Treasures of Children’s Literature That Adults Can Enjoy Too

My literary journey started from the cradle. Since day one, my grandfather and father have been reading to me aloud every chance they get. It is truly an amazing activity a family can do that provides an opportunity to bond and create lifelong memories together among other things. But children’s literature is not just for kids or those with kids. Historically, adults would often be the main audience, because fairy tales and different forms of folklore grew out of real experiences and beliefs. They were meant to teach moral principles to all.

The only time the term “age-appropriate” does matter is when you are picking a book for a little reader, who may or may not yet have the required knowledge to understand it. Otherwise, anyone can enjoy a children’s classic, whether through revisiting old favorites, discovering new ones or digging academia-deep into storytelling practices and symbols behind them. The list below includes authors and titles considered treasures of children’s literature that will never get old, even if you do.

Suggested age for reading with a child: 0-4 years

• Greek and Roman mythology 
• Perrault’s Fairy Tales or Tales of Mother Goose 
• Grimm’s Fairy Tales
• Hauff’s Fairy Tales
• Dr. Seuss books

Fairy tales, myths and legends have countless adaptations to choose from based on your needs. Though most of them may seem too complex for someone younger than four, the New York Times article says that you can read anything to a newborn. Live language and the amount of words infants or toddlers experience is what influences their cognitive development later.

Suggested age for reading with a child: 4-8 years

• Andersen’s Fairy Tales 
• “Winnie-the-Pooh” by A.A. Milne
• “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White 
• Astrid Lindgren:
  • “Pippi Longstocking”
  • “Karlson on the Roof”
• “Eight Children and a Truck” by Anne-Cath

The books in this section help see beauty in the ordinary and teach valuable lessons about love, friendship, sacrifice and gratitude. Every child needs to know (and every adult reminded) that the future has no limit, when one can conquer their fears. Cheerful, witty, sad at times, but always hopeful, these stories will not disappoint.   

Suggested age for reading with a child: 8-12 years

• Stories for Children by Oscar Wilde 
• “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling 
• “Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” or “Peter and Wendy” by J.M. Barrie
• “Bambi, a Life in the Woods” by Felix Salten 
• The Oz books, beginning with “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum
• Gianni Rodari:
  • “Telephone Tales” 
  • “The Adventures of Cipollino” (Italian for “little onion”)

Making sense of and accepting loss is tough. Books are an effective way to normalize the range of negative emotions associated with it. This selection gently touches upon coping with feelings such as grief, confusion, sadness, frustration and anger. Adult readers will find author Gianni Rodari especially interesting, because his fantastical works in reality represent Marxism ideas.

Suggested age for reading with a child: 12-14 years

• Lewis Carroll:
  • “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
  • “Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There”
• Louisa May Alcott:
  • “Little Women” 
  • “Little Men”
• Mark Twain:
  • “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”
  • “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
• Jack London:
  • “The Call of the Wild”
  • “White Fang”
• “Alice: The Girl from Earth” by Kir Bulychev

Introduced here are different kinds of transformational adventures from coming-of-age, realism novels to fantasy and science fiction. While some are more lighthearted than the others, each narrative focuses on overcoming common challenges and personal growth. Inspiring to all readers, main themes stay in their hearts as moral compasses for life.

Suggested age for reading with a child: 14+ years

• “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
• “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas 
• Jules Verne
• “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes
• “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

Gripping, easy reads on serious subjects that should be considered in a historical context. It’s a great way to open up difficult conversations about gender roles, social structure, justice, race, mental disability and much more. Children and teens absorb such discussions better throughout reading, which ensures they are following the events and keeps them engaged.

Find more book recommendations in this section of my blog. Happy reading!