5 Childhood classics you need to reread as an adult
5 Childhood classics you need to reread as an adult!
INTRODUCTION
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, well according to Andy Williams anyhow, and one of my favourite traditions around the holidays is snuggling in on a chilly evening with some hot chocolate, my oodie, and some of my favourite childhood classics. I don’t know what it is about some of these books, but they make me feel like i’m relaxing into a hot bath at the end of a long day. Not only that, but some of these books most definitely made me into the writer i am today, so attention must be paid.
Here are my top 5 childrens classic rereads for adults!
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
SYNOPSIS
At the age of five, little orphan Heidi is sent to live with her grandfather in the Alps. Everyone in the village is afraid of him, but Heidi is fascinated by his long beard and bushy grey eyebrows. She loves her life in the mountains, playing in the sunshine and growing up amongst the goats and birds. But one terrible day, Heidi is collected by her aunt and is made to live with a new family in town. Heidi can't bear to be away from her grandfather; can she find a way back up the mountain, where she belongs?
Goodnight Mr Tom By Michelle Magorian
SYNOPSIS
London is poised on the brink of World War II. Timid, scrawny Willie Beech--the abused child of a single mother--is evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is terrified of everything, of the country sounds and sights, even of Mr. Tom, the gruff, kindly old man who has taken him in. But gradually Willie forgets the hate and despair of his past. He learns to love a world he never knew existed, a world of friendship and affection in which harsh words and daily beatings have no place. Then a telegram comes. Willie must return to his mother in London. When weeks pass by with no word from Willie, Mr. Tom sets out for London to look for the young boy he has come to love as a son.
The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
SYNOPSIS
Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.
Open the door and enter a new world! The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has been captivating readers of all ages with a magical land and unforgettable characters for over sixty years.
This is a stand-alone read, but if you would like to discover more about Narnia, pick up The Horse and His Boy, the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
The Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnett
SYNOPSIS
This gorgeous paperback includes Tasha Tudor’s iconic illustrations, an extended author biography, activities, and more, making it the perfect collector’s edition or a wonderful gift for young readers.
When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors.
The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary's only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. With the help of two unexpected companions, Mary discovers a way in—and becomes determined to bring the garden back to life.
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
SYNOPSIS
When Father goes away with two strangers one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered. They and their mother have to move from their comfortable London home to go and live in a simple country cottage, where Mother writes books to make ends meet. However, they soon come to love the railway that runs near their cottage, and they make a habit of waving to the Old Gentleman who rides on it. They befriend the porter, Perks, and through him learn railway lore and much else. They have many adventures, and when they save a train from disaster, they are helped by the Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of their father's disappearance.
CONCLUSION:
To conclude, i honestly love each and every single one of the books listed above and cannot recommend them highly enough. There’s something enchanting about revisitng children’s classics as adults, because i think they feel so honest and so completely spontaneous, as though the youth of the protagonists means that anything could happen, even in the most banal of situations. It’s also the perfect escape for when you are tired and want something fairly simple to read with great characters, because for me the characters in these types of stories are always wonderful.
I hope you enjoy these as much as i did, whether you’re rereading them or discovering them for the first time.
Stay Magical,
Kristy Nicolle x
When I told my Barista, Jess, that I was looking for a long series to hold my attention, she was flabbergasted to discover I’d never read the Sookie Stackhouse novels, or seen the show True Blood, which is based off them. In between customers who had come in for their daily dose of Botany and Beans magic, she got up google and started showing me some of the ovary-busting hotness that is the male half of the True Blood cast. Colour me intrigued. I found myself downloading the first book there and then, right in the coffee shop. This is my review of the first instalment, Dead Until Dark.