Books With Child Narrators
I noticed a trend this year that I love. Some of the best books I read were books with child narrators. These are adult books told from a child’s perspective, rather then books intended for children or teens.
The unique literary device of telling a story from the perspective of a child allows the author the chance to address serious topics from a more innocent perspective. These plots develop at a different pace when the narrator is a child.
While many of these books are coming-of-age novels for adults, not all of them are. I included mysteries and thrillers, memoirs, and, of course, books for book clubs. And despite the fact that child narrators are unreliable, it is their age that makes them so, rather than their behavior.
The Best Adult Books with Child Narrators
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
The Best Literary and Contemporary Fiction Books with Child Narrators
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward- Jump to section
The Best Historical Fiction Told From a Child’s Perspective
Hum if You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais- Jump to Section
The Best Mystery and Thriller Books with Child Narrators
The Lovely Bones by Jodi Picoult- Jump to Section
The Best Classic Novels with a Child Narrator
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- Jump to Section
Best Memoir Told from a Child’s POV
Solito by Javier Zamora- Jump to Section
The Best Book Club Told From a Child’s Perspective
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy- Jump to Section
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Literary and Contemporary Novels with Child Narrators
Sing, Unburied, Sing
Author: Jesmyn Ward
Year: 2017
Genre: Literary Fiction
More info: *Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This book is an award winner and the writing is undeniably wonderful. The story itself has elements of magic that add to the difficult subject matter. Jojo’s mother, Leonie, is Black woman who packs up her kids in the car to pick up Jojo’s father, Michael, from prison. Michael is a white man who has been absent from Joo’s life. In the car is the ghost of a 13-year-old boy. It is his voice that teaches Jojo about relationships, life, and love.
Trigger Warnings
Drugs, Violence, Poverty
Why Jackie loves it
The characters did not develop throughout the story as much as I would have liked, but this ghost book is a worthwhile read when considering the wonderful writing. The paranormal aspect makes this a great book for fall.
Find this book in: Jazz Age Books / Ghost Books / Books About Road Trips / Books with Child Narrators
Plot
Wow. This powerful coming-of-age story occurs during the summer when KB turns 11 and moves in with her grandfather for a few months. While her mother is off seeking treatment, KB is still grappling with the recent loss of her father to opioid addiction.
As she tries to acclimate to her new surroundings, she meets cousins, learns to connect with Grandpa, deals with racism for the first time, and watches her sister grow further from her as she becomes a teen.
Trigger Warnings
Sexual assault, Death of parent, Racism
Why Kirsten loves it
KB was a powerful narrator and Harris’s talent is evident in the way she wrote KB’s voice. I look forward to reading more from Kai Harris in the future.
Find this book in: Coming-of-age Books for Adults / Books with Child Narrators
The Girl with the Louding Voice
Author: Abi Daré
Year: 2020
Genre: Fiction
More info: February 2020 Read with Jenna Book Club Pick, Adunni #1
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Adunni lives in a small Nigerian village, but she dreams of getting her education so she can grow into the woman she wants to be. Her goal is to escape poverty and save other girls like herself in the process. She longs for an education but is sold into marriage with a much older man.
She never stops working toward her dreams and trying to build herself the future she dreamed of. This hopeful story shows that anyone can change the world.
Trigger Warnings
Rape, Child Abuse
Why Jackie loves it
This is an incredibly powerful book that looks at poverty, following your dreams, and never giving up which will simultaneously lift you up and break your heart.
Find this book in: Read with Jenna Book Club 2020 / Novels About Africa / Books with Child Narrators
Ginny Moon
Author: Ludwig Benjamin
Year: 2017
Genre: Fiction
More info: Editor’s Pick
Age Range: 14+
Plot
I Loved this story of an autistic girl who struggled to find a place with her new adopted family. The story was told from the perspective of the girl (written by the parent of an autistic child) and it was fascinating. Ginny is struggling. Her adoptive parents and her friends all love her, but she is determined to go back to her birth mother to retrieve something she lost.
Why Kirsten loves it
This book really helped me understand the inner workings of autism. Even though tt made me very anxious because Ginny’s inner dialogue is very different than mine, I highly recommend this book.
