"Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." --C.S Lewis

Today at the library, I had a patron come up to the desk with a stack of audiobooks from the children's section.

"I've been reading too many heavy mystery books lately," she told me. "I decided I need to switch to kids' books for a while."

I smiled and told her I understand. "Kids' books are so comforting and colorful. Sometimes you just need that."

To children's book writers, reading books for kids is second nature. We dive into picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels all the time. Kids' books are our mentor texts, our research, our glimpse into what publishers and audiences get excited about. However, I think that the value of children's literature for adults goes beyond just writers. Children's books offer a spring of hope and light that is valuable for adults, too. So here are three reasons I think adults should read kids' books.

Why Should Adults read Children's Books?

1. Kids' books are full of life

Children's literature excels at offering stories filled with fun, laughter, and lively characters. While adult fiction can be humorous as well and can have adventure and excitement, kids' books have a knack for pointing out the joy of life. In trying to reach kids, the stories capture a sense of energy and imagination that isn't always easy to find in adult fiction. Children's literature leans into the wonder and potential to be found tucked away in the quietest corners of our world.

2. Kids' books are full of simple truths

As adults, life gets very complicated very quickly. Responsibilities pull us in every direction. News articles and social media posts bombard us. Questions and worries swirl by on a regular basis, questions which rarely have easy answers. In kids' books, we find reminders of the simple truths we often forget. Many children's books still address hard topics, but they do so in a way that makes them manageable. Digestible. Easier for kids to grasp and face. By discussing hard themes in simpler terms, children's books remind adults that they can walk through the hardships. Even when questions don't have answers, we can still move forward.

Children's books remind us of the power of simple things. Friendship. Kindness. Honesty. They remind us that we can grow and learn more every day. In teaching kids how to step out into the world around them, they remind adults how to get back to the basics.

3. Kids' books are full of hope

Another one of the hallmarks of children's literature is a tendency toward hope. The majority of kids' books boast happy endings, even when they aren't the endings you might have wished for originally. Good conquers evil. Bullies become friends. Shy students find their voices. The characters learn and grow and find solutions to the problems around them. As readers, we find hope alongside the central characters. In watching the stories unfold to happy resolutions, we're comforted by the reminder that things can and will turn out alright in the end.

As Christians, we have the greatest promise of hope anyone could ask for. We know that the Creator of the world is good, and that He is working all things for good. Happy endings reflect the Father's promise that one day, He will make all things right. The hope in kids' books isn't a childish fantasy, but a message of truth that adults need to hear just as much as kids.

We all need reminders of the joy of life, of simple truths, and of honest hope, from the smallest child to the oldest grown up.

What children's books have you read and enjoyed as an adult?

Karley Conklin

Karley Conklin is a librarian by day, a writer by night, and a bookworm 24/7. For more of her writing, visit litwyrm.com