Top Ten Tuesday | Books I Wish I'd Read When I Was Younger

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that highlights ten books that all relate to a certain topic and is  hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This Weeks Topic Is... 

Books I Wish I'd Read When I Was Younger and compiling this list made me realise how many 'popular' book series I actually missed out on reading. These are mostly books that I probably would have read when I was between 10-14 but for some reason they just weren't on my radar back then. I don't remember many of my friends being as big of readers as I was and there was no Goodreads to be able to see what everyone else was reading. There may have been some cultural differences as well, I know a lot of these books were popular with kids in the US but I'm not sure if the same could be said in the UK. If I could go back in time then I think these ten series would be the ones I'd actively be seeking out to read.

The Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin

I don't think this series needs any introduction as it's a childhood staple for many people and one of the most popular collection of books for kids in the 90's and early 2000's. For some reason this was never a book series I was aware of until much later and by then I was no longer the target audience. I probably wasn't reading middle grade books until the late 2000's so I might have just missed the cut off of when these were massively popular. I feel like if I'd read these when everyone else did I would have absolutely devoured these books, because from everyone else talking about them and the numerous adaptations they really have become a fond childhood memory.  

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

I can remember adoring the film adaptation of Pippi Longstocking and didn't realise until I was much older that it was actually based on a series of books or that it was actually Swedish! I feel like I would of enjoyed the books just as much as the film, her wacky exploits would have kept me entertained for hours!

The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton 

I loved the Nancy Drew books as a kid but was never tempted to pick up this series of classic mysteries. From my foggy memory I might have owned a couple of these books but I don't think I ever actually got around to reading them. The language and contents of some of these books might be a little outdated now but Enid Blyton has written some of the most beloved children's books ever and i'm sure if I'd read them back then I would've loved them just as much as some of her other works.

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Don't worry, I actually think I'm going to be rectifying this later this year because this is a classic that is high on my 'want to read' list. This is so well know and I already adore some of the adaptations that have been based on this series (why did Netflix have to cancel Anne with an E!?) so I think I'm really going to enjoy these books.

Malory Towers series by Enid Blyton

I'm pretty sure these were books that my Mum read during her childhood and yet it wasn't a series she thought to pass on to me. If my childhood obsession of going to boarding school is anything to go by I think I would have really liked these books plus me and my mum could've had a little bonding moment over them.

Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis   

I do remember reading a few books from this series but I don't think I ever made it all the way through to the end although I have really good memories of watching both the mini-series and the films with my family. I do actually own the whole collection so maybe some time in the future I'll be able to plan out some time to start making my way through them.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 

This is a major children's classic that is talked about all the time but unfortunately I never read it as a child. I don't know if it was bigger in other countries then it was in the UK but I hadn't even heard of this book until about ten years ago. The new adaptation was released recently (which I really want to watch) so I think I need to read this one so I can stop feeling like I missed out on a big part of other people's childhoods.

The Clique Series by Lisi Harrison

I can remember watching the film adaptation of the first book (and it not being that great!) but I still feel like this is a series I would have enjoyed as a pre-teen as I was very into the soapy drama filled lives of teenagers back then. I am actually considering buying a couple of these books and just seeing if I can get some enjoyment out of them but maybe it would just end up being a waste of both money and time!  

The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley by Nina Alexander

Hands up, who else was obsessed with Mary-Kate & Ashley! These twins were a massive part of my childhood, I think i've seen all of their films at least three times, but I've only just found out that there were books as well! These probably weren't very good but when your a kid that stuff doesn't really matter when you love the characters that much.

Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate 

Firstly, I did not realise there were over FIFTY books in this series! Secondly, the covers for these books are just so weird and I think they probably would have put me off reading them as a kid, they're so 90's! The Animorphs series is so well know and so I feel like I missed out massively with these. These books seem to have held up well so maybe i'll pick up a book or two for fun sometime in the future.   

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Which books do you wish you'd read as a kid? Leave a comment or link your own Top Ten Tuesday's for me to check out!