We have always been advised to read across multiple genres in order to enrich our knowledge on a diverse assortment of themes and subjects. Why, then, should children’s fiction be excluded from our reading lists? The genre is often unfairly overlooked within literary discourse, seen as juvenile above all, while it pertinently embraces themes of moral development, the human experience, and growth. Therefore, before you judge a book by its cover (or by its genre), here are a few reasons to persuade you to go back in time to satisfy your inner child’s soul through reading. You will find children’s fiction deceptively relatable as an adult.
1.) They’re often short but profound.
Being in a reading hole feels endless and frustrating, but reading a short book which falls under this genre may be the exact cure you’re seeking. They’re written to be an educative tool to children during formative years. As adults, we often assume we have learnt all the basics that children’s fiction preached to us when we were younger and naively, we assume we have already internalised these lessons. Yet the famous Antoine de Saint-Exupéry warns us that “all grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it” (The Little Prince). Don’t let the rush of adult life let you forget that stage of childhood which shaped you, and the children’s novels which concurrently moulded the adult you are today.
2.) Children’s fiction can be just as, if not more, enriching than any other genre.
Take Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as an example. You may have not realised that it was part of the children’s category, yet the novel often falls under that genre in bookshops. It is a fantastically written novella filled with allusions to moral decay as we grow older. The fact that it is a child, Tiny Tim, who ultimately becomes Scrooge’s moral compass, and who drives him to his redemption, is not a coincidence. This serves as a wider metaphor for how adults can always use a child’s guidance, or a children’s book to remind us of fundamental values that are often overlooked as we grow older. It is a symbolic return to some imperative values that children’s stories advocate for. Let it remind you of the beautiful simplicity in the elements that are taught to children which we may have neglected in our busy new lives; kindness, generosity and empathy.
3.) The art of re-watching and re-reading.
Similar to why we still re-watch films that we loved as children, returning to children’s fiction as adults gives us a new outlook on the narrative being told, yet the blend of familiarity and nostalgia remains. Part of the appeal of this genre is its reassuring and hopeful nature in the way it educates pertinent values. The world is a good place but there’s always more to be taught. Most importantly, naturally as a child you likely did not grasp the significance of the strategically placed metaphors, or wider underlying messages that were woven into the texts you fondly remember. Time to retrace and fully understand the significance hidden in plain sight.
Finally, never overestimate the literary journey you have embarked on, and where it all began. It’s never too late to rekindle with your inner child; too late to look back on your favourite reads, those same ones you thought you had outgrown. They are looked back fondly upon for a reason.
Image via Teya Taylor for The Student, courtesy of The Central Children’s Library Edinburgh