Find this book in: Books With Neurodivergent Characters / The Best Books of 2017 / Books with Child Narrators
Hungered
Author: Amanda Rizkalla
Year: 2026
Genre: Literary Fiction
More info: September 2026 Oprah Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
In this debut novel, Sofia is just a 12-year-old living in the car with her mother and brother as they try to find normalcy while being displaced. It’s a coming-of-age story about survival and resilience in the face of the unknown.
Trigger Warnings
Domestic abuse, Racism
Why Kirsten loves it
I can’t get over what an incredible debut this was. Sofia’s maturity and growth over the course of the story mirrored the writing style, which became more connected and less disjointed. It’s hard to have a child narrate and still leave clues for readers to infer what is actually going on, allowing for more understanding from the reader’s inference than from the actual narrator, but Rizkalla nailed that balance.
She masterfully captured the tightrope walk of living on the edge of poverty in America, with help just a fingertip out of reach for Sofia’s family. I couldn’t put this story down, and I know it will stay with me for years to come.
Find this book in: Oprah Book Club List 2026 / Books About Poverty and Its Impact / Best Fiction Books of 2026 / Books with Child Narrators
Historical Fiction Told From a Child’s Perspective
Hum If You Don’t Know the Words
Author: Bianca Marais
Year: 2017
Genre: Historical fiction
More info: Characters from this book appear in If You Want to Make God Laugh
Age Range: 14+
Plot
This coming-of-age story examines the relationship between a black woman named Beauty and a white girl named Robyn in apartheid South Africa in 1976. This novel is a brutally honest and emotionally compelling story, unlike anything I have ever read.
This book begins just before the 1976 Soweto uprising in which thousands of black students marched in protest of the apartheid government. Though the protest was peaceful, police open-fired killing a hundred children.
This historical fiction led to the most amazing discussions with our book club. The characters jump off the page. I was completely absorbed from the first sentence on the first page until the last page of the book. It is a powerful and poignant book.
Trigger Warnings
War, parental death
Why Jackie loves it
I had never read anything about the Soweto uprising. Even though this is a book filled with deep and emotional plotlines, there were times in the book that I laughed out loud. This is the first book from Marais and is a brilliant debut novel.
Why Kirsten loves it
This was a powerful novel that impacted me emotionally on so many levels. At the same time, the book never felt too heavy and I felt compelled to keep reading. I loved the characters and their development from the beginning to the end of the book.
Find this book in: Ultimate List of Historical Fiction Books / Jackie’s All-Time Favorite Books / Novels About Africa / Best Books of 2017 / Books with Child Narrators
This Tender Land
Author: William Kent Krueger
Year: 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This is the story of four orphan children who find themselves traveling in a canoe down the Mississippi from Minnesota in 1932. Odie O’Banion is forced to flee the Lincoln School with his brother Albert, their best friend Mose, and a girl named Emmy. The school is a place where Indigenous children are sent after being forcefully separated from their parents.
We follow the four children during one summer and the result is a spectacular novel about families, love, and bonds that connect us all.
Trigger Warnings
Child abuse
Why Jackie loves it
The summary of this book does not do justice to the words within the pages. Read it. Love it. And then email me so we can talk about it. If you have not read this book, it is a perfect book for book clubs. This is one of the rare books that comes along that fills in all the nooks and crannies in my heart.
Find this book in: The Best Books of 2019 / Ultimate List of Best Historical Fiction Books / Books about Orphans and Foster Care / Books with Child Narrators
Before We Were Yours
Author: Lisa Wingate
Year: 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This story is split between 1939 and the present day. In the past, Rill and her younger siblings live in a shantyboat in Memphis. When her parents have to go to the hospital one night, all the children are rounded up and taken to the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, where Rill fights to keep her siblings together despite the cruelty of the people in charge.
In the present, wealthy socialite Avery is preparing for her wedding when she stumbles upon family secrets. She begins an investigation into the past and finds out her family’s connection to Rill’s.
