Age no bar01 Oct 20255 MIN

You don’t have to outgrow your middle-grade books

Stories of robots in the wild and tortoises might not seem like the stuff of adult fiction, but they’re luring grownups with complex themes and big feelings

When I was 20, while peers were poring over Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Arundhati Roy, I liked curling up with Roald Dahl’s Matilda for the twentieth time. I see a similar yearning among Gen Z today, given their preoccupation with Japanese healing fiction—when life feels too much, these books feel like refuge.

Editing books across various genres and all ages has made me realise the obvious: we simply aren’t reading enough. But reading closely has also taught me that not all adults like adult fiction—it can often feel overwhelming, overly clever, or distant. Middle-grade books, though, are a perfect way to get over a reading slump—they are light, heartfelt, and hopeful, without ever feeling shallow.

Adults reaching for middle-grade books isn’t a new phenomenon, but it is being seen in new light. These books dive into empathy, courage, and the messy business of growing up, and they do something adult literature rarely does: they let us feel without apology. Often, these titles can tackle the big questions—grief, identity, courage—without the scepticism or cleverness we’ve been trained to expect. In a world that’s always scrolling, always judging, and often numbing, these stories are refreshing, surprising, and oddly life-affirming.

C is for Cat. D is for Depression takes you through storms of feeling toward hope. From Mirror Mirror, I learnt about self-image and self-love; from When You Trap a Tiger, I saw how loss and grief can be magical; and The Boy in the Dress affirmed that bending the rules can be funny, brave, and deeply human. In short, picking up a children’s book as an adult isn’t a step back; it’s a small act of kindness towards yourself, a way to stay human, to keep wonder alive, and to grow up without giving in to cynicism.

Here’s a list of some Indian and international titles that are timely, relevant, and essential for adults rediscovering big feelings.

‘Year of the Weeds’ by Siddhartha Sarma (published by Duckbill)

This novel follows children from tribal communities resisting mining in Odisha. It’s fierce, grounded, and honest. Reading it as an adult, you can’t help but reflect on your own capacity for resistance and how courage often begins with small, unglamorous acts of persistence and does not have to be always loud and flashy.

Year of the Weeds Siddhartha Sarma Duckbill The Nod

‘The Wild Robot’ by Peter Brown (published by Piccadilly Press)

Roz, a robot, wakes up alone on a remote island and must figure out how to survive. Along the way, she learns about empathy, connection, and what it means to belong. Adults reading it find themselves tracing Roz’s journey as their own. How do we stay tender in a harsh world? How do we adapt without losing ourselves? And how do we build communities that sustain us? It’s a fable for navigating adulthood as much as childhood, and for grownups it somehow feels like a wakeup call.

‘C is for Cat, D is for Depression’ by Kairavi Bharat Ram (published by Scholastic India)

Is that a simple alphabet book? Well, the depression bit in the title makes it clear it’s not. The book takes readers through storms and shadows before nudging them toward hope. For children, it’s a safe entry point into talking about big feelings. For older folks, it’s disarmingly clear: mental health is real, it deserves compassion, and it shouldn’t be hidden behind jargon. Its honesty feels radical in a world where we often dress up pain instead of naming it.

C is for Cat, D is for Depression Kairavi Bharat Ram Scholastic India The Nod

‘The Boy with Two Grandfathers’ by Mini Shrinivasan (published by Tulika)

This seemingly simple story about a boy living with two very different grandfathers—one a gentle storyteller and the other a strict disciplinarian—has something for everyone. For younger readers, it’s about learning to belong in two worlds at once. For adults, it asks how much of our younger selves we’ve carried forward and how much we’ve silenced in order to “grow up”. It’s tender, funny, and gently profound, and it lingers because it asks questions we rarely let ourselves face.

The Boy with Two Grandfathers Mini Shrinivasan Tulika The Nod

‘Mirror Mirror’ by Andaleeb Wajid (published by Duckbill)

This is a sharp, empathetic story about body-shaming and self-acceptance. After being fat-shamed at a party, Ananya spirals into diets, doubt, and distorted mirrors, just as her family and friendships start shifting too. It’s deeply relatable to a generation that has grown up with social media filters, but it’s also a reminder for others of how cruel we can be to ourselves and how powerful it is to finally say “enough”.

Mirror Mirror Andaleeb Wajid Duckbill The Nod

‘Time Travelling with a Tortoise’ by Ross Welford (published by HarperCollins)

Full of laughs, adventure, and clever twists, this book is pure fun. But it’s also about choices, second chances, and hope. It confirms that play and imagination are not frivolous. Sometimes the best way to navigate complicated emotions is through the lens of curiosity, adventure, and even silliness. A joyful proof that wonder has no age limit.

Time Travelling with a Tortoise Ross Welford HarperCollins The Nod

‘When You Trap a Tiger’ by Tae Keller (published by Yearling)

A mix of Korean folklore and family grief, this book is magical and deeply moving. It’s a chance to sit with memory, loss, and healing in a way that feels both honest and hopeful. It refuses the idea that growing older means growing numb and dead inside. Instead, it insists that wisdom comes from staying open to wonder and emotion, even when it hurts.

When You Trap a Tiger Tae Keller Yearling The Nod

‘Pax’ by Sara Pennypacker (published by HarperCollins)

On the surface, this is the story of a boy and his fox. Beneath that, it’s a meditation on love, loyalty, and letting go. Adults find themselves reflecting on relationships—how patience, courage, and vulnerability are what sustain them, and how sometimes love means setting someone free. It’s a simple book that manages to articulate what so much adult fiction circles around but rarely says outright.

Pax Sara Pennypacker HarperCollins The Nod

‘The Boy in the Dress’ by David Walliams (published by HarperCollins)

Funny, warm, and full of heart, this story about self-expression and acceptance is joyful to read at any age. It’s a reminder for us that empathy and celebrating difference never lose their relevance. It’s also a quiet manifesto: that kindness matters, that humour heals, and that being yourself (unapologetically) is its own kind of revolution.

The Boy in the Dress David Walliams HarperCollins The Nod

‘Mules that Fall from the Sky and Other Stories of Animals in War’ by Nandini Nayar (published by Scholastic India)

Stories of mules, dogs, elephants, and other unsung heroes of war may not sound like everyone’s go-to read, but this book is unexpectedly universal. Confession: I worked on it with Nandini in 2024-25, and while the animals’ trauma was difficult to face while editing the manuscript, it felt necessary. Adults will be struck by how it reframes courage and loyalty, showing that bravery often looks quieter and more empathetic than we imagine and that those lessons matter far beyond the battlefield.