Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Prompt: Books I Can’t Believe I’ve Never Read
Most of these today are books that I probably should have read in childhood, but didn’t. Then I never read them, ever. I started wondering what books I missed out on as a kid after I read Heidi in April. That was one I didn’t read in childhood, but absolutely loved it when I finally did read it. Some of these are books that I absolutely should have read by now; I am pretty well read when it comes to the classics, unless the classics are children’s books!
Please don’t yell at me! LOL.
Daddy-Long Legs || What Katy Did || Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (this one is actually on my summer TBR though)
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe || A Wrinkle in Time || The Trumpet of the Swan
I know, I know, I know.
Bridge to Terabithia || A Little Princess || Caddie Woodlawn
On Sunday, my 10 year old niece informed me that Bridge to Terabithia is her favorite book, and asked me, her aunt who reads all the time, if I had read it. I was ashamed to tell her that I had not. So I promptly ordered it off of Pango and I am reading it when it gets here. She is excited because then we can talk about it. I am excited for that too!
Peter Pan
I love every single Peter Pan movie I have ever watched. I love this story – although, I have never read the book, so do I love the story? I really need to read it. I own it, I just need to do it. Maybe this winter I will finally do it!
I am looking forward to seeing what you have all never read as well!
No yelling cos I’ve only read 2 of those, What Katy Did and the Lion, Witch etc. I remember reading Heidi. I didn’t learn to read until I was about 8 (I know!) and bypassed most of the kids’ books except for some of the Enid Blytons. Plus I loved Little Women, Anne of Green Gables and Stig of the Dump.
I have never heard of Stig of the Dump! I loved Little Women as a kid, and the James Herriot series which I read really young despite not understanding some of it. But I also did read a lot of Beverly Cleary and Little House on the Prairie too.
I liked What Katy Did. Did you know there’s a sequel to it?
I did not! I will have to remember that in case I ever get around to Katy!
I read Bridge to Terabithia as an adult, so don’t feel bad! It was sooo good and such a tear jerker.
I just finished it! It was incredibly sad. 🙁 It was very good though.
Any book by Charles Dickens. What an admission…
I felt very vulnerable writing this list! Lol. And I haven’t read him either.. eek!
Oh I loved What Katy Did and the sequels. Also loved The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
Katy seems popular! I will have to read it!
If everyone was yelling at us today, the world would be full of screams. I have only read a few of these, but saw the movies. My daughter reminded me lately of how depressing The Bridge to Terabithia was and we read the book together and watched the movie crying our eyes out.
Lol!! True! I just finished Bridge to Terabithia and it was so sad!! I told my cousin’s daughter I was reading it and she told me to watch the movie. I think I will pass though!
You are a good aunt, The Bridge to Terabithia is so sad.
Thanks for sharing your #TTT
I just finished it up and it really is so sad. Just everything about it. It was good but dang it was depressing.
I have read every single one of these except for What Katy Did …
Terabithia is a hard read – I read it for a class in college, and went in blind. Eek.
I read Peter Pan and Wrinkle in Time for the same class, and enjoyed those better.
I really need to read Peter Pan. I think that is one I need to put near the top of my TBR.
I just finished Terabithia, and it was a tough little nugget of a book! So sad.
Once you read Peter Pan, there’s an approved sequel, and there are oodles of spinoffs! Including a fabulous YA series cowritten by Dave Barry. (Weird, I know, but it was such a fun take on things).
I love children’s lit! And even better when shared with a young reader!
I think I will always read it. 🙂 And yes I agree – I love sharing books and moments with my son and my niece!
The best MG I read last year was The Trouble with Heroes by Messner.
I will have to look that one up!
Daddy-Long-Legs is one of my favorite childhood books but I’ve never seen that cover. I love it! I hope you are able to read it and the other books on your list soon.
Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
I have a thing for the Puffin Classics version of covers. Lol. That art must appeal to me! Daddy Long Legs sounds really good; I need to read it.
I love that you and your niece are going to read together!
Thank you Louise! I am excited too!