Trigger Warnings
Child abuse, Sexual Assault, Child death
Why Kirsten loves it
This story was moving but hard to read. It’s based on a terrible but true story, and that makes it even harder to read at times because I knew it really happened. If you can handle everything in the trigger warnings, this is a must-read.
Find this book in: The Best Books About Siblings / Summary of The Calamity Club / Books about Orphans and Foster Care / Books with Child Narrators
The Secret Life of Bees
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Year: 2003
Genre: Literary Fiction
More info: Multi-million Best-selling Novel
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This story follows Lily Owens, a 14-year-old girl who runs away from her abusive father. It is 1964 in South Carolina and Lily wants the truth about her late mother. She finds refuge with three Black beekeeping sisters (August, June, and May) who teach her about love, family, and forgiveness. Through her journey, Lily discovers her own strength and begins to heal from her past.
Trigger Warnings
Racism, suicide, abuse
Why Jackie loves it
Sue Monk Kidd is a wonderful writer and this book is unlike anything else I have read. There are facts about bees at the start of every chapter and some elements of magical realism.
Find this book in: Books Set in the 1960s / Books With Secret in the Title / The Best Queen Camilla Book Club Books
Orphan Train
Author: Christina Baker Kline
Year: 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: #1 New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 16
Plot
Orphan Train depicts a sad time in American history. Children were sent via train from the East to the Midwest from the late 1800s to 1929 because parents could not afford to house, clothe, or feed their children.
This story follows Vivian and Molly and moves between Depression-era Minnesota and Maine.
Why Jackie loves it
This is such a sad time in American history, and yet, this book is written in such a compelling way; it was hard to put it down. It is the perfect choice to read if you are looking for a Disney retelling to read as an adult.
Find this book in: Adult Retellings of Disney Classics / Adult Versions of Favorite Childhood Books / Books Set in Maine / Books about Orphans and Foster Care / Books with Child Narrators
Plot
This magical realism book is narrated by Death. Death tells the story of Liesel, a young girl in Nazi Germany in 1939. Liesel is living with her foster parents and learning to read from stolen books. She also shares these books with the Jewish man who is hiding in her basement.
Trigger Warnings
Death, Antisemitism, War
Why Kirsten loves it
This book is a brilliant, powerful, poignant, and unforgettable look at Nazi Germany. It’s becoming part of many school curricula for good reason. I’ve never read a story that encapsulates life for ordinary children during this harrowing time in history.
Find this book in: WWII Books for Kids / YA Historical Fiction Books / Books about the Holocaust / Coming-of-age Books for Teens / The Best Queen Camilla Book Club Books / Historical Fiction Books About Books / Books About Books / Books with Child Narrators
Mystery and Thriller Books with Child Narrators
The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
Year: 2002
Genre: Mystery
More info: National Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Susie Salmon was raped and murdered when she was 14 years old, and she’s narrating this story from heaven as she watches her family try to figure out what happened to her. It’s a historical fiction story set in the 1970s that also sees Susie keeping tabs as her family and friends as they try to gain closure, while trying to get closure for herself too.
Trigger Warnings
Rape, Death of a Child
Why Kirsten loves it
Believe it or not, I actually read this for my freshman year of college. I don’t know whether studying it in school or seeing the Stanley Tucci adaptation made this story one I’ll always remember, but it still haunts me.
Find this book in: Books Set in the 70s / Books with Child Narrators
Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Year: 2009
Genre: YA Historical Mystery
More info: Flavia De Luce #1
Age Range: 12+
Plot
This is the first book in the Flavia De Luce series. This 11-year-old aspiring chemist is a wonderful heroine who is smart and precocious. In this first book, it is 1950 and Flavia has a love of poisons. When she finds a man taking his last breath in a cucumber patch, she is not scared at all, rather, she delights in solving the mystery.
Why Kirsten loves it
Flavia is an absolute delight to read as she’s easily one of the most unique characters in a mystery series. My dad recommended this series to me. I read it, loved it, and promptly passed it on to my 12-year-old. I love that this story works for readers of all generations.
Why Jackie loves it
This is one of the best first mystery books for younger readers as it does not have violence.
