Kid lit: not just for kids anymore!
By Guest Blogger on October 10th, 2011
Nadia Almahdi stopped by OOM again after she read a great piece on Flavorwire about books meant for kids that adults love, too. Check out our picks!
Being the book lover that I am, when I ride the subway, I always take notice of what people around me are reading. Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of adults reading Young Adult books, including some of our favorites, like The Hunger Games trilogy and the Shiver trilogy. And then I came across an article on Flavorwire naming 10 children’s books that are good reads for adults. Their list included The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Boy by Roald Dahl, and (of course) the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling.
With so many amazing children’s books out there these days, we decided to make our own list, answering the question “Which children’s books should more adults be reading?”
The OOMers answered:
Jessica: A lot of YA books are great for adults to read. Stolen by Lucy Christopher is an amazing book for any age. I also think that adults, particularly adults with children, read it a whole different way than a teenager would read it. Another book that I think just everyone should read is Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. It is simply funny and smart. It will leave you laughing the kind of laugh that makes you look around because you forgot you’re in public!
Michael: The book I, personally, think every adult must read is The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle. I had to stop reading it on the subway because I was making a spectacle of myself laughing.
Morgan: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, which, though a children’s book, features hardly any children at all in its cast of a dozen or so characters. It’s smart, mysterious, and challenging for readers of every age. Also, any of the “Shoes” books by Noel Streatfield, especially Dancing Shoes, which is supremely well-written and beautiful; the kind of book that has clung to the corners of my brain ever since I first read it as a kid.
Dante: Bone by Jeff Smith. Bone began as an underground comic book read by adults, and over the course of the story’s 20 years in existence it has evolved into something cherished by kids. Young readers love the adventure aspect of the stories, as well as the irreverent characters and their quirky personalities. But like with a Pixar movie, adults find much to enjoy, too, from the grown-up perils the characters face to the witty writing to the sense that Jeff Smith is neither talking down nor pandering to his readers. The Bone universe has expanded exponentially from its humble beginnings, a testament to its appeal to kids and adults alike.
Nadia: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I remember reading it when I was in 7th grade – and finishing it in two days! Even though Hinton wrote this book in 1967, this coming-of-age novel is still relevant to adults and kids. No matter your age, you are instantly sucked into Ponyboy’s world – a 14-year-old living in Oklahoma and trying to make sense of the violence and prejudice between the rich and poor teenagers. Fun fact – Hinton was only 16 years old when she wrote The Outsiders!
What are your picks for children/YA books for adults? Let us know in the comments!
Posted: October 10th, 2011 under Books. Tags: books, YA.
19 comments
Comments
Lois Lowry’s is the first one that comes to mind. Seeing as how I read it as an adult, I think it is totally relevant to readers of all ages.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Well, I guess html tags don’t work here. The title missing above is THE GIVER by Lois Lowry.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 1:06 pm
“The Big Orange Splot” by Daniel Pinkwater. We so-called ‘grown-ups’ need to remember to be creative and independent and to celebrate our uniquenesses, too. The key line of this book makes me choke up sometimes, which is probably a bit strange…
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Holes by Louis Sachar, especially as our society is becoming more punitive towards younger people.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 1:36 pm
I have read the Hunger Games trilogy and have recommended it to all of my students who are readers. I also like James Patterson’s Maximum Ride books. The kids like the adventure and I like the ideas. Also, Uglies is great when you have kids who are worried about image. I have read all of those as an adult, and have found them meaningful.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Some of my favorite Children’s books are Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle In Time,” “A Wind in the Door,” and “A Swiftly Tilting Planet”. There are two other books in the series, “Many Waters” and “An Acceptable Time” but those are not part of my ‘Required’ list. I first read “A Wrinkle In Time” when I was 7, and was frightened by one of the characters in the book. It took me several years before I could read it again. I think I was 13 when I read all three books, and still read them frequently. In fact, I am in the process of reading them right now, and just started “A Swiftly Tilting Planet”!
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 1:40 pm
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper- wonderfully eye-opening.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 1:48 pm
The Percy Jackson series. Excellent!
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 1:49 pm
I would highly recommend the CHAOS WALKING series by the fabulous Patrick Ness.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 1:51 pm
I will often give picture books as a greeting card where appropriate. Sandra Boynton books – Hippo Birdy Two Ewes is a good one, Dr. Seuss books, Shel Silverstein, etc. can brighten up any adult’s day. My husband had a bad day at work and I bought him Alexander and the Terrible Horrible Very Bad Day.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Oops. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 2:30 pm
There are so many! Off the top of my head, I would say “The Giver” trilogy by Lois Lowry, “The House of the Scorpian” by Nancy Farmer, and “The Rag and Bone Shop” by Robert Cormier. They would all be fantastic group discussion books.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 2:42 pm
The books I always recommend to adults are the Jimmy Coates books by Joe Craig. All the elements of the rich dystopian Britain are worn lightly and combined with the tone and pace of the Jason Bourne series by Robert Ludlum. It’s especially engrossing for adults as the series goes on and gets a little darker.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 3:11 pm
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH!!!!!! A must read. It has so many layers that much of what went over your head as a child is even funnier today!!
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 6:35 pm
All-time fave for me is “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane”, by Kate DiCamillo. Timeless, classic, touching and beautiful. Includes incredible illustrations reminiscent of antique plate prints. Just lovely and such a tremendous story. Highly recommend to all ages.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 11:02 pm
Tasting the Sky by Ibtisam Barakat is a vivid memoir written in poetic prose that made me laugh out loud in several chapters and broke my heart in just as many.
Comment on October 10, 2011 at 11:13 pm
Just off the tip of my head and books I’ve read recently, I would say Jonathan Auxier’s Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes; Mike Mullin’s Ashfall; and Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky.
Comment on October 11, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Divergent by Veronica Roth and Matched by Alle Conde
Comment on October 11, 2011 at 4:21 pm
The Bat Poet by Randall Jarell. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.
Comment on October 12, 2011 at 1:56 am
