish I would’ve given it a chance when I was a bit younger
I’ve always loved kids scary stories collections—*Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark* being my favorite by far—and I started writing a book of them of my own, so I went and ordered a massive amount of collections off ThriftBooks for inspiration not long ago and I’ve really enjoyed a lot of them. The Dark-Thirty, Ask the Bones, and The Kingfisher Book of Scary Stories are three of my favorites. It really helped me with writing my book, too. I just finished it, my great friend provided incredible illustrations, and I’m awaiting the proof copy right now.
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with comics, graphic novels and manga, so I actually missed out on a ton of middle grade level stuff - honestly, all I typically read was *Magic Tree House, Geronimo Stilton,* and whatever was required reading for classes. It wasn't until I began my English program in University that I finally began to read novels, and I decided to blend both kids and classics. Some of my favourite finds, aside from the more popular ones like *Harry Potter, Narnia* and *Percy Jackson*, were: *Avalon: Web of Magic* \- a corny, magical series about three girls saving mystical creatures and seeking out a mysterious realm. The art was cute, the characters fun, and it was just the right amount of funny, heartfelt and sappy! *The Little Prince* \- One of my favourite children's tales to this day, the imagination and somber tone stuck with me days after finishing it. I'll never look at *that* image the same way again XD *Septimus Heap* \- After a first attempt that left me feeling bored yet intrigued, I gave the first book a second shot a few weeks later...aaannnddd ended up binging the entire series *and* its sequel series, *Todhunter Moon*. The magical lore, multiple perspectives and fascinating world wrap you up in a warm hug of fantastical adventure <3 *Anne of Green Gables* \- I always meant to try the first book as a kid, but it wasn't until I was an adult that I finally grabbed the box set for the series and fell in love with its charming cast and atmospheric wonder. *The Mysterious Benedict Society* \- While I was old enough to figure out most of the puzzles, I decided to turn my brain off and just enjoy the ride, and it was well worth it. I even picked up the fourth entry written years later, and was pleasantly surprised by how well it fit right in. *Bartimaeus* \- I had a friend recommend this to me, and I thoroughly believe I enjoyed it more as an adult than I would have as a young teen. The mystery, wit and twists kept me hooked through the whole trilogy. *The Hardy Boys (1930's-60's)* \- Yeah, the series is shallow, repetitive and bland at times, but I'll always have a soft spot for Frank, Joe, Chet and the rest of the gang. There's enough corny cliffhangers and comradery to enjoy no matter your age!
I've been running through the popular series I 'missed' in the last few years (my 30s). A few stand-outs: \- **Frog and Toad**: Charming. Very simple (low reading level type simple) but comes off as thoughtful minimalism. \- **The Wizard of Oz** Series - absolutely bananas. Like Santa Clause showing up to blow people away in bubbles and then yeeting back to who knows where bananas. I found the silver=magic pretty interesting though, given the time the books were written (lines up with 'amazing' radium I believe). \- **A Series of Unfortunate Events** \- the tone is really grating. All the adults suck and most of them should be in jail. Ridiculous in a bad way. Might be fun for young kids though? \- **Percy Jackson** series and spin-off: Pretty good for YA, the mythology is engaging and I think the author is clearly trying to send good messages to teenagers. \- **Vampire Academy** series and spin-off: I would probably have loved this as a pre-teen. The writing gets noticeably better in later books, Demetri is 100% an Angel knock-off and I have many many problems with his age/position vs. Rose. Attempts at good messaging, not all work but attempts were made (esp.with mental health issues). Heavy focus on petty teenage drama in the first few books, some classism. \- **Tamora Pierce** series: I'd recommend these to kids, especially the 'Protector of the Small' subseries. It's rare to find feminism that holds up over time (we've progressed \*so far\* in the last few decades) but this one does a good job while still being a fun adventure.