Find this book in: Best Historical Mystery Books / Best Mystery Books of All Time / Best Books for 13-year-olds / British Mystery Books / Best Cozy Mystery Books / Fun Books for Teens / Books with Food in the Title / Books with Child Narrators
Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Year: 2011
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 18+
Plot
This is a haunting story about a woman held captive in a shed for years with her five-year-old son. She tries to teach him and entertain him in their tiny room until they have a chance to escape. Following their escape, they find acclimating to normal life to be challenging, especially for the little boy.
Trigger Warnings
Rape, Kidnapping
Why Jackie loves it
Even though the saying is “the book is better”, the movie adaptation of this contemporary fiction book written by a Canadian author was really good. There are only a few other book adaptations I would add to that list. This story will pull on your heartstrings and leave you in tears.
Find this book in: Books About Motherhood / Isolation Books / Canadian Novels / Novels About Trauma / Books with Child Narrators
Classic Novels with Child Narrators
To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Year: 1960
Genre: Classic Middle Grade Fiction
Age: 12+
More info: Pulitzer Prize Winner
Plot
This coming-of-age novel is about Scout, a young girl whose father, Atticus, is a lawyer in her Southern town. As she grows, she realizes the prejudices within her town – culminating in her watching a trial as her father defends Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.
Trigger Warnings
Racism, Rape
Why Kirsten loves it
This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was also made into an Academy Award-winning movie. I still remember learning about this book in seventh-grade English. It’s a powerful novel everyone should read.
Why Jackie loves it
I cannot count the number of times I have read this book. It is a coming-of-age book that was ahead of its time and is even more relevant today.
Find this book in: Coming of Age Books for Teens / Realistic Fiction / Thought-Provoking Books / Fun Books for Teens / Best Books for 12-year-olds / Books with Child Narrators
The House on Mango Street
Author: Sandra Cisneros
Year: 1984
Genre: YA Fiction
Age: 13+
More info: March 2024 Read with Jenna Book Club Pick
Plot
This classic kid’s book is about a Latino neighborhood in Chicago. Widely studied (and banned) across the country, Esperanza Cordero’s coming-of-age story defines a generation.
Within its pages, Esperanza is struggling against stereotypes and the expectations of growing up on Mango Street. While she fights to leave her neighborhood behind, she realizes that she can’t outrun the impact the neighborhood had on shaping her.
Trigger Warnings
Sexual Assault
Why Kirsten loves it
While Jenna recently picked the 25th-anniversary edition for her book club, I have loved this story since I read it in middle school. The way Cisneros writes paints the most vivid picture in my mind.
Find this book in: Coming-of-Age Books for Teens / Read with Jenna / Books with Food in the Title / Best Read With Jenna Books / Read with Jenna Book Club List 2024 / Books with Child Narrators
Memoirs with Child Narrators
Solito
Author: Javier Zamora
Year: 2022
Genre: Memoir
More info: September 2022 Read with Jenna Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I was blown away by Javier Zamora’s memoir about his solo journey to America. At just 9-years-old, he traversed 3,000 miles, to reunite with his parents in America.
While his grandpa accompanies him for the beginning of his journey, they soon have to part ways and he is left in the care of the adults traveling with him on his journey.
Trigger Warnings
Deportation, Racism
Why Kirsten loves it
This story is seared into my memory. I was so grateful for the mother on the journey who took him in as her own. Frustrated, sorrowful, and ultimately joy were all emotions I felt while reading this book.
Find this book in: Best Books of 2022 / Books about Immigration / Best Read With Jenna Books / Read with Jenna Book Club List 2022 / Immigration Memoirs /Books with Child Narrators
Plot
This is an amazing recount of Jeanette Walls’s upbringing and childhood. She is a successful journalist and writer living in New York City. Her parents also live in New York; however, they choose to be homeless. Jeanette Wells’s upbringing was unconventional and her parents did not offer her a structured childhood.
Trigger Warnings
Alcoholism, Child abuse
Why Jackie loves it
This is a fascinating memoir that reads like fiction. It gives a unique perspective to mental illness from a close family member. Wells is able to do this without blame and with love and respect respect for both her parents.
