Children's Books.. for adults too?

[Michelle]

What books have you read that were written for children, but you've enjoyed as an adult?

Obviously Harry Potter falls in to this, but what else have you come across?

I picked up The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud a while back, and that was pretty good. Good enough, in fact, that I'm considering getting the next two in the trilogy. :)

[Kell]

Quite a few recently, including Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz & The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick. I also love Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series.

Several of Pratchett's books have been aimed at younger folks, such as The Amazing Morris & His Educated Rodents, Hat Full of Sky & Wee Free Men, not to mention The Brommeliad (the Nome Triligy of Truckers, Diggers & Wings) - they all count as firm favourites of mine. As do the Chronicals of Narnia in their entirity.

I also read both Witch Child & Sorceress by Celia Rees, then went & looked for another of her books & came away with The Vanished - all three were very good. The Devil's Footsteps by E E Richardson was another one aimed at kids.

Not to mention the wonderful Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark haddon which has been given critical acclaim.

All these are without taking into account the Harry Potter series. I'm proud to say I often peruse the children's fiction section both in bookshops & the library (where Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca was nestled discretely on the shelf under "Teen Fiction"!). I'll gladly put my hand up & say "I love children's books!"

[lopeanha]

I love children and teen books!!!
As I read a lot of crime/thriller, I really enjoy to read a kids or teen book between. That lightens everything up a bit, you know?

[poppy]

The Wind in the Willows
Anne of Green Gables series
The Secret Garden
Most of the Harry Potter series
The Railway Children
A Traveller in Time
Chinese Cinderella

and that's just the ones I can think of off-hand. I'm with you Kell, I don't care who know's I love children's books. :mrgreen:
I had quite an argument once on another forum where one of the senior members stated that "children's books are for children." I feel it's a sign of immaturity and probably insecurity to take such a high-brow attitude.

[frankie]

Anastasia-series by Lois Lowry
anything by Astrid Lindgren
Story Girl -series by L. M. Montgomery
The Little Vampire -series by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg

[FishAndChips]

The Chronicles of Narnia
Watership Down

[angelofboox]

I love children's books. I'm still a teenager though (just about!) :blush: Young adult fiction is, by no means, restricted to young adults and children. Just as adult fiction can be read by young children! It would be a shame that adults who thought children's books were beneath them missed out on some awesome books because of it. My mother reads children's books for a living!

Some books that are classed as "children's" are almost definitely for adults too! Take His Dark Materials, Tolkien, etc.

Some of my favourites can be enjoyed by almost any age. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Phantom Tollbooth, the Wind on Fire trilogy, Wi-...okay, I'll stop, the list is endless. They can all be enjoyed by adults (if that's to their taste) who don't mind reading books written for young'uns.

[Stephanie2008]

I love children's books. One of my favourite authors is Roald Dahl and one my favourite books is The Twits.