TOP 5 KIDS' BOOKS EVERY ADULT SHOULD READ

Sometimes kids' books trump adults books for their imaginative scope and beautiful simplicity...

“You have to write the book that wants to be written," children's author, Madeleine L’Engle famously said. "And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” Indeed, often children’s books can be deeply thought provoking. Stories told through the innocent eyes of a child can often feel even more moving than books for adults and the simplicity of the writing can be deeply evocative...

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry

Imagine a perfectly clean and efficient utopian town where society lives free of sadness and pain. This is the setting of The Giver and at first, it feels like the protagonist, Jonas has an idyllic childhood. That is until we discover that the cost of this ‘utopia’ is freedom. Everything is chosen for you in this perfect world, including your parents, your partner and the job you will do for the rest of your life. Jonas stands apart from society when he is chosen as a “memory keeper,” the one person charged with remembering both the good and bad memories of the past while everyone else lives blissfully unaware. The more Jonas discovers, the more he realises this supposed utopia is far from perfect. This thought-provoking book is so descriptive, you feel the claustrophobia of perfection on every page and it makes you desperately yearn for Jonas to break free.

2. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

I read this book on a plane and it had me weeping by the second chapter. It tells the story of ten-year-old Auggie, a boy born with extreme facial deformity. Auggie has been homeschooled for most of his life due to the fact he’s been in and out of hospital but at the beginning of fifth grade, Auggie’s parents enrol him in Beecher Prep, a private school. Thus follows the coming-of-age story as Auggie navigates all the highs and lows of school. He faces both the horrors and the kindness of the kids in his class with such grace, it’s impossible not to be moved to tears by this novel. I’m actually welling up just thinking about it!

3. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

John Boyne has described the idea for this novel a picture which popped into his head of "two boys, the mirror of each other, sitting either side of a wire fence." This picture is the resounding scene that stays with you when you’ve finished the story. Set in Auschwitz during World War II, it tells the story of two boys who become unlikely friends – one is trapped on the inside of Auschwitz’s fence and the other is the son of a Nazi guard and living a life of relative luxury. The boys become friends when they realise they share the same birthday and age and throughout their time together concoct more and more elaborate ways to play together. It’s a heartbreaking tale of childhood innocence in the face of adult brutality and the novel concludes with a beautifully haunting line: "Of course, all of this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age."

4. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

I always find children’s fantasy allows authors to take a leap into such expansive levels of imaginative genius, it’s impossible not to marvel at the way their minds work as you read their stories. Philip Pullman is the ultimate imaginative wizard when it comes to wonder-world building. He creates a complete alternative universe, one where a fragment of a person’s soul exists outside of their body, sitting on their shoulders in animal form, a world where truth-telling compasses guide the heroes and alternative universes are home to the ultimate villains. It’s a must read for children and adults alike for the sheer mind-bending awesomeness of Pullman’s world.

5. Lampie by Annet Schaap

My ten-year-old daughter introduced me to this book. It’s the first time she’s said, “Mummy, you would love this! You have to read it!” So, of course, I started reading right away just so we could talk about it. I quickly found myself so drawn into the story I couldn’t put it down. It’s a beautiful book featuring a gutsy female protagonist named Lampie. When she's taken away from her father to work off a debt in the big black house on the hill, she is terrified due to rumours it is inhabited by a monster. She tells herself these rumours cannot be true… that is until she meets the 'monster' and slowly uncovers his troubled past. She shows him warmth and care, which he has never known before and ultimately turns a 'monster' into a friend. A heart-warming tale to read with any ten-year-old in your life.