One of the first things they teach as kids is how important it is to read books because of how it will widen our horizon, inspire our imaginative minds and spark our creativity. Moreover, many books are also great as if they were real life coaches. Some parents even start reading for their kids from day one when they are still newborns because they say that these little infants are like sponges to their surrounding, absorbing any piece of information they can get. As adults, we may not be aware that some of the best advice comes from the least expected sources.
Some of the most famous children’s books around the world are so much more than just a sweet story about a boy who lost his balloon, or a lion going out his way to eat strawberry. In fact, in most cases, there are real-life morals and deep lessons behind these narratives. Children don’t only learn a lesson or two about life from these books, but also their parents can get some good and unexpected advice by reading them out loud. Moreover, we suggest, that whether you have your own kids now or don’t, it’s not a bad idea to go back to these childhood classics and re-read them with the eyes of an adult, you might be surprised by how much you can learn about life, friendships, giving, losing, sharing, family and more. Here are5 books that might have been written for kids when the authors thought of their target audiences, but are actually aimed at adults.
‘The Giving Tree’, written by Shel Silverstein
Probably the author’s most famous book, The Giving Tree, which was published more than 50 years ago, talks about selflessness and unconditional love, on all its downfalls. The book, which was translated into several different languages, has had its fair share of controversy concerning the idea of selfless love (the tree who loved the boy so much and gave him everything) and how love can be interpreted by people’s actions. It will definitely have you doing some self-reflection.
‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’, written by Dr. Seuss
Who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss? The book which was published in the beginning of the nineties talks about life, our journey in this thing called life and all the challenges one has to face along the way. Although it’s written in a childish manner, anyone can relate to it, from infants to adults, after all who doesn’t have to face a challenge or a hurdle in his life? In addition, it also makes you think about all the potential we hold inside that we just need to find a way to release it, if we just let ourselves.
‘Where the Wild Things Are’, written by Maurice Sendak
This short story tells the story of a young boy who ‘escapes’ to a jungle-like environment after he was sent to bed without any dinner. The book talks about how the idea that everyone at some point in their lives, imagine they could run away to a different oasis and leave everything behind. However, the moral of the story is that we always end up going back to our loved ones, because they are home to us. Just like in the book, after Max begins to feel lonely, he makes a decision to return home just to see that his mother left him a hot meal. After all, there’s no place like home.
‘Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing’, written by Judy Blume
Another book which deals with family affairs is Judy Blume’s children’s book from 1972. It tells the story of a four-year-old who can’t seem to stop being annoyed by his two-year-old brother. The storyline proves, that no matter what the age difference is between siblings is or how old they are, even if they seem to be fighting and disagreeing on every little thing, they are still family and love each other no matter what.
‘The Giver’, written by Lois Lowry
The novel from 1993 follows a boy named Jonas who is 12 years old who lives in a supposedly Utopian community, however as the story unfolds, it turns out that the society is closer to being dystopian than anything else. The Community is all about black and white, lacks any memory, color or climate just to keep a certain order. It deals with the idea of ‘sameness’ and lack of individuality. By the end of the book, the reader learns more about the concept of solidarity and conformity than anything else really.
