Over the past year, I've been working on a reading challenge in which I attempt to read 100 books. During the course of the challenge, I've re-read some books I loved as a child, and other young reader books I've never read before. Doing so has taught me a few things.
1. Young reader books are more fun.
Young reader books in general are more lighthearted than YA or adult books. The authors often write with witty humor, which doesn't go out of style no matter how old you are. While I was re-reading The Phantom Tollbooth, I caught on to every pun that went over my head the first time around. They made the book even more enjoyable, because I understood all the jokes instead of some. Yes, there are YR books with serious content, but even those tend to be easier to swallow then the adult books with serious subject.
2. They remind me why I love reading.
I discovered a passion for reading when I was little. In elementary school, we had a program called Chema reading, where we picked out books to read every night, and once we read enough books, we would get a prize. In second grade, I remember how excited I was to learn how to navigate the library, because it meant I could pick out as many books as I wanted, without help or limitations on the books I was offered. Every time I went, the librarian would ask me about the books I checked out, and I loved telling her about all of them. Of course, I can't forget how I dominated AR (accelerated reading), one of my fondest memories from elementary school. Re-reading books I used to love as a child bring those memories back. Young reader books remind why I would get excited about new books when I was younger. Sometimes it's nice to revisit those memories through books I read as a child.
3. They contain valuable lessons.
Young reader books are also a perfect way to instill life lessons into kids. A timeless example about the importance of friendship (although it should arguably be classified as YA), is Harry Potter, a series that continues to permeate our every day lives, whether you're a die hard Potter fan or not. Part of what makes YR books valuable is how, regardless of how obvious the lessons are, they always instill a sense of adventure, or holding on to your inner child. The bad guys of the stories make you want to be good. You don't have to question or overthink morality. They teach you to look for the positive whenever possible, rather than focus on the negative. One series that taught me a lot, although not necessarily in the way of life lessons, is A Series of Unfortunate Events. If you haven't read them--change that, first of all--Lemony Snicket always includes words throughout each book that he defines for the reader, so after I read each book, my vocabulary expanded. Even if I rarely had context to use the words the first time around, I loved learning new words through his series.
4. They're great ways to pass the time.
Reading any book is a great way to pass the time, especially if it's a good one. However, sometimes the books directed towards an adult audience can be a little more tedious to get through. Young reader books don't carry the same tedious nature as adult books do. They're just the right length, and you can read them in a few hours.
5. They help you get through a 100 book reading challenge much quicker.
I admit, part of the reason I've read many of the young reader books I have recently was for the sake of finishing the challenge (still working on it, still have some days left), because I knew they would help me reach my goal more easily than adult books would. Regardless, I enjoyed reading them as much as I did so many years ago.
No matter how old I am, young reader books will always have a special place in my heart. They remind me to hold on to my inner child, and hopefully they do the same for you.