Find this book in: Thought-provoking Books / Coming-of-age Books for Adults / Books about Poverty / Books like Where the Crawdads Sing / Best Nonfiction Books / Novels About Trauma / Memoirs / Books with Child Narrators
Book Club Books Told From a Child’s Perspective
Wild Dark Shore
Author: Charlotte McConaghy
Year: 2025
Genre: Literary Fiction
More info: November 2025 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This novel is unique, compelling, and unputdownable. It’s the story of a tiny island near Antarctica that holds one of the world’s seed vaults, a place that holds the last parts of life should the world be destroyed. Due to climate change, the island is being swallowed by the sea, and the caretakers and scientists need to pack up the seeds to prepare to move them to a new location.
But the isolated island holds lots of secrets – including that none of the scientists remain, the communications lines to the outside world no longer work, and now a mysterious woman has washed ashore with secrets of her own.
Trigger Warnings
Destruction by fire, death
Why Kirsten loves it
I can’t stop thinking of this INCREDIBLE story. The premise, the set-up, and the writing combined to create a narrative that held me captive and had me gasping and crying in equal measure. I felt the ending in my bones as I reluctantly turned the last page. I’ll be recommending this book for years to come. #gifted
Why Jackie Loves it
This is a unique story that is scary in how relevant this story is with its references to fires and climate change. The story immediately captivated me, but I was even more invested with every chapter. This is a dystopian mystery thriller with family drama all rolled into one powerful book. The end had me gasping. #gifted
Find this book in: Winter Books / Best Books for Book Clubs to Read / Dystopian Novels / Best Fiction Books of 2025 / Best Reese Witherspoon Book Club Books / Reese Witherspoon Book Club 2025 / Best Books of 2025/ Best Winter Books / Books Set on an Island / Books with Child Narrators
The Calamity Club
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Author of The Help, New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Meg Lafleur, at 11-years-old, is an unadoptable child at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum. Birdie Calhoun comes to Oxford, Mississippi, to ask her sister for help, but discovers that her sister’s charmed life is a lie as the Depression continues. When Birdie encounters Charlie, another woman with nothing to lose, and Meg, the three of them come up with a plan to claim what is theirs.
Trigger Warnings
Child abuse, Alcoholism, Racism, Homophobia, Suicide
Why Kirsten loves it
What a treasure this book is! I would give it 6 stars if I could. I started it earlier in the summer and had to put it down while going through surgery because I knew it needed my full attention. When I went back to it, it was like reunited with old friends.
Meg as a narrator was tremendous; I felt for her more because of her inner monologue. Birdie was a powerhouse woman not to be underestimated, and the side characters were each so fleshed out that I could picture them vividly. They all brought a different angle to the story of life for women and children during this time period.
This story will break your heart, mend it, and break it all over again. Tears will be shed, but it ultimately is an uplifting story of sisterhood, resilience, and maternal bonds. It is a tremendous accomplishment by Kathryn Stockett.
Find this book in: The Best Long Books over 500 Pages / Summary of The Calamity Club / Best Historical Fiction Books of 2026 / Books Like Where the Crawdads Sing / Books about Orphans and Foster Care / Best Books for Book Clubs / Books with Child Narrators
Liar’s Dice
Author: Juliet Faithful
Year: 2026
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: August 2026 Beyond the Bookends Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Set in Brazil in the 70s, this thought-provoking novel showcases how far 13-year-old Dolores will go to be united with her disabled twin sister, Mita. Told in multiple timelines, Dolores looks back at how Mita came to have cerebral palsy and ultimately why she was removed from her home. Simultaneously, Dolores’s quest to be reunited with Mita while navigating her parents’ complicated marriage and trying to acclimate to The British School, to which she was transferred following her father’s recent promotion.
Trigger Warnings
Ableism, Transphobia
Why Kirsten loves it
Unable to read or write at the beginning, Dolores’s narrative is unlike that of other child protagonists. Being inside her head was marvelous, as I could see exactly why she was reacting the way she was, and I could infer more of the context she was missing because I’m reading it as an adult.
