Next up someone is going to claim that the Narnia series isn't kids books.
Kids books is probably not the best way to word it, you can enjoy them at every age, including your childhood, as you get older you may find new truths in them, but they're still good for any age.
“Children’s books” are books that are suitable for children to read. Not books that only children are allowed to read and find value in. Everyone needs to get over themselves and be able to appreciate childlike whimsy without having to recategorize it to justify it.
Most of my favorite books are children’s books.
It drives me nuts how little faith people have in children’s learning ability. Kids learn when they’re curious. Kids learn when they are enjoying an experience. If a kid is enjoying a story, they’re going to ask what certain words mean if they need help and that’s healthy. Asking questions is an essential part of learning and, so long as they receive an appropriate answer, can be incredibly rewarding.
If a kid happens to read my post please take this message to heart: ASK! Don’t feel ashamed about not knowing the answer immediately. It’s completely normal to encounter new words and phrases while reading and it’s perfectly fine to be confused. Any adult who shames you for asking questions is behaving in a very immature way. Don’t be afraid to question what you’re reading. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know what something means. Don’t be afraid to discuss your experience with a book with others, even if said others had a different experience. It’s ok to be challenged. You aren’t stupid for not knowing. If you want to read something, read it. Age levels for books are a recommendation not a law. Read what you want to read. Challenge yourself.
To any adult reading this: LET KIDS READ AND ASK QUESTIONS!!! Don’t mock them for not knowing something yet. Teach them. If they’re struggling offer assistance and withhold your judgement. If they’re excelling let them read the advanced books they may want to read. Encourage children to seek out answers. Kids don’t always need everything to be dumbed down for them. Dumbing EVERYTHING down for them insults their intelligence and, whether you realize it or not, they will take note of your lack of confidence in them. Kids usually don’t appreciate being treated like idiots any more than adults do. They know when you’re being overly patronizing and they often WILL resent you for it. They also often won’t push themselves to improve if you make it clear that you don’t believe that they can improve. It can be a struggle to learn, especially for some kids, but refusing to acknowledge that they are intelligent will never end well.
Also, the Hobbit is VERY MUCH a children’s book. It isn’t exclusively for children but it’s designed to function almost like a bedtime story/legendary tale. It’s a classic hero’s journey with a moral at the end that, despite having tragic moments in the story, is in no way extreme nor overly disturbing for the average reader. It’s a very well crafted story that’s great for ALL ages.