The Giving Tree. I didn't read it as a child. Makes me ugly cry as an adult
Alice in Wonderland. I always knew I just had to read it at some point. A friend of mine was a big fan of the book and so she lent it to me. A few weeks later she asks me if I’m liking it and I was ashamed to admit to her that I honestly was a bit disappointed. I thought it was a bit… well, not childish, just on a child-level reading. I expected it to be the kind of children’s book that sounds deeply philosophical to adults, like The Little Prince. But I just couldn’t grasp any sort of message behind what seemed to be just a sequence of nonsense events. About a month later, that friend and I did mushrooms together, and boy, did I finally *get it*. The nonsense *is* the message.
Island of the Blue Dolphins. I recall as a child wanting to read it and being told “I was reading at a different reading level so I wasn’t allowed to read it”. That has stuck with me since I was a child. I got the book as an adult. Ironically, my (at the time) 3 year old saw me reading it and wanted me to read it out loud. So I read that book with my 3 year old. “Thanks” to the teacher who told me no to a book, I tell my child yes to every book. My (now) 5 year old has me reading a human anatomy book to her.
Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl. Love his writing.
Wayside. It was always my favorite
I somehow managed to make it to adulthood without reading the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. I have since fixed that and loved the books.
Harry Potter series. I was a bit too old when they were coming out to be interested, but I read them for the first time years later in my 30s after I saw a few of the movies and I had fun reading them!
There are actually quite a few that were so memorable to me as a child that I reread them as an adult. Out of my mind by Sharon M. Draper, is the first one that comes to mind. That was an incredibly moving book to me as a young girl so I knew it would be a great read as an adult. The second most notable one is The missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I don't think I ever got to read past the third book but the plot is so memorable and has been lodged in my adhd brain since 2010, and thats a miracle considering i can't even remember what I ate for dinner last night 🤣
Whatever books by Diana Wynne Jones that I didn't manage to get as a child. I love her books so much, but never had too many (by my standards, at least). So far I've read through Hexwood, Conrad's Fate, Power of Three, The Game, Homeward Bounders, and Fire and Hemlock. When I was younger I read through all the other Chrestomanci books (Witch Week was my favourite), Black Maria, Dogsbody, Enchanted Glass, The Ogre Downstairs, the Dalemark Quartet, the Howl's Moving Castle series, and Time of the Ghost. Still hoping to get more, haha 🤞
Midnight is a Place and Wolves of Willoughby Chase…both by Joan Aiken. They were before my time when I was a kid but I discovered them in my 30’s. Dark, somewhat historic and great fun to read.
RedWall books
The *Alex Rider* books by Anthony Horowitz. Discovered them in my 20s (even though they started being published when I was in primary school) and got immediately hooked. Loved the second-to-last volume (*Nightshade*) but the latest one (*Nightshade Revenge*) was utterly disappointing though. Still, I am happy re-read the older volumes from time to time...the action and suspense never get old!
Read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian as an adult and loved it. Made me cry haha.
That was assigned by a college prof in an American lit class for me. I didn’t realize it was meant for children.
A Wrinkle in Time. It was AWFUL.
Kind of. I (mid-1950s native) read *To Kill a Mockingbird* for the first time a couple of years ago. I probably picked up on subtexts I never would've caught as a child. For example, the Cunninghams being dangerously broke, probably because (although it was never stated) they raised a huge crop of cotton only to see the prices offered for it drop to nothing because of the Great Depression. This also explained why >!Cunningham found Tom Robinson guilty (and probably hated doing it); not because he was a racist but because he couldn't afford to anger Bob Ewell, a man prone to violence!< There was also the end, where >!Atticus' unswerving dedication to the law would've caused Boo Radley a great deal of needless pain if the sheriff hadn't intervened !<
Haven't even read them yet, but the two that come to mind are *The Polar Express* and *Where the Wild Things Are.* I should read both. I read *A Wrinkle in Time* a few years ago and hated it. Also read *The Neverending Story,* as I'd seen the movie but never read the book - loved that one. I started Harry Potter in my thirties even though I was a teenager when they first came out - and I'm still a huge fan and reread them every few years.
