Great Kids' Novels that Adults Should Read (or Re-read)

Just because you're a grownup doesn't mean you have to stop reading children's books. Here's a list of books that are just as entertaining and thought-provoking for adults as they are for kids. And if you read one of these when you were younger, give it another chance. It'll hit differently through adult eyes.

*This list is limited to children's novels and doesn't include Young Adult or picture books.

Updated October 31, 2023
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McCracken County Public Library McCracken County Public Library
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Great Kids' Novels that Adults Should Read (or Re-read)

Just because you're a grownup doesn't mean you have to stop reading children's books. Here's a list of books that are just as entertaining and thought-provoking for adults as they are for kids. And if you read one of these when you were younger, give it another chance. It'll hit differently through adult eyes.

*This list is limited to children's novels and doesn't include Young Adult or picture books.

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Tuck everlasting
Babbitt, Natalie
Paper Book
Doomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age...
Coraline
Gaiman, Neil.
Paper Book
· ARCs with blow-in card to targeted education list · Author to attend ALA (June 2002) for pre-conference presentation. Author to sign galleys in booth and attend breakfast. Giveaways to be distributed. · Coraline will...
Harriet the spy
Fitzhugh, Louise.
Paper Book
It's no secret that Harriet the Spy is a timeless classic that kids will love! Every day can be an adventure if you just look carefully enough! A PARADE BEST KIDS BOOK OF ALL TIME Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything...
The Westing game
Raskin, Ellen
Paper Book
A Newbery Medal Winner "A supersharp mystery...confoundingly clever, and very funny." -Booklist, starred review A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. And though no one knows why the eccentric...
The house with a clock in its walls
Bellairs, John
Paper Book
John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales full of adventure, attitude and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gone bump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt, Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday....
Howl's moving castle
Jones, Diana Wynne.
Paper Book
"A true original." --Katherine Rundell, bestselling author of Impossible Creatures This entrancing classic fantasy novel is filled with surprises at every turn. An international bestseller, this much-loved book is the source for the Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature. ...
Danny the champion of the world
Dahl, Roald
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG!  Danny has a life any boy would love--his home is a gypsy caravan, he's the youngest master car mechanic around, and his best friend is his dad, who never runs out of...
The secret garden
Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Paper Book
Celebrate an unforgettable classic with this gorgeous hardcover edition, including full-color illustrations. This beautiful hardcover edition includes Tasha Tudor's iconic illustrations in full color, making it the perfect collector's edition or a wonderful gift for young readers. ...
Mrs. Frisby and the rats of Nimh
O'Brien, Robert C.
Paper Book
Some extraordinary rats come to the aid of a mouse family in this Newbery Medal Award-winning classic by notable children's author Robert C. O'Brien. Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible problem. She must move her family to their summer...
M. C. Higgins, the great
Hamilton, Virginia
Paper Book
Now available in this summer reading program edition, this Newbery Award-winning novel tells the story of M.C. Higgins, who saves his home and family from the slag heap of an Ohio strip mine when two strangers enter his life.
The Egypt game
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley
Paper Book
When Melanie Ross and April Hall begin to play the Egypt Game, everyone thinks it’s just a game until strange things begin happening to the players. Has the Egypt Game gone too far?
Five children and It
Nesbit, E.
Paper Book
If you love a good story, then look no further. Oxford Children's Classics bring together the most unforgettable stories ever told. They're books to treasure and return to again and again.When five children go exploring in the gravel pit they never expect to find 'It' . . . a Psammead who can grant...
The wolves of Willoughby Chase
Aiken, Joan
Paper Book
Wicked wolves and a grim governess threaten Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia when Bonnie's parents leave Willoughby Chase for a sea voyage. Left in the care of the cruel Miss Slighcarp, the girls can hardly believe what is happening to their once happy home. The servants are dismissed, the furniture...
The Chocolate touch
Catling, Patrick Skene
Paper Book
In this zany twist on the legend of King Midas and his golden touch, a boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate! Can you ever have too much of your favorite food? John Midas is about to find out.... The Chocolate Touch has remained a favorite...
From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E. L.
Paper Book
A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with E. L. Konigsburg's beloved classic and Newbery Medal­-winning novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! When Claudia decided to run away, she...
The house at Pooh Corner
Milne, A. A.
Paper Book
Celebrating 100 years of one of the most beloved icons of children's literature, Winnie-the-Pooh! Return to the Hundred Acre Wood in A.A. Milne's second collection of Pooh stories, The House at Pooh Corner. Here you will rediscover all the characters you met in Winnie...
Pippi Longstocking
Lindgren, Astrid
Paper Book
The beloved story of a spunky young girl and her hilarious escapades.   Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a pet monkey named...
The little prince
Saint-Exupřy, Antoine de
Paper Book
Now with the restored original artwork, the beloved classic story of a young prince's travels throughout space--a profound tale about loneliness and loss, and love and friendship. A pilot crashes in the Sahara Desert and encounters a strange young boy who calls himself the Little Prince....
A wrinkle in time
L'Engle, Madeleine
Paper Book
NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER * TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME * NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM DISNEY Read the ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic that has delighted children for over 60 years! "A Wrinkle in Time<...
The tale of Despereaux : being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread
DiCamillo, Kate
Paper Book
Celebrate twenty years of Despereaux with a splendid anniversary edition--including a bonus original short story from Kate DiCamillo and a new piece of art by Timothy Basil Ering. Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a...
Where the red fern grows : the story of two dogs and a boy
Rawls, Wilson.
Paper Book
Read the beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man's best friend. This edition also includes a special note to readers from Newbery Medal winner and Printz Honor winner Clare Vanderpool. Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when...
Island of the Blue Dolphins
O'Dell, Scott
Paper Book
Scott O'Dell's Newbery Medal-winning classic is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage. Based on the true story of a Nicoleño Indian girl living alone on an island off the coast of California, Island of the Blue Dolphins has captivated readers for generations. On San Nicolas...
Bridge to Terabithia
Paterson, Katherine
Paper Book
The classic Newbery Award-winning title by beloved author Katherine Paterson, with brand-new bonus materials including an author's note by Katherine herself, and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo.  Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can...
The phantom tollbooth
Juster, Norton
Paper Book
A PARADE BEST KIDS BOOK OF ALL TIME "Comes up bright and new every time I read it . . . it will continue to charm and delight for a very long time yet." --Phillip Pullman, New York Times bestselling author of His Dark Materials With almost 5 million...
The giver
Lowry, Lois
Paper Book
The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the...
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