Top 15 Children's Books About Growing Up Updated 04 /2024

Have you ever wished you could go back to when you were a child? We are who we are today because of the books we read as kids. They still have a special place in our hearts. It's time to put on your nostalgia goggles and join us as we remember some of our favorite picture books, kids' literature, and novels for young readers. You can even share a few of these great books with the kids in your life if you want!

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

A lot of the time when I was a kid, I would go to the library and pick out a book by Shel Silverstein to read. Where the Sidewalk Ends is still my favorite. A point came where I could flip to any page and remember the poems by heart.

“The Boxcar Children” Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Remember the book fairs at school? I'm pretty sure that's how I found the "Boxcar Children" series, which is about four orphaned kids who solve mysteries. When I was a kid, this was the first book series I ever read on my own, and I was in love.

Ellen Whitfield, Senior Publicist

The Tickleoctopus by Audrey Wood and Don Wood

When I read this book to my daughter, I can't help but laugh. It's still funny to me today. I remember my parents always telling me to read this one when it was time for bedtime reading. In prehistoric times, a family meets a strange creature that makes everyone laugh.

Frederick by Leo Lionni

When I read this book as a child, I wondered why the other mice didn't get mad at Frederick because he didn't do his job. But now that I'm older, I know how important art and thinkers are to society, and I hope that I can find a way to balance both of these things in my life! This is what I want to do!

The “Redwall” Series by Brian Jacques

I'm still a little bit in love with these books, and I'd like to read them again as an adult. The books tell the stories of small animals who live in an Abbey and fight against evil that wants to overtake them. The worlds keep growing as the books go on, with more characters and places to love with each new one. People wanted to join in because they saw how much work went into the feasts and how much fun it was.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

During my childhood, these books were perfect for me. I was a very unique child, and these books were the perfect fit for me as a child. With her horse and monkey, this little girl has crazy pigtails. She lives in a weird house with them, and she makes friends with the kids next door, too! When she was little, she had a lot of imagination and didn't like boring people or clothes. Isn't that what every kid wants, right?

Jennifer Vance, Publicist:

The “Hank the Cowdog” Series by John Erickson

I was and still am a huge animal lover, so any books that had animals in them had me. The show is about a talking dog and his sidekick solving mysteries around a ranch in West Texas. Can it get any better than that?

Falling Up by Shel Silverstein

Because they were short and had funny illustrations and fun rhyme schemes, these short, funny poems were my favorite when I was young. As I get older, I find new meanings and nuance in many of his poems that I didn't see when I was younger. I still enjoy reading this one.

Jackie Karnath, Publicist

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

"I love you to the moon and back" came from this book, and I think that's where the phrase came from. It's the story of the Nutbrown Hares and how they try to use metaphors to show how much they love each other. As a child, my mom read this story to me. I always think of the story as being about a mama bunny and her baby bunny. But recently, I found out that the hares are only called "Big Nutbrown Hare" and "Little Nutbrown Hare." This makes it a great book for any kind of caregiver to read to their child.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Among the best children's books are those with bunnies, like Peter Rabbit. Here's another good one, too! I love this story about a toy rabbit who wants to be real because its owner loves it. A classic story that is still a good read no matter how old the person is.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Remember one of your teachers reading this book to your class? It was one of my favorite times in school. Babbitt's story talks about the idea of immortality and how living forever can be both good and bad. This book is going to make you cry, but it will be worth it.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This short story is as charming as it is open to your own ideas. Despite the fact that it looks like a picture book, it has some advanced ideas that might be better for older people to read. Of course, I love the famous "snake that ate an elephant" drawing and its not-so-subtle dig at grownups. To this day, I can't figure out what to think of that one unique rose, though.

Rachel Hutching, Digital Marketing Strategist

And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street by Dr. Suess

The scene on the street got more and more ridiculous with each page that my dad read to me when I was a child. I thought that was very funny! The illustrations were what made the book so good, and they were very important. A street with that name always makes me think of my dad and this book.

The “Nancy Drew” Series by Carolyn Keene

Most of the books in this series were read to me when I was in elementary school, and I still read some of them when I want to remember how much I loved them. That a strong female protagonist was there for me to look up to was a great thing for me to like. When she was young, she was smart, brave, and quick to think of things. This isn't the only thing I love about a good mystery. These books had very different and exciting plots. There's a good chance that this series is where my love of reading for fun began.

Chelsea Apple, Content Creator

Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm by Jerdine Nolen (Author) Mark Buehner (Illustrator)

You might remember that when you were a child, you thought a farm could grow balloons. It has a fun story with bright clean lines and stylized illustrations, as well as a dancing farmer who is a little out of the norm.

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe

As a child, I was a big fan of fairy tale retellings. This retelling of Cinderella was one of my favorite. My favorite thing about the illustrations is that they're so beautiful and detailed. John Steptoe's beautiful textures and lighting help bring this story to life.

The Iron Ring by Lloyd Alexander

Was it even possible for you to be a 90s nerd if you didn't read Lloyd Alexander? This mythical story about an arrogant prince on a journey to pay back a debt was one of my favorite reads as a child. I think I have a copy somewhere.

---