# What kids/YA fiction have you re-read as an adult and liked? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 2, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519 "2009-06-02T23:15:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/41 "2009-06-03T21:58:11Z")
> [@SaharaTea](#): > > I just re-read a few Judy Blume classics…_Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?_ is a little outdated now (thank og girls don’t have to wear feminine pads with belts anymore). But the major themes of adolescence like first crush, first period, etc. never go away, and she approaches them with a lot of humor and charm. Brought back a lot of good memories! I had to ask my mom about the part of Then Again, Maybe I Won’t where he has to hold a book in front of his crotchal area. I guess I would understand that kind of reference better these days! ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/42 "2009-06-04T00:38:53Z")
I like to read annotated versions of children’s books. The Annotated Alice, The Annotated Secret Garden, and The Annotated Charlotte’s Web. That last is especially enlightening, because the author had access to White’s notes and Garth Williams’ preliminary sketches. I also have an analysis of A.A. Milne’s work. And I recommend that anyone who likes Beverly Cleary’s work read **A Girl From Yamhill** and **My Own Two Feet**. ---
**Author:** ![RachelChristine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RachelChristine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RachelChristine)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/43 "2009-06-04T01:21:04Z")
Well most of what immediately sprang to mind has been mentioned. I’m currently reading **Little House in the Big Woods** to my three-year old in preparation for our trip this summer (we are going to Walnut Grove and De Smet, so I have to get to those books before we leave). I’ve been fascinated with all things Laura since I was a little girl, have been to the homesites multiple times, done genealogy work, have copies of some of her manuscripts/letters, and other crazy-fan stuff. I’m also currently rereading **The Dark is Rising** series (I’m on The Grey King). I love those books so much!! I reread **Prydain** recently. I haven’t read any LM Montgomery in a couple of years, so will probably hit them soon. I reread all of Alcott last summer. I want to reread Narnia, but I loaned my books out. **The Westing Game** is one I reread constantly. Such fun! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/44 "2009-06-04T02:23:28Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > **Sampiro** , you’re definitely not the only adult to dig the Little House books. My mom collects **all** the books related to that family; I believe the latest ones are written by a descendent of Laura’s. There’s a series that’s based on her maternal ancestors as little girls also: her mom Caroline’s girlhood in upstate New York, another one during the Revolution, one back in Scotland, etc.. Since the family died out with Rose Wilder Lane there’s no way anyone in the family could approve them but I’m guessing the estate gave permission. For a while they released a new version of the Little House books with photos of live child models in bucolic settings as covers and I think with the Garth Williams drawings removed. These must have flopped because at the bookstore there were a couple of the new style and the rest of the shelf was reissue of the “classic” Little House and the Garth Williams illustrations were even in color in some of them. A momentary hijack of my own thread, but there was also a book a few years ago called _[The Ghost in the Little House](http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Little-House-Missouri-Biography/dp/0826210155)_ whose author seemed to have really thought he’d stumbled onto a scandal by showing that Rose Wilder Lane had a major hand in the editing and possibly the writing of the series. He was met with resounding “so what if she did?” by fans. In the first place it’s impossible to prove how much of it she actually wrote, and it’s provable fact that Laura was literate and could write quite well without any assistance from her daughter (many of her letters and newspaper articles survive). In the second place, there’s no doubt the stories themselves were Laura’s. Then there’s the fact of 'what writer _doesn’t_ ask others to proofread or give feedback, and particularly twhen that ‘other’ is your only child and a successful author. I think they were at most a collaboration and I think Laura probably wrote most if not all of the actual texts (Rose was far wordier), but if it turned out that Rose Wilder Lane wrote them I’d joint he “so what?” brigade. Lots of successful authors have based works on the lives of their parents, and there’s no doubt that Laura supplied the material. The book has also appeared on the challenged books lists of some school and public libraries. The complaints include negative depiction of Native Americans (apparently it’s racist to portray that Indians wearing only loincloths coming into a house uninvited when there’s no man around can frighten little girls) and even more stupidly the fact that animals are ‘injured’ (actually they’re slaughtered) and cruelty to animals (the depictions of slaughter, which is even more eye rolling). Luckily these are basically a few vocal lunatics in a couple of places rather than a major movement. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/45 "2009-06-04T11:22:11Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > There’s a series that’s based on her maternal ancestors as little girls also: her mom Caroline’s girlhood in upstate New York, another one during the Revolution, one back in Scotland, etc.. Since the family died out with Rose Wilder Lane there’s no way anyone in the family could approve them but I’m guessing the estate gave permission. There’s all sorts of kerfluffle surrounding those rights … in her later years, Rose Wilder Lane served as a mentor to Roger MacBride. They met through the Libertarian party, in which both were very active. For quite some time, he called himself her “adopted grandson” with the implication that it was an actual court adoption. However, it’s clear that Rose left him the rights to the literary estate. He is the one who started writing the supplementary books. Upon his death, his heirs got the rights. The other books are pretty mixed, I would say they are fine if somewhat bland books for children, and probably great for people who love getting more details about characters they love but (finally) going back to the OP, I wouldn’t especially recommend them to adult fans of the series. On the other hand, one series I would recommend is Louise Erdrich’s _Birchbark House_ series, which is about a little girl growing up around the same time as Laura Ingalls Wilder, and the little girl is a Ojibwa. Now, some people have really bandied these about in a “OMG these are so much better than those racist Little House books!” way, which is very annoying and potentially off-putting, but I urge anyone to try valiantly to ignore that type of promotion. It’s a great series in its own right, again providing very interesting historical information about a particular place and time. ---
