Summary
- Classic children’s books from the ’90s still resonate with young readers today, offering timeless themes and engaging stories.
- Screen adaptations of beloved books shed light on deserving children’s fantasy novels, but relevance goes beyond just TV shows.
- Children’s literature bridges entertainment and education, shaping young readers’ perceptions and influencing their values into adulthood.
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Classic kid’s books from the ’90s resonate with many young adults and children alike as their tones and themes make them worth reading today. The best of children’s literature is enjoyable for both kids and adults because the story’s importance has not diminished in the years since its publication. Whether they have become a cultural phenomenon, are widely taught in schools, or have been successfully translated into screen adaptations, the enduring kid’s novels of the 1990s will remain relevant in the cultural conversation for years to come.
Reading the right book at the right time can change the outlook and trajectory of a child’s life.
Recent movies and TV shows based on well-loved books have shed light on the children’s fantasy books that deserve TV shows. However, receiving a screen adaptation isn’t the only indication that a book is relevant. Children’s books walk the line between entertaining and educational, as the lessons kids learn from the pieces of literature they’re exposed to greatly inform their perception of right and wrong into adulthood. Reading the right book at the right time can change the outlook and trajectory of a child’s life.
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9 Classic Kids Books From The 80s That Are Still Worth Reading
Though they were published more than 30 years ago, some 1980s children’s books have withstood the test of time and are still relevant reads today.
10 Ella Enchanted (1997)
Written by Gail Carson Levine
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Ella Enchanted is markedly different from the screen iteration from 2004. For those who have only experienced the movie, the novel is well worth reading for a more universal story. The author, Gail Carson Levine, set out to create a modern retelling of Cinderella that focused on the perspective of Ella, the protagonist, as she comes of age and establishes her independence. Levine has gone on record about how she wrote the book because she never understood why Cinderella would obey her evil Stepmother for no reason, so she gave Ella a more compelling internal struggle.
Later, Levine would pen a few more stories in the same universe where fairytale creatures and characters had more agency than the traditional stories gave them. This is particularly impactful for young women who often learn the wrong lessons from the patriarchal overtones of fairytales, but the messages are important for all readers.
9 Frindle (1996)
Written by Andrew Clements
Few books capture the unbridled imagination of childhood the way that Frindle does. The novel tells the story of a young boy, Nicholas Allen, who decides to invent a new word for a pen and calls it a frindle. Nicholas is in fifth grade and just beginning to think critically about what adults tell him, and what he has to take as fact. Though Nick initially invents the word to make his strict teacher, Mrs. Granger, upset, the story is an exercise in imagination and encourages children to question their own reality.
The power of education and the human spirit is on full display, as the word begins to transcend its origins and spreads like wildfire until it’s eventually added to the dictionary.
The power of education and the human spirit is on full display, as the word begins to transcend its origins and spreads like wildfire until it’s eventually added to the dictionary. Nick comes to learn many years later that Mrs. Granger opposed the usage of frindle as a word so that it would take off and Nick would learn a valuable lesson about the evolution of language. Any teacher who has assigned Frindle to their students knows how easily the story takes hold of the imagination and the many awards the book has earned merely confirmed this fact.
8 Holes (1998)
Written by Louis Sachar
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While some Disney Channel original movies need reboots, Holes is not one of them. The 2003 adaptation brought the 1998 novel by Louis Sachar to life with truth and empathy, cultivating the story’s popularity, which remains strong to this day. Holes is a landmark addition to the children’s literary canon because it’s an early example of a text examining the pressures of masculinity and encourages young men to express their vulnerability. Additionally, it sheds light on the experiences of children in juvenile corrections and the discrimination they face.
The relationship between Stanley, the protagonist, and his friend Zero is one of the most important aspects of the story, as Zero’s struggle with illiteracy and the boys’ relationship is vital to the overall message. Interweaving the stories of different people across many generations, Holes is a complex piece of writing that asks of its young readers, but this led to its many accolades. It teaches valuable lessons and effectively introduces topics of prejudice and injustice to younger audiences.
7 Dinosaurs Before Dark (The Magic Treehouse #1) (1992)
Written by Mary Pope Osborne
Dinosaurs Before Dark is the perfect introduction to the world of The Magic Treehouse, as it relies solely on Jack and Annie using their wits and resources to find their way home.
The Magic Treehouse series began in 1992 with Dinosaurs Before Dark and has taken hold of the minds of many budding readers ever since. Jack and Annie find themselves transported to the time of the dinosaurs in the premiere installment by the titular magic treehouse that will go on to send them to every corner of history. Chapter books like The Magic Treehouse novels are the perfect transitional books because they’re more complex than picture books, but they don’t yet deal with themes that will trigger difficult emotions.
Dinosaurs Before Dark is the perfect introduction to the world of The Magic Treehouse, as it relies solely on Jack and Annie using their wits and resources to find their way home. Additionally, few individuals can claim that the world of dinosaurs isn’t intriguing to many children. For many young people, travel and adventures can only be found in books. The Magic Treehouse series provides this excitement without ever setting foot outside the house. Igniting the imagination of readers of all ages, The Magic Treehouse series encourages curiosity and bravery whenever possible.
