So I like reading children's and young adults books, despite being 23.

Not after recommendations though I'm always interested of course...

Just want to know what children's/ya everyone is reading now. I think it's such a fantastic part of the bookshop and I don't know why some literary snobs so stupidly turn their idiot noses up at them.

My favourite author in this genre is Diana Wynne Jones who writes fantasy books - my favourites being Howls Moving Castle, Dogsbody, The Dalemark Quartet and Fire and Hemlock.

Other favourites recently is the Arthur Trilogy by Kevin Crossely Holland.

And I love The Otori Trilogy/Series - that deserves a topic of its own that I might create later if I can be arsed.

So anyway, yeah... children's books that you are reading NOW not when you were children.

I am a huge fan of the Otori series, but I never considered this as YA.

Yeah, it's found in both adult and YA sections of the bookshop so it's one of those weird cross over thingies.

Interesting, it's always in the sci-fi sections in bookstores here in the US. In fact, I would be surprised to find it in YA considering some of the content.

Just started reading Twilight which falls under YA. I've also enjoyed The Harry Potter Series and His Dark Material Trilogy by Pullman. For individual books I enjoyed Holes. I've probably read other books not realizing they fall under Children's/YA.

That is strange and maybe one of those cultural things? I think in the UK perhaps we're a bit more... relaxed about that sort of content. In my bookshop it's found in the adult section - though not in the fantasy/sci-fi section.

Well, I am a Harry Potter fanatic and eventually I plan on reading the Gemma Doyle trilogy as well as the Twilight series.

Yeah, that's true and I was thinking the same thing!

I'm not reading any YA now, but others that I've enjoyed as an adult are:

Harry Potter series
Twilight series
Chronicles of Narnia (always a fave)
Series of Unfortunate Events (haven't finished this series yet)
Artemis Fowl series (haven't finished this one yet either)
Animal Farm

I'd like to read the following (I'm sure there are more but these are off the top of my head):

Spiderwick Chronicles
Inheritance series
Gemma Doyle series
Uglies series

And I'd like to RE-read these as an adult:

A Wrinkle in Time
Charlotte's Web
The Little Prince
Alice in Wonderland
The Secret Garden

I loved His Dark Materials as well - must read it again one day though. And of course Harry Potter - I started when I was about 13 and finished last year. It's kinda... well you know strange to grow up with HP as ten years is quite a long time of your life when you're 22 as you probably can figure out...

Fiona, I worked at a couple high school graduations this summer and in one of the speeches, one the teachers compared the students journey to Harry Potter's. Those kids were in 1st grade, just kind of starting school, when the 1st Harry Potter book came out and Harry's journey ended just as they were beginning their last year of high school. It was a fun parallel that I enjoyed hearing, even if it wasn't my graduation!

Fiona, you might want to try The Frog Princess series by E.D. Baker. It's kind of right in the middle of children's and young adult. It's not a kid book, but it's not on the level of Harry Potter or Twilight. I've read the first two and have enjoyed them.

Oh yes, how could I forget His Dark Materials!? I really enjoyed those as well.

Thanks Melissa - I've never heard of it but reading up on it I think I shall have to pay another visit to Waterstones.

I've read a few of the Artemis Fowl books and they're pretty good, I'd recommend them to children, but I think my tastes started to change recently and I can't get into them so much any more.

I didn't even think about the Chronicles of Narnia or The Inheritance Series. I've started both but haven't finished them. Some of the other ones mentioned here are on my TBR list. I don't really care what genre or level a book falls in...if it's good I want to read it. I don't understand why other people are so snobby about it.

I've read The Book Thief, which was fantastic and Something Wicked This Way Comes, didn't like it (gave up on it). Right now, I am reading Holes and thoroughly enjoying it.

I enjoyed the Twilight series...and also The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants books are pretty good.

I recently read the book thief. I loved it!!

I've been putting The Book Thief off because it looks weird with all that bold text and stuff and how it kinda addresses you which I don't like...

But then I'd have said the same thing about EL&IC last week as well so maybe I should read it.

Gah!

I just started The Book Thief this morning. I'm only a few pages in to it, but so far so good! I liked Harry Potter (really, I LOVED Harry Potter), His Dark Materials, and everything by Judy Blume. I vacilate on whether or not I like Twlight. (My brain says no, but I can't deny I was totally addicted to them!)

I love YA books. I even started a blog devoted to rereading books I read in my youth and recapping and reviewing them from an adult perspective. Umm....I don't wanna give the blog link here because it's not in the right folder and I don't want to make super-mod angry. I think I did post it in the correct folder a few months ago though.

