Is it alright for an adult to read children' books?

Question

I am an adult now, but there are some series from when I was a kid that I still would like to read now even after giving it up do to business for a few years. I used to read the magic tree house, Fudge series, etc. I read them as kid and now as an adult would it be wrong to start reading them again. It does seem embarassing to be reading a kids book.

Answer 1

Nothing binds us in lasting relationships with the books we read the way childhood books do. Their pages shaped our creativity, nurtured our innocence, smiled benignly at our efforts to make better and more colorful sense of their upside-down images and letters, accomodated our own images of how the stories might be better illustrated...they held our own little world.

Our adulthood makes us reticent, limiting our public posturing within the dictates of public propriety.

So what if we read *our* book. Let them die of envy at our prerogative to reclaim the joys of our innocence. Pity the souls who have lost ther triggers to tangential insights, lost the tactile connection to the simpler joys of childhood, grown amnesiac to reminiscences of places and people in the stains or crumbs embedded in the pages.

If you must, wrap it in an "adult-book" cover. You may even read it upside down, *informing* anyone who cares to ask that you're training yourself to read upside down the way some select people train themselves to. I bet you"ll mean it, too.

Happy journeys!

Answer 2

I'm an adult and while I do read books aimed at the adult market, you're also quite likely to find me checking out what's on offer in the kiddies section of the book store. Many children's books, especially these days, have good solid storylines and characters that the only thing to show they are for children is the fact the characters are kids. In fact, in my list of favourite books, Anthony Horowitz's novels all appear despite the fact they can be found on the nine- to twelve-year-old section of the book store.

There is also the nostalgia aspect. There is nothing like curling up on a wet, cold day with a book from your childhood. I love re-reading my copy of 'Matilda' and 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.

Answer 3

Some of the best Literature was initially written for children. I am a Library Technician and I love reading books I read as a child as well as new childrens books. I mean look at the Chronicals of Narnia, they are pretty profound. I love them as much now as I did when I was a kid. And who doesn't love Judy Blumes' Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge. How many adults do you see wandering around with copies of Harry Potter books. Hey I have preordered copies for myself, not for any kids.

I think that childrens literature is beautiful and often very clever and insightful. I find I pick up on things when I reread things that I didn't catch as a child. Many books are also very relaxing and I think they remind us of simpler times. And as a Library Tech I feel that any reading at all is an improvement to your mind.

Answer 4

Not at all. I'm an adult too, but still enjoy reading a Nancy Drew book once in a while. It's fun, and brings you back to the feelings of your childhood.

There are also lots of great series for kids now, that can be enjoyable for adults too: Artemis Fowl is one of my favourite series.

Answer 5

There is nothing wrong about an adult reading children's books. If you enjoy it, go right ahead. Reading children's books can be a great way for an adult to relax, they don't take as much concentration as an adult novel and the stories tend to be a lot less stressful too.

Answer 6

Yes it's fine - I read lots of childrens books when I started visiting the library with my kids. I re-read the ones I loved as a kid and found some new series' that I never read long ago and read now. Like Little House on the Prairie. My daughter didn't want me to read them to her so I checked them all out and read them myself. I must admit I felt kind of stupid doing it, but there are lots of good kids books out there...enjoy!

Answer 7

I took an entire course on children's literature in college! There are actually adults out there studying it as we speak. Nothing embarassing about that!

You should read whatever you feel like. Read what makes you happy and excited, and don't worry about what other people think. There are no expectations. You don't have to read from the approved literary canon all the time. Have fun!

Answer 8

I read the Fudge series as an adult, and I loved it. I have read the Chronicles of Narnia, all of the Harry Potter books and many more. I don't see anything wrong with it. I enjoy them, I also read "adult" books too. I love books by Brad Meltzer, Patricia Cromwell, James Patterson and many many more.

Answer 9

I am an adult and usually read Young Readers/Young Adults series because they are much more exciting and imaginative. Some people at work tease me for reading Harry Potter but you know what? To hell with them, I'll read what I want.

Answer 10

Your friends might tease you about this, but I bet they still watch kids cartoons on TV sometimes or have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We all have things from our childhood that we still savor as an adult. I keep copies of my favorite books from childhood (Heidi, Black Beauty, The Borrowers) on my bookshelves and reread them now and then at age 57.
You can read them secretly if you want or just say, "it's a nostalgia thing, so back off."

Answer 11

Why not? I'm 27 and still read a lot of young adult novels. You should read what you like and not give a crap what anyone else thinks. I'd rather see people reading quality children's and young adult literature than crap like The DaVinici Code.