Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
The Topic This Week Is: Books I Wish I Had Read As a Child
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter came out when I was already an adult. I wish this had been around when I was a child. It is one of my all-time favorite books!
2. Matilda by Roald Dahl
I love Roald Dahl’s children’s books and short stories. However, I’ve never read Matilda, much to my children’s dismay!
3. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
I still haven’t read this book. Considering how much I love the genre, I think I would have loved this as a child! Maybe some day I’ll give it a shot…
4. The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
This book was first published when I was in college, so I couldn’t read it as a child. However, I think I would have really enjoyed it.
5. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
This book was published in 2003 when I was 28 years old. I loved it as an adult and probably would have gotten so much out of it as a child. It has poignant messages and awesome world-building! Plus, it’s Suzanne Collins!
6. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
This book came out when I was 28 years old. I read it with my son, and he adored it. I wish it was around when I was a kid! Magical!
7. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
This is a fabulous book that was published in 2007 when I was 32 years old. It is beautiful and poignant, and I loved it as an adult. I can only imagine how much I would have loved it as a child!
8. The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles #1) by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
This story was published in 2003. I was 23 years old. I’ve never read the book, but I can imagine this is one I would have picked and enjoyed when I was a kid.
9. The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) by Lemony Snicket
This series was first published in 1999 when I was in college. I read it in my mid-twenties and absolutely loved it! I think my childhood self would have loved it just as much!
10. Holes by Louis Sachar
Holes is such a powerful and captivating story. I read it the year it was published – 2000. I was a newly married 25 year old!
There you have it! Those are some of the books I wish I had read as a kid. Most of them weren’t around in the seventies and eighties (when I was a wee lass), but I sure wish they were!
Which books do you wish you had read as a child? Comment below!
I definitely wish I would have read the Snicket books!
Me too! 🙂
I read few but in regional language not English novels. So all MG, YA books I read as adult I wish I could read in my childhood.
Yes, yes and more yes to your list. I’ve heard such great things about Holes, and have had it recommended as a book to share with students (I teach teenagers).
Harry Potter and Roald Dahl (though a different story) made my list too. Harry Potter would have been a pivotal series for me had I not been an adult when it release – I still loved reading them all though!
I agree. I adored the HP series, even though they didn’t come out until I was older. Holes is great, especially for middle school! 🙂
Great list! I have a confession, I have yet to read Harry Potter, but I’m working on it!
Thank you! Harry Potter is fantabulous! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
The Harry Potter series has been on tons of lists this week!
My TTT .
I’ve noticed that too. 🙂
Harry Potter definitely came to my mind and I also thought of The Chronicles of Narnia, which was around when I was a child but I didn’t know it then.
They are both awesome series! 🙂
I keep seeing Matilda on so many lists! It is also on mine! Still need to read that one!
My post!
Me too! 🙂
I think you’re better off not to have read Bridge to Terabithia 😭😭 No one likes to cry in school, but I swear it was my teachers goal to make us all traumatized. They made us read this AND Where the Red Fern Grows in the same year!!!
I got The Invention of Hugo Cabret from the library last year, but me and my kid never got around to reading it. We’ll have to get it again!! Nice list!
Oh no! That’s terrible! I’m a crier, so I’m sure that wouldn’t have ended well for me!
Oh yes The Series of Unfortunate Events is such a great series for kids 🙂
My TTT
I agree. My son devoured the series! 🙂 Happy TTT!
I LOVED reading the HP books as an adult, but I would have ADORED them as a child. I’m glad they’re around for my children, even though only one of mine has actually read them—she’s read the whole series a dozen times, so I guess her HP love makes up for her siblings’ lack of interest! It’s such a great children’s series. I’m glad there are so many kids’ books now and such a wide variety. Even if we didn’t get to enjoy them as kids, we can now as adults 🙂
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I feel the same way! I’ve encouraged my three children to read them, but so far only one has shown interest. He and I like a lot of the same books, so I knew he’d love them. 🙂
I remember reading Bride to Teribithia as a kid. The only thing I remember is it being sad. I need a re-read.
Sad, but sooo good! Definitely worth a re-read, 🙂
Bridge of Teribithia oh… I was a total wreck on that one. It was good though and definitely on the list for my boys to read. I wish the Lemony Snicket books would of been around. After watching the series on Netflix my boys want to read the books.
Here is my TT: https://www.musingsofasassybookishmama.com/2020/04/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-wish-i-had-read.html
I haven’t seen the series yet. I’ll have to check it out!