The fact that this was a debut was astounding. The setting was lush, the prose was incredible, and Dolores was so vividly made alive that I felt I was her at points while reading. Additionally, the secondary characters and storylines were as fleshed out as Dolores and Mita’s stories, with topics like class, the impacts of parenting a chronically ill child, transphobia, and self-harm all examined at various parts of the story. I’ll be thinking of this story for years to come. #gifted by PRH Audio
Find this book in: Books Set in Tropical Locations / The Best Coming-of-Age Books for Adults / Best Books for Book Clubs / Best Historical Fiction Books of 2026 / The Best Thousand Voices Books / Summary of The Calamity Club / Books with Child Narrators
Demon Copperhead
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Year: 2022
Genre: Fiction
More info: November 2022 Oprah Book Club Pick
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Demon Copperhead is set in southern Appalachia. Demon is born to a teenage single mother in a trailer. Demon is sent to foster care, where he is introduced to drugs and alcohol at a very young age. Quickly, Demon must learn to survive in a world that doesn’t care what happens to him. It is a heart-wrenching story about learning to survive despite the odds stacked against you. This is a classic retelling of David Copperfield.
Trigger Warnings
Drug Use, Addiction
Why Jackie loves it
If you bought Demon Copperhead, you have contributed to Higher Ground, a women’s recovery residence. I loved this book, and yet, it tore my heart out. The writing and the story are beautiful, but I would not recommend this to anyone who doesn’t have the time to appreciate it and the emotional stability to handle this poignant book.
Find this book in: Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Fiction & Non-Fiction Books About Addiction / Classic Book Retellings / Oprah Book Club List 2022 / Books about Orphans and Foster Care/ Books with a Name in the Title / Books with Child Narrators
Expert Tip
- Please be mindful of the trigger warnings – many of these stories have serious topics that can be truly heartbreaking when a child is narrating.
- Pay extra close attention to details. Child narrators may observe something in passing that adult readers can infer more information about what is happening than the child can.
Reading challenges are more fun (and easier to finish) with company. In the Beyond the Bookends Book Club, we read one book together each month, share our thoughts, and then hear the story behind the story straight from the author. Plus, the book is already picked for you, so there is one less decision to make. If you would love a few reading friends for your 2027 reading challenge, we’d be happy to have you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a child narrator?
A child narrator is any narrator in the story who is under the age of 18. This includes teen narrators as well.
Why do authors write adult novels from a child’s point of view?
Children have different life experiences and perspectives than adults. Using a child as a narrator can allow the reader to look at familiar situations with a fresh perspective.
As adults, we can become emotionally numb to the realities of society- whether it be racism, sexism, or classism. A child’s viewpoint will have knowledge gaps that the reader has to fill in, which can be more emotional.
What are the best adult books narrated by a child?
Hungered, Room, and The Calamity Club are some of the best stories narrated by children, and they will all stick with you for years to come.
Is child narrator an unreliable narrator?
A child narrator is unreliable, but in a different way than an adult. A child has less experience and less context than an adult. A child is also more innocent than an adult. A child narrator is a filter through which the author can give the reader certain information, while omitting other information.
Typically, an unreliable narrator is an adult who is intentionally unreliable, or unintentionally unreliable due to amnesia or substance abuse, rather than naivety.
What is the difference between a book with a child narrator and a coming-of-age novel?
A coming-of-age novel does not always have a child narrator. In fact, I have a list of The Best Coming-of-Age Books for Adults. These are narrated by children and adults.
When looking at adult books with child narrators, these are not all coming-of-age stories.
What counts as a book narrated by a child for a reading challenge?
Books narrated by teens (like Sweetness at the Bottom of Pie) or children count as a child narrator.
Does an adult looking back count as a child narrator?
Yes. Jackie and I consider an adult telling a story from when they were a child a child narrator.
What are the best book club books narrated by a child?
This is such a tough one, but I’d have to say The Calamity Club and Hum if You Don’t Know the Words take the cake. There is so much to discuss about these stories.
Related Content
Epilogue
This burgeoning narrative device has become more popular in recent years, but it can be immensely difficult to pull off. These are my favorites, but I’m curious which books with child narrators you think I’m missing from this list.
