I truly believe that the best children’s books are not actually for children, but that they contain deeper narratives for adults to find. I read a lot of children’s/YA fiction as a Children’s Storyteller, alongside traditional folk stories, and it’s amazing how much the most enduring folk themes have in common with the best children’s stories. Don’t walk away from the children’s fiction section just because you grew up, the best stories are still there, and I guarantee you missed loads when you read them the first time round.
I first read this book as a young child, and thought it was about a magic toy. I re-read it a few years ago (for work, as a storyteller I can call a lot of ridiculous activities “work!"), and realised it’s not about the toy, it’s about the boy, and about love, and about the power of imagination to make anything real. I love this book much more now I can see the whole story from an adult’s point of view. Don’t wait for an excuse to read it to a child, read it for yourself, but be prepared to get really emotionally involved in a way a child never would.
The beloved story of the Velveteen Rabbit, the toy rabbit made real by the love of a boy, is now available in a beautiful Little Apple Classic book.
Originally published in 1922, the classic story of a toy rabbit who loves a boy so much he eventually becomes real, has charmed children-and adults-for nearly a century. Author Margery Williams wrote this treasured classic that has warmed many hearts for decades. This story is among the top 100 books for children recommended by the National Education Association, chosen in a 2007 online poll, and also won the IRA/CBC Children's Choice award.…
I loved this book the first time round, when the Vogons were boring and unfair, and Zaphod was an exciting space pirate. As an adult, I found all the other characters and noticed other dimensions to the story that went over my childish head. Having done a Physics degree, I can now fully appreciate the complexity and absurdity of the science in the story, and having read the rest of the series I know the back story of the ill-fated bowl of petunias. I can now truly understand Marvin’s melancholy and how he could talk a supercomputer into oblivion. It’s a cracking read in its own right, don’t leave it to the kids!
This box set contains all five parts of the' trilogy of five' so you can listen to the complete tales of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Bebblebrox and Marvin the Paranoid Android! Travel through space, time and parallel universes with the only guide you'll ever need, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Read by Stephen Fry, actor, director, author and popular audiobook reader, and Martin Freeman, who played Arthur Dent in film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He is well known as Tim in The Office.
The set also includes a bonus DVD Life, the Universe and…
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
I saw this book in an independent bookshop in London about 10 years ago, and having read my childhood copy to tatters I treated myself to a brand new copy. I’m so glad I did, as I missed loads just reading it for the story. My knowledge of story-building techniques has shown me hidden depths in the narrative, from the 26 chapters each starting with a different letter of the alphabet to the symbolism of the book cover logo (two snakes biting each other’s tails—infinity). Seeing Bastian learn how to let go of so much but keep hold of his sense of self was beautiful, and makes this book too special to put away as one grows up.
Read the book that inspired the classic coming-of-age film! From award-winning German author Michael Ende, The Neverending Story is a classic tale of one boy and the book that magically comes to life.
When Bastian happens upon an old book called The Neverending Story, he's swept into the magical world of Fantastica--so much that he finds he has actually become a character in the story! And when he realizes that this mysteriously enchanted world is in great danger, he also discovers that he is the one chosen to save it. Can Bastian overcome the barrier between reality and his imagination…
When I first read this book I lived in London, so my mental landscape was fairly generic “countryside” from day trips. As an adult living in Greater Manchester I can now read this book in the place it was written, grounded in the actual landscape, and it’s so much better for it. This book has layers under layers, bits of local history, folklore, geology, and the imaginative world of children. I definitely got tons more out of this story from reading it as an adult with a deep knowledge of the folk tales and landscape that underpins it.
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen is one of the greatest fantasy novels of all time.
"Alan Garner's fiction is something special." - Neil Gaiman
When Colin and Susan are pursued by eerie creatures across Alderley Edge, they are saved by the Wizard. He takes them into the caves of Fundindelve, where he watches over the enchanted sleep of one hundred and forty knights.
But the heart of the magic that binds them - Firefrost, also known as the Weirdstone of Brisingamen - has been lost. The Wizard has been searching for the stone for more than 100 years, but the forces…
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
I first read this book in my “voracious book devouring” phase when I was 9 or 10 years old, and having read it I put it away. My daughter got a copy a decade ago and I picked it up out of curiosity. I found a whole new love for Lyra and Roger, with my adult experience I could see how the removal of children’s daemons was not just barbaric but was a traumatic removal of their innocence. I could feel the deep care shown by the Gyptians and the fierce protection of the witches. It’s far too big a story for a child to fully absorb. I have re-read it a few times since and found something new each time.
Philip Pullman invites you into a dazzling world where souls walk beside their humans as animal companions and powerful forces clash over the nature of the universe.
When fearless young Lyra uncovers a sinister plot involving kidnapped children and a mysterious substance called Dust, she sets out on a daring quest from Oxford to the frozen Arctic. With armored bears, witch queens, and a truth-telling compass as her allies, Lyra must face choices that will shape not just her destiny—but that of countless worlds. A thrilling blend of adventure, philosophy, and wonder, perfect for curious minds.
Seven unlikely adventurers meet in this magical tale: A mysterious tailor, hiding a dark secret. A King who seeks knowledge. A seal pup who guides fishermen home. A schoolgirl who undergoes a chilling transformation. A teacher who bears a terrible burden. A wild-hearted man, keeper of the story tree. Last of all, the Strangeling himself, a boy with a harrowing past and pure white eyes that told of horrors beyond his years.
The seven converge on the story tree, intent on destroying the power of a sphere. Though their tales are tangled and their fates entwined, they each seek different answers among the papered leaves of the tree. Will they find their heart’s desire in the shade of the mystical tree?