:)

Aw Fiona start it! :) I put it off for aaaaages, coz of the weird writing. I started reading it and have to admit I wasn't hooked, but you reach a certain part of the story (first lot of pics) and the whole book changed for me. It really is amazing and I never say that about books, I'm extremely hard to please!! I also had never ever cried at a book in my life (I'm a heartless cow what can I say) until I read this. Maybe it was hormones, who knows :P

Fiona, age doesn't dictate how long or much one can enjoy children's and young adult books. I'm 54 and have always enjoyed them. So, keep enjoying them forever, darling. I do understand, though, how there is that snobbish sector of readers that might think themselves superior to us. Just think of all the great reading that they are missing.

A sampling of some of my favorite children's and YA lit and authors are as follows (YA and children's mixed together):

Roald Dahl--especially The BFG

Elizabeth Winthrop--Castle in the Attic and Battle for the Castle

Jack Prelutsky (poetry, mostly his beautifully illustrated older children's ones) -- The Dragons Sing Tonight, The Gargoyle on the Roof, Awful Ogre's Awful Day

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Jon Scieszka--The Time Warp Trio series and all his other great books

Shel Silverstein--everything he did

Judy Blume--Fudge series, The Pain and the Great One, Forever, and more

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling--all of them

The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

Cornelia Funke--Inkheart series

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynee Jones

Whirligig by Paul Fleischman

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Lois Lowery--The Giver, Number the Stars

The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff

The Catwing series by Ursula LeGuin

Holes and Sideways School books by Louis Sachar

Goblins in the Castle by Bruce Coville

John Bellairs--The House With a Clock in Its Walls and other Lewis Barnavelt books plus other Bellairs' mysteries

Lostman's River by Cynthia DeFelice

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Paul Jennings--Unreal, Unbearable, and all his other quirky short story books

The Boxcar Children
Nancy Drew

OK, I'm going to stop, but this list is not complete.

Kathy, that's a wonderful list! I need to check out some of those...

There are so many fantastic YA reads! Harry Potter and the Twilight series are some of my very favorites. I finally read Anne of Green Gables awhile back and I can't wait to get going on the rest of that series!

Kathy, it's good to know you still read the genre. My Mum rolls her eyes when I read 'kiddies' books but then I think that if I every have children that I'll be much better equipped to share reading with them because I'll know what's around to read and it'll be something we can enjoy together.

My Mum who stopped reading kids books probably in the late fifties/early sixties admitted she didn't really know what books to get me other then Blyton (who I did like at the time) and Dahl (again who I enjoyed) but somehow I think I missed out on a lot of books I could have read had she been more involved. I always loved reading but never really felt challenged and was never encouraged to read different books... (compounded by the terrible library).

I hope I'll be able to share all the books I loved as a kid and that my children (God help their souls to have me as a mother, other then books I know bugger all about children) will be able to share their books with me.

People who look down at children's fiction really ought to get their heads out of their clouds. And some of the criticism is really - just so stupid.

"The language is too simple, the sentences are too short and it is too childish" are some of the most common examples of criticism that I have heard.

I have read a lot more children's/YA fiction that deals with deeper issues and are written so well - then I have adult to be frank. Adult books tend to get away with boring passages, because obviously it must be some given thing that in order to prove you are 'grown up' you must be able to read long passages of pointless prose and of course in order to seem intelligent every other sentence must contain a twenty letter word.


Pffft.

Kathy, have you read any more Diana Wynne Jones other then Howl?

And people - if you're gonna read anything in the new year do check out that author. She is the best thing since... well, Shakespeare and she's been around ages. I adore, love, cherish Harry Potter but Diana Wynne Jones is the best children's fantasy writer ever to live on the face of this planet.

I've "recently discovered" some great YA books. I enjoyed Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle books, Annette Curtis Klaus's Blood and Chocolate, and I just started Twilight.

Oh and btw, I'm 30 :)

Good writing goes well beyond age. I love the Harry Potter books and look forward to Rowlings story book coming out in December. I've enjoyed the Inheritance series and things by Tamora Pierce.

Roald Dahl, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Book Theif, Chronicles of Narnia, Frank Peretti's YA series, Libba Bray, the Uglies series (haven't yet read the fourth one). This could definately go on. Maniac McGee, Island of the Blue Dolphins...

Nikki-I just started The Book Thief today on my lunch break.

I also really liked Twilight and also Meg Cabot's YA books are pretty good.

I have read The Babysitters Club and I also tend to read Young Adult books from the library to boost my monthly books that I have read.

How. Did. I. Not. See. This. Thread.



GUESS!
JUST GUESS!

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy first off.

:D

Stargirl.

Sarah Dessen

Maggie L Wood

Maureen Johnson

John Green

Eva Ibbotson

Oh, Eva Ibbotson I forgot, hah!

I loved The Secret Countess and The Morning Gift. The Star of Kazan not so but I think that's aimed at much younger readers. I have In the Company of Swans to read and A Song for Summer (may have got the names mixed up)

You got the name right.