Harry Potter! Wasn’t allowed in my Uber Christian household. My mom a few years ago, after divorcing my step dad who was super controlling, gave me the complete set for Christmas. It was one of the best and most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever been given.
I'm reading Coraline for the first time now. We love the movie, and I didn't realize it was a book the first time I saw it. It's interesting to see the differences. It's a book I can tell I would have loved as a kid; I adored Roald Dahl's books and this book gives those kinds of vibes. They did a good job on the movie! Really fleshed out the world and captured the creepiness of the Other Mother. I wonder if I'd have been disappointed by the movie if I had read and loved the book as a child.
I read Coraline by Neil Gaiman for the first time at age 26. Absolutely loved it
Red wall and watership down. Both are great for adults. Maybe more for adults
The Secret Garden 🩷 I've been collecting Christopher Pike and point fiction books the last few years, but they were more tween category
Oh man I read all the Christopher Pike novels in high school in the 90’s! The only one I kept was Remember Me because it really stuck with me. Are they still good as an adult or do you find the ridiculousness? There’s a trilogy by Caroline B. Cooney that wicked creeped me out as a kid. I got them on ebook last year and my adult brain just picked them apart.
Was the Caroline b Cooney ones the fog/fire something else? I definitely remember that series! I have the trilogy books of the party/graduation and remember me series. Christopher pike books were always so good . They are definitely written for young people, and definitely, in the 80s/90s 🤣 I've knocked a few out. The adult ones I found were pretty much the same, just longer. I've been on the hunt for monster for a few years, that one always stuck with me. I recently joined Audible, and there are a couple of point/nightmare hall books by Diane Hoh on there. I haven't found any others yet. I've had a wee listen, and it's hard to tell if it's the story or the super painful narrator, but they are hard to get through. Especially when she was the ghost in the Accident 😅
Artemis Fowl. Read the first one on an airplane flying back a year of war. Was really nice to get out in a less-serious, nearly nostalgic headspace.
Hatchet and Brian's Winter, also Finding Alaska and Paper Towns, found all these pretty well written. Also the Saggy Baggy Elephant which I love.
I read Artemis Fowl as an adult, before that movie that sadly never came out. I actually really liked the character development.
I read Holes, The Neverending Story, and Watership Down in my late 30s. All amazing.
City of ember series. I fell in love with that trilogy as a child and I would gladly pick it up again. I re-read it when I was about 17 after reading it when I was 10 and it was still good. Id be interested to see how I feel about it now.
I bought fancy copies as an adult because I still love that series!
Everything by Roald Dahl is great. Get the originals, I heard they're being censored now. and *From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler*
The Animorphs series. I somehow overlooked them when they were brand-new, and I'm just now getting into them as an adult.
Harry Potter series. I wasn’t into fantasy books as a kid. I’m reading the series now in my mid 20s and really enjoying it.
The Little Prince. It was cute, like The Alchemist lite
I reread “The Thirteen Clocks” as an adult and it holds up! Such fun rhymes and rhythms
I read Paddington for the first time when I was 30 and it was absolutely delightful. I don't think I actually would have liked it as much as a child but I'll be making sure my own kids read it.
*King Matt the First* by Janusz Korczak. A story about a boy who is crowned king. It's a heck of a book. It starts off with fun and fantasy, later explores how easily (and often) children are manipulated by adults, toys with the costs and benefits of democracy, touches on the horrors of war...and shows it all through the eyes of a child. This book was written by a pediatrician who ran a very progressive orphanage in the ghettos of Warsaw. When WWII broke out, his little patients (mostly Jewish) were sent to the camps. The doctor had many offers of sanctuary, but refused to leave the children. He marched with them into Treblinka, where he died.
