When you go back and re-read a favourite childhood book, you may notice layers or context of which you were oblivious as a kid, and oh what fun that can be. We’ve listed down some of our favourite books, which when we re-read, painted a very different picture for us than when we were kids. Re-read these books and tell us what you find! This list forms part of The Extraordinary Reading Challenge 2018.

01

Charlotte’s Web

E.B. White

This touching tale of friendship is set in a farm, where a pig named Wilbur and a spider called Charlotte form an unlikely friendship. They act intelligently and heroically to save each other or their families from harm.

Buy it here.

02

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll

This is the story of a girl who fell down a rabbit hole and had the adventure of a lifetime. With whimsical characters like the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter and the Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar, this book takes on a whole new meaning when you re-read it as an adult.

Buy it here.

03

The Cat in the Hat

Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss doesn’t disappoint in what is probably one of his most famous children’s books. Two innocent children, a naughty cat with a couple of assistants and a paranoid fish not only make for a hilarious story but also for some brilliant poetry!

Buy it here.

04

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Roald Dahl

This book is probably one of Roald Dahl’s best works. Dahl takes us on an adventure involving a chocolate factory with a river of chocolate, delightful characters like the oompa-loompas, and nut-sorting squirrels, and, of course, the eccentric Willy Wonka. This book left our mouths watering and our minds wanting.

Buy it here.

05

Treasure Island

Robert Louis Stevenson

More than a century old, this evergreen novel is as interesting and exciting as it gets. This adventure novel is most notable for its influence on the modern-day perception of pirates including tropes like buried treasure, and one-legged sailors. The story of a teenage boy in search of mythical treasure, this book can truly be called a classic.

Buy it here.

06

Little Women

Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is a tender story about 4 impoverished sisters and their ‘Marmee’. The sisters are delightful, cheery, intelligent and mostly responsible, as each of them go through dramatic transformations while dealing with life, love, and tragedy, only to come out stronger as a family.

Buy it here.

07

Black Beauty

Anna Sewell

This wonderful tale told from the point of view of a horse named Black Beauty can make any reader laugh and cry at the same time. Set in Victorian England, this novel traces the life of Black Beauty from the meadow of his childhood to the streets of London and back again. There are many lessons to be learnt from this one.

Buy it here.

08

The Little Prince

Antoine De Saint-Exupéry

One of our personal favourites, The Little Prince is the timeless tale of a pilot who finds himself stranded in the desert where he runs into the little prince, who comes from a distant planet and has a very simple outlook on life. This book is perfect for remembering what it was like to be a child.

Buy it here.

09

Anne of Green Gables

Lucy Maud Montgomery

A beautiful story about an orphan girl who ends up being adopted by a farmer and his family, Anne of Green Gables is a heart-warming tale of adolescence, adventure, tragedy, sacrifice, and most importantly, friendship.

Buy it here.

10

Sophie’s World

Jostein Gaarder

Sophie’s encounter with an old philosopher introduces her to the world of Socrates, Hegel, and Sartre. She ends up questioning everything, including her own existence and identity. Is Sophie real or merely a construct? This book is perfect for re-reading as an adult, especially when you have an existential crisis.

Buy it here.

Which of these childhood books have you re-read as an adult? Did you have a different understanding of these books when you re-read them? Do you have any other recommendations? Share with us in the comments below.

Nirbhay Kanoria

Nirbhay Kanoria

As a young boy, Nirbhay had the annoying habit of waking up at 5 a.m. Since television was a big no-no, he had no choice but to read to entertain himself and that is how his love affair with books began. A true-blue Piscean, books paved the path to his fantasy worlds- worlds he’d often rather stay in. Nirbhay is the co-founder and publisher of The Curious Reader.

You can read his articles, here.