Some of my favourite books of all-time (including graphic novels) were originally intended for younger readers.
Some books that are geared toward children and teens are written so well that they also appeal to adult audiences (for example the Harry Potter series).
Here are some of my recommendations:
Books that feature strong female lead characters are on the rise with books like The Book Thief (Mark Zusak), Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), Nimona (Noelle Stevenson) and City of Bones (Cassandra Clare) – all of which I greatly enjoyed.
There are also classic novels that I have reread as an adult and enjoyed them just as much as when I was younger, such as Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery), Little Women (Louisa May Alcott), To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) and Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder). It warms my heart that not only are these books still in print, but they are also are just as popular now.
There is a level of comfort that comes from reading books for young adults and children that reminds us of our past and being young.
There can also be a sense of visiting past generations. In books like J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, we get a glimpse of teen angst in those times.
In comparison, contemporary titles like John Green’s The Fault in the Stars and Ann Brashares’ The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants help us stay in touch with today’s youth.
Classic children’s books like Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White), Matilda (Roald Dahl), Beezus and Ramona by (Beverly Cleary) and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (Judy Blume) are for the younger set but the stories behind them are universal and, to me, seem ageless.
I was recently introduced to newer novels that also promise to endure over time: Mr. and Mrs. Bunny (Polly Horvath), Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter (Beth Fantaskey) and A Boy Named Queen (Sara Cassidy).
