What so-called "children's" or juvenile fiction is both good for all ages, and worthy inspiration for RPGs?

I guess really I'm thinking of genre fiction as opposed to Judy Bloom & Beverly Cleary stuff, even though I remember liking some of the latter's work. Eh, forget it, I'd readily play a Runaway Ralph game.

If you'd like to argue what makes children's vs. adult I'm also all ears.

A starting list for me:

The Hobbit
Elidor
The Wolf King
Runaway Ralph
Stranger from the Depths
Norse Gods & Giants
The Mushroom Planet books by Eleanor Cameron
The Phantom Tollbooth
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass

Admittedly a number of the above were read when I was in elementary or middle school, and may benefit from rose-tinted glasses.

And a few I would exclude as too "kiddie":

Harry Potter (Honestly I don't see the attraction for adults. Though I admit, I haven't read it at all.)
The Chronicles of Prydain (Ditto.)
A Wrinkle in Time (General distaste.)
The Chronicles of Narnia (General distaste, plus wondering how it could possibly be of interest as an RPG.)

I suppose what I conclude from this list is that children's fiction is mostly fiction in which children are the protagonists, or a childlike character--someone small in a big world. And that what separates the "universal appeal" from the "for kiddies only" stuff is basically whether I enjoyed the book or not.

No Le Guin, Elliot?

Isn't Earthsea aimed at children or is that young adult?

Regards,
David R

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper.

Henry Treece's historical novels for children.

Heinlein's juvenilia: mostly better than his adult stuff.

Wow. Except for AiW and The Hobbit, which I read when I was around 30, I haven't even heard of most of these books, much less read them.

AiW and TTLG were made into early D&D modules. Very good stuff, but I never got round to running them. Humpty-Dumpty is one tough cookie IIRC.

There are those Enid Blyton novels, which I did read (whatever their English name is), and an RPG loosely based on them does exist: Lashings of Ginger Beer. Would I want to play it? Hell no.

The world is still waiting for Settembrini to write the ultimate German juvenile adventure RPG: Winnetou. Unless he considers that too thematic for his taste.

Grimm's Fairy Tales

The Oz books by L. Frank Baum
The Roald Dahl books
The Brian Jaques Redwall books
The Buce Coville books
The Diane Duane "So You Want to be a Wizard" series
The Little Nemo in Slumberland comics by Winsor McKay.

The HP books get more adult as Harry (and the intended reader) does. Very nicely done.

-clash

Quote from: Pierce InverarityThe world is still waiting for Settembrini to write the ultimate German juvenile adventure RPG: Winnetou. Unless he considers that too thematic for his taste.

Speaking of Germany, we shouldn't forget The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.

Quote from: GrimGentSpeaking of Germany, we shouldn't forget The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.

Oh but we should forget it. But we can't. But we should.

Half Magic
A Series of Unfortunate Events (the Lemony Snicket books)
Sisters Grimm
His Dark Materials (Golden Compass, et. al.)
Ender's Game

Quote from: GrimGentSpeaking of Germany, we shouldn't forget The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.

Hmm...  Somehow, there's a game in Struwwelpeter...

Outside of what's already been mentioned then virtually anything written by Robin Jarvis is gold.

Lloyd Alexander (who died recently)
- The Chronicles of Prydain
- Arkadia

Rudyard Kipling
- Rikki Tikki Tavi
- Just So Stories
- The Jungle Book

Georgess McHargue
- Elidor and the Golden Ball

All of the above are much more mature then they seem, they're kind of like the old Flintstones and Jetsons cartoons that play on several levels at once. Particularly the India Stories by Kipling, of which many are English versions of common stories in the Far East.

EDIT: I should add, get the books and not the movies for the love of Christ. The movie versions always leave something important out.

Quote from: GrimGentThe Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper.

That is what I was going to recommend! Also, most of the early Hardy Boys mysteries (just add Cthulhu!) and To Kill a Mockingbird (for the old Radley place).

Quote from: flyingmiceThe Roald Dahl books

I think that both The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are probably pretty poor fodder for RPGs, though James and the Giant Peach is certainly an RPG-scale epic.