Today you might be celebrating – for International Children’s Day or for freedom after the lockdown. No matter where you are, we are with you to cherish the courage, hope and imagination we got from children and are hidden in children’s books. Here I picked some books we can reread as adults, or dive into this moment to be kids again.

The Secret Garden

When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle’s great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. With the help of two unexpected companions, Mary discovers a way in—and becomes determined to bring the garden back to life.

The Phantom Tollbooth

This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth’s gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets such characters as the foolish, yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked “Which,” Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the “impossible” mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

As a classical children’s story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has captivated readers for generations and undoubtedly will continue to delight readers for years to come.

Children’s Literature: A Very Short Introduction

An easy book to begin with if you are interested in exploring more children’s literature–what it is, why it is interesting, how it contributes to culture, and how it is studied as literature.

Plus…

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Based on J.K. Rowling’s popular novels of Harry Potter, it tells the story of a boy who learns on his 11th birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own.