Five Children’s Books You Should Read as an Adult
By: Mary Gallagher
Tags: Books, Reading, Childrens Books, Literature, Stories

With so many books and so little time, it’s only realistic to understand that you may have missed a few good ones along the way. I realized, well into my life, that I had missed some children's books and young adult books that were worth reading even as an adult. Some I discovered on my own, some during my teaching career, and others reading to my children when they were young. Here are five that I think are worth reading as an adult — even if you don’t have a child to read them to!

Bridge to Terabithia, Newberry Medal Honor runner-up by Katherine Paterson

I sat hunkered down in the driver’s seat at the baseball field, sobbing as I turned the last pages of this beautiful book. My son was at practice and I was too embarrassed to get out of the car because my throat was clenched in tears. I couldn’t pull myself away from this page-turner. It’s one of those books that seems so simple on the surface but underneath lies a myriad of themes for both children and adults. Even now as I reflect back on the book and as others pull out parts that have impacted them, I realize how rich this story is about friendship and loss.

“It was up to him to pay back to the world in beauty and caring what Leslie had loaned him in vision and strength. ”

The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater

I discovered this book by accident at a thrift store and read it to my children. I then read it to my teachers who worked with struggling readers. I then bought them each a copy. I hope they still have it! Mr. Plumbean is an eccentric neighbor who is misunderstood by the residents on his street. Think HOA and you’ll get it. However, Mr. Plumbean refuses to fit in and eventually his ways help all the homeowners on the street understand the value of being oneself. A great lesson for children and adults who feel the pressure to conform.

“Our street is us and we are it. Our street is where we like to be, and it looks like all our dreams.”

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Lyrical, winsome, and delightful. If you’ve seen the recent rendition of this beloved classic on Netflix but haven’t read the book, let’s just say you need to get a copy. While I appreciate some of the liberties that Netflix has taken with this story and their casting is, as always, impeccable, I think the original tale is beautiful as is and needed no embellishment. Anne of Green Gables will make you cry and cheer and believe in the power of hope and love. We all long for belonging and home and Anne never lets her circumstances deter her from finding her place in the world.

“Because when you are imagining, you might as well imagine something worth while.”

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

I recently signed up for the trial version of Disney Plus and this was one of the movies I watched, although I’d seen it several times. It’s that good and so is the book. Of course, I always recommend reading a book before seeing the movie but sometimes we find the movie first, and as they say: Never judge a book by its movie. If that’s your case, please go back and read the book too. Although very true to the story, the movie needs the book to support it. Good versus evil, growing up, family, sacrificial love, adventure and more are all explored as the Pevensie children stumble into the magical world of Narnia. Of course, the symbolism of Christian faith is evident as C. S. Lewis intended, but this is a story for all ages and all faiths.

My Side of the Mountain, a Newbery Honor Book by Jean Craighead George

I almost regretted reading this book with my young son because I thought he might get the idea to run away and live by himself on a mountain which is exactly what the character, Sam Gribley, in this story does. While this story sounds alarming in today’s highly connected, helicopter-parent society, it makes sense in the context and setting of the story. Sam’s family owns land in the Catskill mountains and his parents understand his need for adventure. They keep a close eye on him but Sam, to me, is like a younger version of John Muir or Henry David Thoreau, living out his life on his own terms connecting to and attending to nature. My son didn’t run off and try to live in the woods but I do think this book fueled his adventuring spirit — and maybe mine too!

“Well, I came because I thought the only way to know nature was to live with it. Like Thoreau. You know? And I came because of my experiments. I learned all about algae under the conditions of nature. And I learned about survival. And… I learned about myself.”

Old Yeller, a Newberry Honor book by Fred Gipson

As I read the ending of Old Yeller, I looked up from the book through a wash of tears and saw my first-graders with stricken looks on their faces. I’m surely going to be fired for this, was my thought! Maybe first grade is too young for this story but it’s definitely one you have to force yourself to read. The love between a boy and his dog is a storyline that never grows old. Growing up and understanding that love sometimes means having to do hard things is a lesson we all need to be reminded of.