6 The Giver (1993)
Written by Lois Lowry
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For all the flack that the 2014 YA dystopian movie version of The Giver got from critics and audiences, it should not overshadow the power and importance of the book. Written by Lois Lowry in 1993, the book could be credited with starting the craze of YA dystopian fiction that hit its peak in the 2010s. Of course, plenty of other fiction within the genre came before The Giver and paved the way for the book, but it reignited interest through the compelling nature of its prose.
Frequently taught in school classrooms, The Giver pushes its reader to grapple with the horrors and triumphs of humanity and is often read at a time when children need it most. The transition to adulthood is paved with pitfalls and new emotions that feel like the end of the world, but The Giver makes a case for embracing all feelings, even the negative ones. It shows the audiences that without the bad there cannot be good, and these peaks and valleys are what makes life worth living.
5 Junie B. Jones And The Stupid Smelly Bus (Junie B. Jones #1) (1992)
Written by Barbara Park
June B. Jones first hit shelves in 1992 with Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, and children have never been the same since. Barbara Park has churned out book after book in the series, and each one reminds readers that sometimes it’s okay to have a bad attitude. It’s clear through the Junie B. Jones books that Park acutely remembers what it’s like to be a child, and understands that the best way for young people to absorb complex lessons is through humor and relatabilty.
As time passes and the world evolves, Junie’s frustrations and reactions remain universal.
Like any kid, Junie is anxious and curious about the world. However, she often expresses this by acting out because she doesn’t know how to process her emotions. To her credit, few adults do either, which makes the book series a good lesson for readers of all ages. As time passes and the world evolves, Junie’s frustrations and reactions remain universal. They encourage those who read her stories to be unabashed about experiencing their feelings and then learning to cope with the reality of the world.
4 The Bad Beginning (A Series Of Unfortunate Events #1) (1999)
Written by Daniel Handler AKA Lemony Snicket
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Writing under the pen name Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler has written some of the most poignant and bittersweet children’s literature of all time. The first book in A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Bad Beginning, was released at the tail end of the 1990s in 1999. However, as the remainder of the series came out in the coming years, The Bad Beginning is still the entry point to the collection that influenced the sense of humor and darkness of a generation of children.
Due to the longevity and cultural relevance of A Series of Unfortunate Events, there will doubtlessly be many more children of the Lemony Snicket generation. The A Series of Unfortunate Events Netflix show and Jim Carrey movie couldn’t be more different in their approach to the material, but neither got it quite right. Reading the books is the only way to fully understand why it’s such a touchstone and the importance of exposing children to a hint of cynicism and darkness in their literature to provide balance.
3 Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter #1) (1997)
Written by J.K. Rowling
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Harry is a wonderful protagonist who reaches through the pages and speaks to the kids reading the book who feel lost and overlooked, assuring them that they’re special.
At this point, the Harry Potter franchise has morphed into something enormous, far beyond the scope of the original book. However, when returning to the first book in the series, there is an innocence and wonder essential to childhood, and so often lost as people grow older. Harry is a wonderful protagonist who reaches through the pages and speaks to the kids reading the book who feel lost and overlooked, assuring them that they’re special. Additionally, thanks to its popularity, it’s difficult to find anyone who hasn’t at least read The Sorcerer’s Stone.
After all the movies, plays, merchandise, and theme park rides, it’s easy to forget what the original point of the Harry Potter books was, but it’s easy to find in The Sorcerer’s Stone. No one is ever too old to suspend their disbelief for a little while and believe in a magical world where people do good simply because it’s right. Though Harry Potter isn’t the most educational book and leans toward pure entertainment, it’s unlikely that it will ever fade into obscurity.
2 The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 (1995)
Written by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963 is a touching work of historical fiction from Christopher Paul Curtis about a pivotal event during the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, Alabama. Books like The Watsons Go To Birmingham are amazing resources because they are a strong introduction to exposing children to the realities of history and the importance of the Civil Rights Movement. Teaching history, especially the difficult parts, to children is vital to their education and development as it ensures they enter the world as informed and empathetic individuals.
Receiving both the Newbery and Coretta Scott King Honors, The Watsons Go To Birmingham is told from the perspective of Kenny, a young African American boy who travels from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham with his parents and siblings. It’s there when Kenny witnesses the events of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing and struggles to process what this act of violence means. His journey to understand what happened and discover what it means reflects the feelings of the children reading and is a strong message that resonates today.
1 The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1) (1995)
Written by Philip Pullman
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The Golden Compass follows the story of Lyra, an incredible young girl with the unique ability to read the future of the titular golden
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series has been adapted for the screen several times, but the recent HBO original series has done it justice better than any that came before. The first installment in the trilogy, The Golden Compass, paints a world not unlike the real world, but with critical differences, and a steampunk aesthetic that has inspired many works that came after it. The Golden Compass follows the story of Lyra, an incredible young girl with the unique ability to read the future of the titular golden compass.
His Dark Materials is an early example of the concept of parallel universes being incorporated into young adult fiction. Lyra experiences her world and several others across the series. She goes on the kind of adventures that children can only dream of and inhabits a land where every person gets an animal companion all of their own. However, His Dark Materials isn’t important because of its wish-fulfillment qualities, but because it pushes Lyra, and the audience, to examine right and wrong.