I’ve always loved reading. So much so that I’d sign up to the summer reading challenge at my local library every year (remember, the ones with the stickers and the charts for tracking what you’ve been reading?), get a stack of books and then devour them on the bus home.
When I fall into a rut with reading I go back to what I loved growing up. I keep seeing these posts along the lines of ‘niche children’s books you won’t remember’ before a slideshow of Micheal Morpurgo, Cathy Cassidy and Malorie Blackman. Reader, I’ve read them all.
Stuck for your next book? These are some favourite childhood reads and books I think you’ll love now if, like me, you grew up consuming every corner of the library.
The Ally’s World Series by Karen McCombie
Ally’s World was a gateway into teenage girlhood. The books, with their iconic neon covers, followed Ally as she juggled living with her three very different siblings, their collection of pets and single dad, plus all the usual friendship and boy drama that comes with being thirteen.
They’re so warm and funny, full of embarrassing moments and heartfelt friendships. I have to give an honourable mention to Stella Etc too, which was another favourite series.
If you loved a read with fun, larger than life characters and a sprinkle of drama, you’ll love:
- Our Stop – Laura Jane Williams
- The Lido – Libby Page
- Yinka Where is Your Huzband? – Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
A classic. I had a boxset of Michael Morpurgo’s books and loved them all, particularly War Horse, Long Way Home and The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips but Kensuke’s Kingdom is a stand-out.
Morpurgo makes the setting feel like a character, with rich descriptions that draw you into the world of the story. In Kensuke’s Kingdom, Micheal is washed up on an island following a storm that separates him from his family. There he finds a man living peacefully among the animals and learns that he’s been there since World War II, although initially suspicious of each other they learn to live and survive together.
If you loved a sensitively told saga, try:
- Black Butterflies – Priscilla Morris
- Brotherless Night – V. V Ganeshananthan
- The Beekeeper of Aleppo – Christy Lefteri
The Casson Family series by Hilary McKay
The painter in me loved this series about four siblings named after paint colours by their artist mother Saffron, Indigo, Cadmium and Permanent Rose. Each one got their own book to explore their lives growing up in a chaotic but loving household.
If you loved stories about sibling bonds, tumultuous upbringings or with themes of deep introspection you’ll love these:
- Hello Beautiful – Ann Napolitano
- Talking at Night – Claire Daverley
- Small Worlds – Caleb Azumah Nelson
Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman
Fantasy was a huge part of my childhood. The Hobbit, Eragon, The Edge Chronicles, Lion Boy, The Edge Chronicles were all firm favourites. Basically, anything with talking animals was an instant win.
It’s something I haven’t quite found my groove with in adult fiction but these are new found favourites.
If you loved an adventure in a world unlike ours, you’ll love:
- A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula Le Guin
- Howl’s Moving Castle – Dianne Wynne Jones
- Children of Blood and Bone – Tomi Adeyemi
On reflection, a lot of the themes I loved in books growing up translate into what I’m gravitating towards now. Fuelled by nostalgia I’m adding these to my re-read list because you’re never too old to read children’s books:
- The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver
- His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman
- Lion Boy series by Zizou Corder
I’d love to know what books you grew up on and whether your tastes have changed?
