Children's books that will make you cry
The Guardian recently published this article on books that make you cry. A book that gets the tears going is usually a good one, and the comments showed an interesting trend. Among the Time Traveller's Wifes and Attonements of the world, were a whole host of children's books.
So here's to every time you've read a book to your child and had to hold back the sobs. And to that initial discovery as a kid or teen that reading or hearing a book can overwhelm you with such emotion.
And, whilst I say 'children's books', these titles can be for any age, because that's what a lot of great stories have in common.
Books for children that will make you cry
Possibly the most unanimous: Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Many books have moved me to tears over the years, but none more so than Charlotte's Web.
I vividly recall sobbing as an 8 year old [...] and now, 32 years later, reading my dog eared, old, cried on copy to my daughter, I still cry.
It's the line "no one was with her when she died" - it breaks my heart!
- Emmski
I agree with others who mentioned Charlotte's Web. I can barely read it today without sobbing.
I first cried in the middle of my grade 3 classroom, while sneak reading the book (I should have been doing math, I think). I have reread the story about every 10 years in the ensuing 4 decades, and after the death of two dear friends. And even today just finding my favourite quotes the tears pour down and I can feel the grief I first felt as a child.
- martca
His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, particularly The Amber Spyglass
Various parts of the His Dark Materials books had me crying [...] A complete blubbing mess!
Echoing many others, The Amber Spyglass made me sob, both reading it on my own and aloud to my daughter.
The moment when Lyra and Will are separated in The Amber Spyglass, too. The next time I was in Oxford, I had to go to the Botanic Garden, sit on their bench and have a silent commune.
The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
My children were bemused at my choking the last few sentences every time I read it at bedtime.
The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen had people particularly teary
I was howling and my young daughter was looking at me oddly.
I challenge anyone with a young child to read aloud H C Andersen's The Little Match Girl without their words coming out a bit wobbly at the end.
I've just realised that although adult books rarely make me cry, I used to read The Little Match Girl to my daughter when she was small and it used to get me every single time. Heart-rending. (It's here if you're brave enough: http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_match.html)
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo is often read in lessons, think of the teachers!
Try being a snuffler when you work in a school.
Having...just...survived Skellig without sobbing in front of the children, we've now moved on to...Private Peaceful-and I'm already dreading the ending.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, a classic tear jerker
Black Beauty, the copy I had to return to the library was horribly tearstained.
- liblady
[...] the death of Ginger in Black Beauty...what a miserable childhood i must have had.
- janek123
Even Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame gets some people going
Bizarrely, The Wind in the Willows. It's the "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" chapter that does for me every time: so beautiful that I blub helplessly.
Yes, me too, and the bit where Mole and Ratty go back to Mole's home.
- lv50
Others children's books that make people cry include Goodnight Mister Tom; Watership Down; Tom's Midnight Garden; Goodbye, Mog; and The House at Pooh Corner.
And I've an extra title to add to the list, one that will be coming to Listening Books library soon - A Sky of Diamonds by Camille Gibbs. This beautiful little book follows Mia, who’s mum has died, through love and grief.
We'd love to know if you think children's books are bigger tearjerkers than titles for adults. Which books have made you cry?
This post was written by Holly Newson
Picture credit: Imarsman - flickr; CHRIS DRUMM - flickr; Di Napoleon Sarony; salvi-burton - Deviant Art; Tijl Vercaemer; Paul K - flickr, Wally Gobetz - flickr.
