Many times, we adults forget certain stories. Those that once, as children, we ate at the door of our grandparents' house during the summers or we listened at night before going to sleep. Fortunately, the best children's and youth books of our childhood they continue to contain simple but powerful lessons to pass on to the little ones or even to ourselves again.
Best children's and youth books
The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
When someone first sees the cover of The Little PrinceWe all think that we are before the umpteenth children's book starring a little blond. However, as we navigate through its pages, we realize how much the best-selling story in history It can inspire adults and children. Published in 1943, The Little Prince follows in the footsteps of a child who must leave a small planet invaded by baobabs to start an adventure in which he meets different characters that represent all those values that we forget when we grow up. Life lessons camouflaged under a simple and agile reading required for all audiences.
Matilda by Roal Dahl
Published in 1988, Matilda is one of Roald Dahl's most popular books and, along with its film adaptation, a childhood icon for any millennial. Illustrated by Quentin Blake, Matilda tells the story of a girl raised by parents more obsessed with watching television than with caring for a daughter who has already read hundreds of books by the time she turns 5, developing strange powers that she will put into practice upon entering. at school. A small contemporary classic for the little ones.
Where the monsters live, by Maurice Sendack
Illustrated and written by the late Sendack, Where the monsters live was published in 1964 becoming all a bestseller and winner of awards such as the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, in addition to being included in the Association of American Libraries. A classic whose protagonist, little Max, yearns to be a monster to scare everyone and make himself respected. After being punished one night, he will travel to a jungle where he meets the real monsters, who end up crowning him as their king. A timeless ode to childhood that was also adapted for film in 2009.
Carlota's Web by EB White
Considered as the best-selling children's book after 2000, Carlota's web It was published in 1952, eventually becoming a hit with young and old. A simple story, characterized by the particular style of White, whose protagonist, the pig Wilbur, is going to be the victim of the typical massacre by his master. His friendship with a spider named Carlota will allow him an opportunity when his new friend begins to weave messages in a web destined for the cruel owner. The book was adapted to the big screen in real image in 2006.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
In July 1862, the mathematician Charles L Dodgson She was sailing in a boat across the River Thames with the three Liddell sisters, to whom she began to tell stories to alleviate her boredom. From all these tales, and he lowered the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, would be born Alice in Wonderland. The well-known work of the girl who followed a white rabbit to its burrow, encountering a parallel world is not only one of the most famous children's plays in history, but his mastery of the "without sense" it has also made it an irresistible book for adults. The book enjoyed even greater popularity after the trails Disney film adaptations en 1951 y 2010.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr. Seuss
Although its fame has been greater in the United States than in the rest of the world, the story of The Grinch illustrated and written by Dr Seuss was published in 1957 on the other side of the Atlantic, becoming a literary reference for the little ones and an instant classic to reread on Christmas Eve. Adapted to the cinema in 2000 with Jim Carrey as the main character, How the Grinch stole Christmas! es a metaphor of the commercial nature that Christmas it was acquiring socially throughout history through the eyes of the sullen Grinch and the inhabitants of Villaquién. An eternal struggle in which, as a background, Christmas keeps coming and gifts are not everything.
Tales of Mother Goose, by Charles Perrault
Although Perrault devoted much of his life to writing treatises and praising the monarchy of his time, he found time to write some of the most famous stories in history and encompass them in Mother Goose Tales. Although the title may not tell you much at first, this volume includes classics such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood or Puss in Boots. Stories that all of us have grown up with that turned out to be noble adaptations of old famous stories in European oral tradition over centuries.
The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende
Considered as one of the great classics of twentieth century youth literature, The Neverending Story It was published in 1979, becoming a cult phenomenon. Written by the German Michael Ende, the novel set between the fantasy world and the real one was more than a story of flying dogs and evil empresses: a tribute to the imagination as the main ally when it comes to knowing ourselves and the world. .
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling
Back in 1997, a young unemployed single mother named JK Rowling little did I foresee that the stories written in a cafe would result the greatest literary phenomenon of recent times. The saga of the famous boy wizard who studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry forever changed the world of children's literature by gathering hordes of fans at store entrances before the launch of each new book and restoring hope in children. (and adult) readers who devoured, one after another, the adventures started by harry potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
What are, in your opinion, the best children's books of your childhood?