So I’ve been having a bit of an internal debate recently about whether or not to reread some of my favourite books from my childhood/teenage years. There are so many books that I remember fondly such as Magic Tree House, Harry Potter, Sarah Dessen novels, Hatchet, and Eragon to name a few.
My worry is that by reading them as an adult I will somehow tarnish my memories of reading them while younger. I’m worried that I’ll notice flaws or inconsistencies that I didn’t notice before (or that at least didn’t bother me when I was younger) and this will somehow ruin the reading experience for me.
On the other side of the debate, I remember reading some books when I was younger and disliking them, only to really enjoy them when I was older. When I was in elementary school I remember struggling to get through Harry Potter and disliking it. When I picked it up in late middle school/early high school I loved it. Another book I didn’t like was Artemis Fowl, and I’m really curious to see if I would like it now as an adult.
This debate also extends to whether or not I should read books that I always wanted to as a kid but never got to. For example, I read the Magic Tree House series out of order and skipped a few books. So I would also want to read the Magic Tree House books I never read as a kid. I also never read Goosebumps as a child and wonder if I would enjoy them for the first time as an adult.
I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts. What are your experiences rereading your childhood favourites? Have you picked up children’s books as an adult to read on your own?
Sanjeev Zaiker 
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