I love Daddy Long Legs and can’t say how often I’ve read in the last 40 years! I don’t know any of the others, but most of them weren’t on our list of childhood classics which was of course German, but also from other European countries, so it’s not too surprising.
Oh now I really have to read it. Lol. I will find a copy and get to it this year! I love discovering books that are important in other countries. Gail just mentioned a book I have not ever heard of, Stig of the Dump. Have you read that one?
I love your list. I did read some of these as a child and read E.B. White books to my class later on. As a child the Heidi books were my great love. I so wanted to live where Heidi was!
I loved Charlotte’s Web, and I read Stuart Little. I am not sure why I never read Trumpet of the Swan! I just read Heidi this year, and I want to live where Heidi lives. Those mountains sound beautiful.
Don’t feel bad! I’ve only read Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (it’s where my daughter got her name) and the next three. There are so many good books it’s no wonder we miss some!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
I love that!!! My mom named me for a character on The Waltons! Lol.
My copy of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is on the way; I order a lot of books from Pango. They take longer to get here but I think it is worth it.
No yelling from me. I haven’t read these either.
I feel better after this post, it seems like a lot of people haven’t read them!
Wow! Can’t believe you haven’t read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, or A Wrinkle in Time. I read those two over and over as a kid. Also A Little Princess, read that over and over. But I don’t know that I’ve actually read Peter Pan or the Bridge to Terabithia either. This is a fun topic I need to go back and do!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2026/06/02/review-the-magic-of-us-by-beth-merlin-and-danielle-modafferi/
The Narnia series is the one that really sticks out to me as well. Like how did I not read it? And now I honestly have zero interest. I read a lot of Beverly Cleary as a kid, Little House on the Prairie, hmm. Who else? James Herriot, weirdly. I didn’t like Judy Blume that much. Now I need to do a post of what I did read!
I was not exposed to most children’s classics when I was a child. How can you read when you have no knowledge of? I hope you enjoy these when you do get a chance to read them.
That is a very good point!!! I am not sure that I was either. Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume were big when I was a kid, and I did read a lot of Ramona and Henry, although Ribsy was my favorite of Cleary’s books.
I’m missing a few of these in my history too!
I think it is hard to read them all. Lolol.
I read A Wrinkle in Time as an adult and I loved it so much. I was so charmed by that one.
I remember my stepsister absolutely loving it!
I’ve only read one of these! The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, haha.
That is the one I think is the weirdest that I haven’t read! Lol.
I haven’t read most of these either. My interest in reading children’s books has waned since my daughters have grown up and I have grandsons not granddaughters. Peter Pan is still on my TBR.
I could see how your interest would wane. I feel like I need to read Peter Pan soon.
I did not read the Narnia books until I was an adult, so don’t feel bad! I do love The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Listen, we all have our blind spots and it seems that the more something is in our perception, the more we take it for granted. I did not make a list for this weeks prompt, but my list would be equally surprising 😉
Thank you for this. I was making it and thinking how did I miss these!
From your list the only two I’ve read are Bridge to Terabithia and Peter Pan. I think the reason Terabithia hits so hard now is because we’re parents, and couldn’t imagine going through that with our kids.
Here’s my TTT for the week: https://readbakecreate.com/a-author-names-alphabet-challenge/
Oh my gosh. I just finished it and that is all I could think about. How awful.
I read TRUMPET OF THE SWAN last year and loved it. I actually think I like it more than CHARLOTTE’S WEB, which shocked me a little! I hope you enjoy all these when you read them.
Happy TTT (on a Thursday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I really should read Trumpet of the Swan. It sounds really up my alley honestly. Thanks you Susan!
I’ve read a few of these; my boys and I listened to the whole Narnia series though Lion, Witch & Wardrobe was my favorite. I hated Wrinkle in Time and I vaguely remember reading Trumpet of the Swan as required reading in middle or high school… but I couldn’t tell you what it was about. I LOVED A Little Princess though.
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I had never read most of these books either until I started reading books from the 1001 Children’s Books list. It’s a great list of kids’ books, I think.