“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” C.S Lewis

It’s the classic vision of parenthood, being read a bedtime story. But, as C.S Lewis noted all those years ago, the beauty of a great children’s book is  that it can be enjoyed even when you’re all grown up.  Here’s a selection of the best – read snuggled under your duvet for added nostalgia.

Peter Pan

Away from Disney and the summary adaptations of JM Barrie’s classics, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter Pan and Wendy are intriguing and sometimes desperately sad stories. The fantasy of Neverland and the secret world inside Kensington Gardens is still as exciting as in childhood, but the depth of the characters is quite surprising when you read the texts with adult eyes, from the enigmatic Mrs Darling to the stubborn and tragic Peter Pan.

Chronicles of Narnia

These books are a lot more than The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (though that is fantastic). The Magician’s Nephew and The Horse and His Boy are lesser known of C.S Lewis’ works but are just appealing as the others, and give extra layers to the collection as a whole. You really get a sense of how deep Lewis was, from his little quips to his larger metaphors about morality and religion.

Haroun  and the Sea of Stories 

Written for his son, Salman Rushdie’s tale of Haroun and his story teller father is fun and fantastical, and it’s wider implications about free speech and originality are important at any age. As with anything Rushdie touches, you get the feeling you could read it once a year from age seven to seventy and get something extra from each visit.

Treasure Island

Treasure Island is the classic adventure story, and second time round the threats to Jim that drive the narrative are just as real, if not more so, when you are old enough to see him as a child rather than a peer. Long John Silver, too, appears more complex than the straightforward pirate villain he’s known as.

 

Harry Potter

Possibly the most famous book to cross the child/adult demographic, this powerhouse series is even available in with a more grown up cover for holidayers and commuters. JK Rowling is often criticized for her writing style by more high brow book fans, but the plot, characters and detail in the alternate world of magic make clear why the books were such a runaway success.

The Secret Garden

As with Jim in Treasure Island you can’t help but feel for Mary Lennox, as the details of her past that it was easy to skim past as a child become very clear. Equally, with Colin, he becomes more than a difficult boy to befriend and cure, but a helpless child at the mercy of unloving adults. The two are so three dimensional, and still feel like children despite the now archaic language. As the real view of the children become clear the adults come sharply into focus, too, from Colin’s uncle to Mary’s mother, and you quickly realise they can only be accountable second time round.