Classic Kids Books

Ah, to be a kid again! Don’t get me wrong, there are so many great series out there, but these ones are my go-to faves. There are always a handful classic kids books you wouldn’t mind reading again as an adult. I tend to gravitate towards to ones with animals or fruit (you’ll see…)

Here are a few of my personal favorites with a brief summery (in case you haven’t read them cover to cover 40 times already):

James and the Giant Peach
By Roald Dahl

Easily my favorite book about peaches… but seriously:

James Trotter is an orphan being raised by his two aunts. One day accidentally drops some magic crystals by an old peach tree and all sorts of strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and soon enough it’s as bigger than the house. James discovers a secret entranceway into the fruit, and once inside meets a bunch of marvelous oversized friends — Old Green-Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybug, Miss Spider, and others. After years of feeling like an outsider in the house of his aunts, James has finally found a place where he belongs, the stem of the peach is snipped, the peach starts rolling away, and the exciting adventure begins.

Charlotte’s Webb
By E.B. White

This is a story about Wilbur, a little pig who becomes famous with the help of his clever friend Charlotte and their animal neighbors. As the runt of the litter, Wilbur struggles to survive from the very beginning. Fern convinces her father, Mr. Arable, to raise Wilbur and nurse him to health. Wilbur survives and moves to Zuckerman Farm, where he learns the true meaning of friendship from the wise gray spider Charlotte. With the help of Charlotte and her “terrific” webs, Templeton the rat, and other their other barnyard friends, Wilbur becomes the prize-winning pig of the County Fair and the most famous pig ever.

The Velveteen Rabbit
By Margery Williams

A boy receives a Velveteen Rabbit for Christmas. The Velveteen Rabbit is snubbed by other more expensive or mechanical toys and one day while talking with the Skin Horse, the Rabbit learns that real is not how you are made, rather a toy becomes real if its owner truly loves it. When the boy’s favorite toy is misplaced, the Velveteen Rabbit takes the place as the boy’s constant companion. The Rabbit becomes shabbier, but the boy loves him no matter what.

The boy eventually falls ill with scarlet fever and the boy is sent to the seaside on doctor’s orders to recover. The boy cannot take the velveteen rabbit because it is diseased and it must be burned along with all the nursery toys in order to disinfect the house from the germs. Then something magical happens…