Reading Classic Children's Literature as an Adult

A summer bucket list idea for literature lovers.

Anne of Green Gables Book Art by Laura Bray

I didn’t read the Anne of Green Gables series when I was a little girl. I think the first time I was aware of her was in my teens, when I watched the PBS mini-series based on the books. (Which firmly placed Colleen Dewhurst as the best Marilla of all time in my mind.)

It wasn’t until my daughter was a toddler that I read the books. It was the early 2000s and I decided that, although I had been a voracious reader as a child, I had missed many of the classics and I wanted to make sure my daughter didn’t miss them too. So I embarked on a summer of reading children’s books.

I gathered a list of books and probably read over fifty books that summer. By the time the fall wildfires of Southern California arrived, I was deeply in love with children’s literature. It is a love affair that continues today.

I am, especially, a fan of the English stories that were written in the early 20^th century. They are typically about children having adventures the countryside. I think I was drawn to it that summer because I was struggling with modern parenting. No one let their children out of the house unless accompanied by adults. While I understood the worries about safety, it felt overdone. Surely, my daughter could be outside, playing with her friends in the upscale neighborhood we lived in at the time? But the other mothers were horrified by the idea. It took many years of slowly letting them be on their own, before the children got to play outside without one of us being right on top of them.

I wanted my daughter to have adventures and figure out problems on her own. I read E. Nesbit’s The Railway Children and Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, and wished we still lived in a world where children could run free.

As the hot summer wore on, I moved towards the books that Disney had based its movies on and discovered just how much Walt had changed the stories, making them palpable for modern children and (more likely) their parents.

I discovered that Mary Poppins was not like Julie Andrews but instead a vain nanny who occasionally liked a drink and had a penchant for teaching her wards lessons by scaring the living daylights out of them. In one scene in the book, Mary Poppins takes the children to a bakery, where the proprietress breaks off her fingers, which are made of cookies, and gives them to the children. I’m quite sure that was not in the Disney movie.

Then there’s Peter Pan, a book so scary at times that I had nightmares while reading the original text by J.M. Barrie. A story where Tinkerbell has some pretty complicated (dare I say, slightly sexual?) feelings towards Peter, regularly calls him an ass, and even tries to have Wendy killed because she’s jealous of Peter’s love for the girl. And let’s just say that I used to think the accusation of a man having “Peter Pan syndrome” meant they never wanted to grow-up but, after reading the book, I see it’s also about the insidiousness of them treating their lovers like their mother.

Not all the books I read that summer were as psychologically traumatic. There were many that just made me feel delighted. The Secret Garden, Thimble Summer, and Anne of Green Gables were a joy to read and made my heart lighter.  Those books, with the descriptions of delicious picnics, games of make-believe in the woods, and the pure freedom of childhood were just what I was looking for when I embarked on that magical summer of reading.

As I read the books, I compiled lists of what I would share with my daughter as she grew and we spent many happy hours of her childhood, combing through library shelves and used bookstores, in search of my favorites. (Though I have to say Peter Pan didn’t make the cut at the time. Maybe, now that she’s in college and dating, she should read it so she can be on the lookout for those Peter Pan men in the world?)

It was an unforgettable summer of reading and, if you haven’t read some of the classics I’ve mentioned, please do go in search of them. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by how engaging and enjoyable they can be.

What are your favorite children’s literature books? Have you read them as an adult? Were you surprised that they were different than you remembered?

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Take Your Reading to the Next Level: Children’s Classic Literature

• It isn’t surprising that Mary Poppins has such dark overtones. The author, P.L. Travers, childhood was tragic. If you are interested in learning more about her and her challenges with Walt Disney as he changed her story for his movie, watch Saving Mr. Banks.

• I’ve compiled a downloadable reading list of my favorite classic children’s books for my paid readers. You can find the list on this post.

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Photo by Diliara Garifullina on Unsplash

It’s my Substack Birthday!

On April 30, 2023, I posted my first article on Substack. Thank you for being here and supporting me. I appreciate each one of you. Whether you have supported me with a paid subscription, signed-up for a free subscription, commented, or shared my posts, it all means more than I can say. I’m looking forward to spending another great year here with you.

To celebrate, I’m offering a 10% discount for 12 months on paid subscriptions for new subscribers. Paid subscribers get access to extras like:

·       Additional recommendations and resources to make their reading lives deeper and richer. (Like the children’s classics book list I just mentioned.)

·       Access to posts like my new Meta Journal Workshop, where we are looking at our old diaries, journals, school yearbooks, and other life ephemera to find writing prompts and inspiration.

·       Access to the Syllabus Series, where you will have access to curated syllabuses that I created to help you deep dive into different genres, authors, and topics.

·       I also occasionally post my original, short story fiction for paid subscribers to read and comment on and include some background information on the pieces, like what inspired me to write the stories and calling attention to symbolism and the secret “Easter Eggs” that you can sometimes find in my stories.

You can sign-up here. Hurry! The offer ends May 7, 2024.