Revisiting Children’s Books as an Adult
By: Christine Tu
Tags: Childhood, Books, Reading, Childrens Books, Life

I remember the first time I read the Mysterious Benedict’s Society. For my 9th birthday, I visited the local Border’s bookstore (back when they still existed, remember that? Mine’s a gourmet coffee shop now) and was allowed to pick out one book for my present. Wandering around the store, which seemed grand from my point of view, with light streaming in from the magnificent arched windows, lighting up the dark wood shelves and crisp, brand-new books; it was heaven to me.

Wanting to get the most bang for my buck, I chose the largest book that was showcased on the table of recommended books. The huge volume I chose was $10 for several afternoons reading on the couch, adventuring with Reynie, Kate, Constance, and Sticky as they solved puzzles and tricks to fight the evil Ledroptha Curtain. I spent several afternoons in my childhood like that, reading on the couch after school, imagining wild adventures through the pages.

Aside from the book I got for my birthday, I frequented my local library for sacks of books that I brought home to consume, voraciously. I lived my best teenage-spy life through the Alex Rider series, journeyed through YA dystopias such as Divergent and The Hunger Games, and imagined life as a cat (Warriors), mouse (Geronimo Stilton), and medieval apprentice (The Ranger’s Apprentice).

But as I grew older, and more responsibilities and work piled up, I no longer had free afternoons to read to my heart’s content. Eventually, I gave up reading as a pastime altogether except for assigned class readings.

With all this free time during the pandemic, I’ve tried getting back into reading. I’ve tried reading Game of Thrones, but it was too long (the TV show looks pretty cool, though) and I’ve tried reading memoirs and classics, to no avail. Then, while browsing Overdrive for books, I noticed that there was a fourth installment to the Mysterious Benedict’s Society series. Excited, I borrowed it immediately and finished it that day.

Piqued, I looked into other series I read years ago and found that Alex Rider, The Ranger’s Apprentice, and The Hunger Games, all had new installments, which I quickly read through, then re-read the series just for the fun of it. Unlike the more “challenging” adult books that were a slog to get through, these were engaging and I truly enjoyed reading through them.

After re-reading all those series, I went back to re-reading the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series along with all the spin-offs, which was particularly interesting as I was taking a Greek Mythology course at the time. Searching through the YA section of Overdrive, I also discovered new series like Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, which was so much fun to read through.

In the end, my journey back to reading books I’ve enjoyed years ago brought back fond memories of simple yet joyful afternoons spent on the couch reading, as a child.

It’s nostalgic, yet invigorating to discover books that I’ve enjoyed in the past and now in the present. I’ve been thinking about this quote:

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” C.S. Lewis

And I think it’s absolutely true. Book genres don’t exist to box you into certain groups but allow you to explore ideas and life from different viewpoints.

So if you’re an adult, searching for a good book to read, consider looking past the adult section into the YA/children’s bookshelves. You might find something you’ll enjoy.