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I remember my fifth grade teacher reading us "Homer Price", by Robert McCloskey - each chapter is a separate incident in Homer's young life, which is filled with quirky characters and amazing happenings. The entire class would crack up with giggles at the famous overloaded, won't quit doughnut machine episode (with a diamond bracelet accidentally baked into one of the doughnuts!), pet skunk Aroma's assistance in capturing a gang of radio station robbers, Homer's tongue-twisted Uncle Ulysses, and more. There's a sequel, "Centerburg Tales", just as funny. The books are dated a bit, but both the text and illustrations, also by the author, are hilarious, especially when read aloud by a gifted reader of stories.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is listed as Young Adult. I think I was about 41 when I read it and, no kidding, it was one of the best books that I ever read.
Just finished that one. I was mildly disappointed, probably because I had expected so much. It is definitely good - a rousing and imaginative adventure story replete with much magic and fantasy. But it was not a deeply moving story such as Where the Red Fern Grows or Bridge to Terabithia. Multiple levels? Not so much, I thought. Sure, there is some symbolism, such as the Lion Aslan being killed (going willingly to his death for a higher purpose) and then coming back from the dead to redeem the world (Narnia) in fulfillment of prophecy.
Good enough to read to my fifth graders, for sure, if they hadn't already read it, but not at the pinnacle of my personal repertoire for that purpose.
Thor Heyerdahl's book Kon-Tiki is one book I can think of that children as well as adults can get into. I read this in the fifth grade and got lost in the book to the extent that my teacher was calling my name and I didn't hear her, looking around at my laughing classmates I realized I had been so absorbed that I felt drenched and tired from riding that perilous raft in rough seas, lol.
Good writing always will be a rare thing, I'm overjoyed when I find something to read that really takes me away like that book did years ago. Some authors write for a certain age bracket but others are content to let the readers find their way through their work regardless of age, I think reading has always been about comprehension skills rather than age anyway.
Interesting material from another thread in this forum
I just discovered a thread entitled "What are the best 5 books you've ever read?" and I read (or skimmed, really) through all 351 posts there. The aspect of it which makes it relevant here is that quite a few posters listed "children's" books, even though there was no reference to that in the thread title or the OP. Some people just felt that those books were among the best they had ever read, which confirms my thesis for this present thread (about some children's books being so good they transcend their genre).
Here are the titles which were recommended in that other thread, many of them multiple times. Of course I may have missed some titles if I had not read them and thus failed to recognize them as children's books.
1. The Little Prince
2. Where the Red Fern Grows
3. The Giver
4. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
5. The Wizard of Oz
6. The Secret Garden
7. The Book Thief
8. Little Britches
I have read all but the last two (and I have those on my list thanks to you folks). My personal opinion is that the first three are masterpieces, the next two are very good, and The Secret Garden is one I just didn't care for.
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"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