I need to read The Morning Gift, Company of Swans and A Song for Summer.

I really loved A Journey to the River Sea and The Star of Kazan (probably because I read them when I was a tad bit younger) and The Secret Countess was really good too.

I have Journey to the River Sea which looks good - and I'm looking forward to reading that - though I'm worried that like Star - it's going to seem a bit too young. I mean - you know I like reading some children's books that are aimed at children a lot younger (I enjoyed reading The Moomins by Tove J and they're for like 10-12 probably younger) but sometimes you know it's a little uncomfortable because the way it is written is a bit distracting.

In terms of Roald Dahl, my two favorite books are Fantastic Mr. Fox and George's Marvelous Medicine. I'm definitely going to have to add some of these authors to my to read list!

Yeah, I understand that....

I wonder if my perception of Star and Journey would be different now.

Fiona, I haven't read anything else by Diana Wynne Jones, but I have meant to. With your hearty endorsement, I plan on rectifying that situation. I'll start with the ones you mentioned in another posting here. I, too, have kept meaning to start The Book Thief. I'm amazed at myself that I haven't read it yet. I have it on my short list for November and December, but, gee, the time seems to be flying out of here for this year.

Fiona, I think any child will be lucky to have you as his/her mother with your love of reading and especially your enjoyment of children's books. You know, I didn't even mention any of the many wonderful picture books that I love. Let's face it, we are just completely and utterly in love with books, period. Ha, ha.

I think any poor child of mine though might have the book ripped from their fingers if they so much as dent a page, or put snot on it or whatever horrible little children do! Or of course, if I want to read it first...

Thanks, Heather. I'm going to confess something that I've never confessed to anyone before. I have not read Anne of Green Gables. OK, now that you have picked yourself back up off of the floor, I promise you that I will read it in the near future. I don't understand how I let that classic slip away from me. If people who know me and how much I've read and read knew that I hadn't read this book, I might lose all kinds of respect in their eyes as a book connoisseur. Feel free to give me 50 virtual lashes.

I haven't read it either. I had a chance to, but didn't bother picking it up. Don't even know what it's about.

I often find myself reading YA books. I am better able to recommend good reads to school age children that way. I am not fond of series, but I like adventure stories. For 4th-6th grade, one of my favorite reads was Silverwing and Sunwing by Kenneth Opel. I also enjoyed
A Single Shard.

I too have not read "Anne"! I own it and have done for simply years. I have it in a seperat bookself that I don't look at that often. I will need to move it and read it very soon.

I also loved reading and do re-read these books

The mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler
Time at the Top
The Tripod series
The Forever King
Frindel

Just to name a few
:)

My sis and I just found Anne of Green Gables at my parents' house on Wednesday. I will definitely be adding that to my list.

T.A. Barron- The Young Merlin Series- there were five or six. I really enjoyed them.

Has anyone else read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian? One of my fave reads of the past year. Also, I love anything by Richard Peck, Gail Carson Levine or Sharon Creech.

Michelle, I just bought The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian and plan on reading it soon largely due to endorsements such as yours. Also, you mentioned Richard Peck. I met him at the National Book Festival in D.C. a few years ago, and he was such a nice man and an interesting speaker. I, too, enjoy his books. He and I talked about the fact that I was the only person who had thus far brought his book, The Last Safe Place on Earth, for him to sign. It involves book censorship, something that I am adamantly against, as is Mr. Peck. I recommend this book if you haven't read it.

I like a lot of young adult and children's books. I love Rainbow goblins. Great story.

Loved the Chronicals of Narnia.

I've read and agree with a lot of these recommendations. (I just added Howl's Moving Castle to my tbr, Fiona!) If you haven't read Anne of Green Gables, you really should. She's an orphan girl who is sort of mistakenly adopted by a brother and sister. Anne is wonderful. She has a huge imagination and is a writer/reader. I've read the whole series numerous times.

The only thing I can think of to add is The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. I just read the first one, and it is aimed at a fairly young audience (my 10-year-old cousin recommended it to me--I'm 30), but it's a great, action-packed story that gives a modern twist to mythology.

His Dark Materials gets my vote.

Fiona, escalate The Book Thief to somewhere near the top of your To Read list. It's a great read.

Yay JG! Howls Moving Castle is fantastic - and there's 2 others in that series. Also if you like those try the Chrestomanci series by the same author. :D

And ok ok I shall get Ann of Green Gables - I should, don't know why I haven't yet - and The Book Thief too. It must be good for reasons...

I read A Sudden Wild Magic by her a long long time ago. I may have even read it twice. I don't remember anything about it except that I liked it. But that one was shelved in the adult section of our library and I never realized that she really writes YA books. I only wander into that section if I'm looking for something specific. I'm sure I'll enjoy this Howl book.