**Author:** ![RachelChristine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RachelChristine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RachelChristine)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/46 "2009-06-06T21:15:31Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > A momentary hijack of my own thread, but there was also a book a few years ago called _[The Ghost in the Little House](http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Little-House-Missouri-Biography/dp/0826210155)_ whose author seemed to have really thought he’d stumbled onto a scandal by showing that Rose Wilder Lane had a major hand in the editing and possibly the writing of the series. He was met with resounding “so what if she did?” by fans. In the first place it’s impossible to prove how much of it she actually wrote, and it’s provable fact that Laura was literate and could write quite well without any assistance from her daughter (many of her letters and newspaper articles survive). In the second place, there’s no doubt the stories themselves were Laura’s. Then there’s the fact of 'what writer _doesn’t_ ask others to proofread or give feedback, and particularly when that ‘other’ is your only child and a successful author. I think they were at most a collaboration and I think Laura probably wrote most if not all of the actual texts (Rose was far wordier), but if it turned out that Rose Wilder Lane wrote them I’d joint he “so what?” brigade. Lots of successful authors have based works on the lives of their parents, and there’s no doubt that Laura supplied the material. I have copies of letters written back and forth between Laura and Rose during the writing of Plum Creek and Silver Lake. Plus I have seen and read the handwritten manuscripts (in Laura’s handwriting!) of several of the books. It’s fascinating! It’s also something we’ll lose with current authors who do all of their work on a computer, unless they print out drafts. I mean, to read how Laura & Rose argued over whether to start **By the Shores of Silver Lake** before or after they leave Walnut Grove, or lost chapters of **On the Banks of Plum Creek** where Jack gets in a fight… Totally amazing as a fan. But it kinda proves the point that Laura did the bulk of writing – although you can point out huge chunks that have Rose’s stamp right on them. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/47 "2009-06-07T07:01:22Z")
Not a “re-read” but… About two or three months ago, I was told that I should read [Haroun and the Sea of Stories](http://www.amazon.com/Haroun-Sea-Stories-Salman-Rushdie/dp/0140157379) by Salman Rushdie (it’s YA). You should read that book. It was wonderful. It made me want to find little kids and read it aloud to them. Totally enjoyable by all ages. I highly recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/48 "2009-06-12T23:03:00Z")
The winter before last when we got 130 inches of snow I re-read The Long Winter to remind myself of how fortunate I was to have things like food and heat. I’ve also read all the “shoes” books by Noel Streatfield as an adult. I gave my Prydain and Narnia books to my contractor to read with his son. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/49 "2009-06-13T00:02:45Z")
A few months ago I read **The Wizard of Oz** , and one or two other Oz books, and found them, sadly, rather meh. Too much _deus ex machina_ for my taste, I guess. He seemed to keep pulling characters and events out of the nowhere, without much thought about continuity or making anything like sense. I just finished **Un Lun Dun** by China Miéville, which seems to be aimed at teenage or pre-teen girls (I am none of those things), and I rather enjoyed it. Even though the basic structure did seem a shameless ripoff of Oz, still the characters were engaging and the story well-paced and internally consistent (mostly). I would call it a fantansy with sci-fi overtones that takes place in a sort of alternate world, where people can go back and forth between here and there but with great difficulty. One great similarity to the Oz books is the mixture of humans with anthropomorphized objects and mixtures between the two. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Scruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Scruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruff)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/50 "2009-06-13T00:37:34Z")
**Tunnel in the Sky** by Heinlein. I actually read this as an adult, and only later noticed it was classified as YA. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/51 "2009-06-13T04:56:15Z")
Oh, also “Around the World in 80 Days” is a great; I was on the edge of my seat wondering if they would make it. ---
**Author:** ![Vimp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vimp/32/4186_2.png) [@Vimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vimp)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/52 "2009-06-16T17:03:55Z")
Another vote for Daniel Pinkwater - The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death is one of my all-time favorites. Another favorite still is [The Weirdstone of Brisingamen](http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/4809-the-weirdstone-of-brisingamen-alan-garner.html) by Alan Garner. Fantasy along the lines of the Narnia Chronicles, with a heavy dose of British/Northern European mythology backing it up. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/53 "2009-06-16T17:13:14Z")
\*Beau Geste \*is the most exciting book I have ever read. How on earth did they defend Fort Zinderneuf? Plus: A Viking funeral! ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519/54 "2009-06-17T01:10:04Z")
All of Judy Blume and Paul Zindel! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kids-ya-fiction-have-you-re-read-as-an-adult-and-liked/498519.md?page=2)