Top 5 Wednesday: Children’s Books

I’m a little late for this post but I saw the Top 5 Wednesday topic yesterday and just had to participate! T5W is a weekly book meme that provide book reviewers (bloggers, YouTubers, instagrammers, Tumblrs, etc.) with topics focusing on their “Top 5’s” each month. I’ve known about T5W for some time now but I never seem to get to topics on time! Most of you know how much I love children’s and middle grade fiction though, so I couldn’t pass this up.

But before that, I have a confession.

As much as I love this genre of books, I wasn’t much of a reader growing up. I know, I know! I started reading Harry Potter when I was 11 and mainly watched Disney movies before that. I also lost interest in reading after HP ended so there were a few years where I read nothing outside of school textbooks. I started reading again when I was maybe 19 or 20 and have become an avid reader since! So what I’m trying is, I read these books when I was an adult. 😆

In no particular order, my Top 5 children’s books are:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
I was going to list The Chronicles of Narnia but that seemed like cheating. The Silver Chair is actually my favourite Narnia book (because my favourite character is in it) but it’s hard not to mention the book that started my love for C.S. Lewis.

Howl’s Moving Castle
While this book is filed under children’s books, none of the characters are actually children. Don’t let that stop you though because this book is delightful, funny, and full of magic. The main characters include a wizard, a cranky old woman, and a fire demon who live in a moving castle with doors leading to different places. It’s the perfect mix of oddities from the likes of Alice in Wonderland with dramatic and grumpy characters slightly reminiscent of the Red Queen or Captain Hook.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
I recommend this book to just about anyone. Edward Tulane is a vain little rabbit made of china. He is loved and cared for by Abilene but one day, during a trip at sea, Edward gets lost. As he makes his journey home, Edward learns to love, to lose, and to love again. I love a good story that makes me feel things and this one did just that!

Anne of Green Gables
I finally got a chance to read Anne of Green Gables this year and I now understand why it’s a beloved classic. This book is a great coming-of-age story – Anne is a very imaginative and dramatic child and you watch her grow up to be a young lady whose views of the world you can’t help but admire and be touched by. I love how this book encouraged me to appreciate and be thankful for the little things – a habit we should all have yet so often forget.

The Imaginary
This book is the most underrated on my list but it’s children’s fiction meeting the thriller genre. If that surprises you, it caught me off guard too! It’s also a graphic novel, which was the perfect format for the story. The Imaginary is a book about best friends Rudger and Amanda. Rudger though, is imaginary. Unfortunately, a Mr. Bunting is prowling the streets for imaginaries. Rumour has it that he eats them. This book is a fun, thrilling, and heartwarming story. It will remind you of your mischief and imaginary adventures while making you nervous, sad, and hopeful. You’ll smile (repeatedly) and you’ll likely want to be a kid again.

Which books make your Top 5 when you think of children’s books? Harry Potter will always be in my Top 5 but I thought I’d put a spotlight on other books that may not get as much attention. 😉