Read watership down last year at 23yrs of age. Loved it and don’t know if I’d have appreciated it as much when I was younger
Enders Game. I think I would have loved this book as a 12 year old. It feels like it was made to appeal to a certain kind of kid that’s convinced they are smarter than everyone around them, that their nerdy interests are in fact signs of great potential, and that if they really wanted to, they could effortless defeat their bully. As an adult though… it all just feels like a power fantasy. Nothing wrong with a power fantasy, I think all people need them, but it’s harder for it to hit the same way as an adult when reality has shown that the middle schoolers obsessed with RTS games grew up way more likely to have a folder full of NFTs than they were to become four-star generals. The narrative writing is okay, but the dialog is atrocious. All the children, even the six year olds, speak in weirdly stilted sentences that sound like 30-something English majors trying to debate each other. Yes I get that Ender is a prodigy, but: a) All the child characters talk like this b) a six year old prodigy isn’t just a little adult. They are a six year old who happens to be very good at a few things. With that being said, it’s a first novel. I wouldn’t be that hard on it except the version I had opened with an incredibly whiny prologue by Orson Scott Card, where he complained about all the adults who had pointed out the flaws above and more. His response was basically that they just didn’t “get it” and instead turned to all the praise he’d gotten from tween and teenage readers over the years. Now this kind of essay can work. For example, when Dave Pilkey [speaks about censorship of children’s books](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eA6_yp2CvlU) he comes across as badass, because his books were actually being torn out of libraries for superfluous reasons. That is not the case with Card. People were pointing out flaws in his writing and instead he buried himself in the praise of kids who already liked it. When asked to write a prologue for a book he wrote decades earlier, Stephen King talked about how rough it was to read “The Gunslinger” and it was full of mistakes he wouldn’t make nowadays. Given the same task, Card proclaimed he was the first author to take children seriously. The vibe is less “literary maverick” and more “40 year old who only plays Warhammer against teens”.
I am Asian and i didn't know much about classic literature tbh. I found about Anne of Green Gables around two years ago, thanks to 'Anne with an E'. I'm glad i got the book and gosh, it's lovely💗
Moby Dick. We didn't get to it in high school. I finally read it about 10 years ago. It's a hairy dog tale about the big fish that got away. To read so much for so long for such an underwhelming ending.
My 7 year old and i have been tackling a couple chapters each night from the Narnia books, and I am really enjoying it.
The Giver by Lois Lowery and Bridge To Terebithia by Katherine Patterson.
My book club is all about books we missed as kids. We started with Misty of Chincoteague, Hatchet, and then Boxcar Children. Next is Book Thief, a steep change in pace lol.
Pat the Bunny really lacks a coherent plot. The characters are pretty flat, and there's not much of a redemption arc. So I expect it to be adapted into a Marvel movie any day now.
I read The Giver in my 20s and didn't like it
I read A LOT as a child, but when I was younger, "the little house on the Prarie " [along with Dr Quinn, medicine woman and many others] was one of my fave shows. However, I never knew there was more than just "little house on the Prarie" the book because I never read it. About two months ago (a month into my current preg), I was digging into some old books I was given and found a copy of my very own 🥰 Then 🤔 I realized I had NEVER even held a copy...so I opened it.. and began flipping through, and as i did, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, and I started to cry. After wiping my face and double checking the book for tears, I flipped open the cover to find the list of ALL of the series...come to find out, 'Little house' is book 2 of 9 🤨☹️ and I felt even more heartsunk...because I had only heard of ONE other book in its entire series "little house in the big wood' which happened to be the first book 😬🫣 [which I've also never read 😒] Another is called "Father Bear comes home" (its the same art and stories as the Nick Jr show, Little Bear, LITERALLY his stories from BEFORE he became own of my fave before school shows as a kindergartener 🥰). Now I read little bear and Arthur to my 4y.o and it just reminds me just how beautiful some books can be.
I didn't read harry Potter as a kid. I tried reading it as an adult and couldn't get into it despite everyone ranting and raving about them. I expected them to be addicting due to the hype.