When was the last time you read a children’s book? How long has it been since you read children’s books, not because your child wanted but because you wanted? If you don’t remember, it’s time to find a good children’s book and read it. If you smile when you remember the books you loved reading as a child, realize how beautiful it is and get new smiles.
Whenever the world or people disappoint me, the first thing I do is read a children’s book. Instead of going to the psychologist or telling the people around me and struggling to be understood, I go to those unique lands of children’s books and diligently return to myself. It sometimes takes a few pages or even a few books, but I always start to look at the world with smiling eyes again. And we can all do that as adults!
Why Should We Read Children’s Books?
1- Reunite with your inner child
Children’s books both take us to our childhood and offer us the chance to reconstruct our childhood. We can reunite with our inner child and talk, laugh and cry. We can also better understand what we have experienced in the past and their effects on our adult lives. Sometimes a children’s book helps us remember a pleasant memory, which is enough reason to read them.
2- Escape reality and go play
The shortest way to escape reality and be a child again is through reading children’s books. Remember how easy and enjoyable it was to take on the roles required by games when we were playing games? Our imaginations were blown away; we would live in other realms for hours. You will be teleported to magical worlds with children’s books, and you can escape from the sometimes unpleasant reality as much as you want.
3- Enjoy innocence and happiness
Children’s books generally cover positive themes such as kindness, empathy, tolerance, and friendship. If there are events that wear you out, you can read a children’s book to store lots of innocence, happiness and joyous moments. Especially if you’ve chosen a book with pretty adorable illustrations, the more you look at them, the more you’ll smile and want to read more. I can’t tell you how much I laughed while reading Malin Klingenberg’s book The Secret Life of Farts. I won’t forget about it for a long time with its hilarious illustrations and genius verses.
So, which age range should we read? It is entirely up to you! I like books written for children between the ages of 3 and 12 the most. It is considered Young Adult after the age of 12, and of course, I find beautiful books from this genre as well. But what attracts me the most is the most innocent and playful ages of childhood. Especially if they are set in trains, forests or a huge house, and there is a mystery that needs to be solved, I cannot get enough of them!
That is why I created this reading project. I want to share the beautiful books I read and want to learn from all of you as well. Most of all, I want to be in touch with the child in me. And laugh and smile as much as I want! There may be monsters out there, but I’ll always find a way to be happy with children’s books, and so should you. Happy and magical reading!
Children’s Books For Life
Picture books: Ages 5-8
I read several picture books every month, and most of them are pretty short, and there isn’t much to write about them except that they are adorable. And to be honest, I don’t have that kind of time. But, I write short reviews about them on Twitter and Goodreads, so follow me if you are interested. On this list, you’ll find my absolute favourites. Yay!
- Armadillo and Hare – Jeremy Strong
- Catwings – Ursula K. Le Guin
- Mr Wind and Madam Rain – Paul de Musset
Middle-grade books: Ages 8-12
I review all the middle-grade books I like, and I tend not to write a negative review for the ones I didn’t enjoy. So the books you see on this list are very much loved.
- The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
- Twitch – M. G. Leonard
- Murder on the Safari Star – M. G. Leonard
- The Last Bear – Hannah Gold
- The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly – Luis Sepúlveda
- Lonely Castle in the Mirror – Mizuki Tsujimura
- Strange Star – Emma Carroll
- Benice – Metin Karayaka
- The Friends – Kazumi Yumoto
- Rooftoppers – Katherine Rundell
- The Flying Classroom – Erich Kästner
- Dot and Anton – Erich Kästner
- Shadows of Winterspell – Amy Wilson
- The Secret of Platform 13 – Eva Ibbotson
Young adult books: Ages 12-18
Young adult books are not my jam, but I stumble upon a book at the right time once in a while.
- The Book of Lost Things – John Connolly
- American Born Chinese – Gene Luen Yang
- Between Shades Of Gray – Ruta Sepetys
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
- The Kalevala Tales of Magic and Adventure – Kirsti Mäkinen
Award-Winning Books
While I read my way through children’s books, I want to explore various award-winning books as well. There are so many children’s books awards out there, and I’m interested in all of them, but I’ll be reading books mostly from these awards.
Hans Christian Andersen Award
The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children’s books. Given every other year by IBBY, the Hans Christian Andersen Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are presented to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children’s literature.
Batchelder Award
The Batchelder Award is awarded to a United States publisher for a children’s book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originating in a country other than the United States and in a language other than English and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States during the preceding year.
Newbery Medal
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Please share with me your favourite children’s books in the comments below so that we can all enjoy it!
