Novels told through the eyes of a child

What is so appealing about adult novels told through a young person's point of view?  Maybe it's because I'm past the half century mark myself that I'm drawn to the energy and innocence of these young protagonists.  (Funny thing is, the authors are all adults! I guess we can all tap into our inner child.)  At any rate, here are some of my favorites from the last several years:

7-year-old Elsa

Seven-year-old Elsa is given the task to convey apologies from her recently deceased grandmother, an irascible troublemaker whose escapades included throwing monkey poo at police officers and pelting neighbors with paint balls. When her grandmother was alive, Elsa shared with her a secret code language and an imaginary fantasy land; Elsa comes to realize that these shared secrets are key in decoding some of the mysteries surrounding her grandmother and the very unusual inhabitants of their apartment building.

8 year old Max

Eight-year-old Max is on the autism spectrum. His imaginary friend, "Budo", helps him cope with a bully, but Max's parents are troubled by the existence of this imaginary friend.  Even as they are working with a therapist to try to put an end to Budo's existence, it will turn out that Max will need Budo to save his life...

11 year old Flavia

Eleven-year-old Flavia De Luce is only 11 years old, but she is a whiz at chemistry, with a special interest in poisons.  This charming English mystery series takes place in England in the 1950s.

11 year old Julia

Eleven-year-old Julia's story is set in the near future, when the earth's rotation mysteriously begins to slow.  As nights and days lengthen, the rhythms of nature are thrown off, with ensuing famine, flooding, and catastrophe.  Julia's life as an emerging adolescent seems almost equally devastating, as she experiences first love, dealing with ostracizing cliques, and other coming-of-age struggles.

12 year old Henry

Twelve-year-old Henry Shackleford is mistaken for a girl because of his small frame and curly hair in this National Book Award winner set during the last 1850s,  In this disguise, he accidentally joins the fanatical abolitionist John Brown on his crusade to end slavery, culminating in the failed raid on Harper's Ferry.  McBride injects the narrative with hilarity and lots of colorful dialogue, making a tragic chapter in American history more palatable.

12 year old Peyton

Twelve-year-old Peyton lives in a small town in 1960s Alabama.  The highlight of her days are the meetings of The Losers Club, where she and fellow members Boot and Ernie trade stories of their humiliation.  Peyton's life is thrown for a loop with the appearance of her
wild-child cousin, Nora, whose more radical and progressive racial politics shakes up the small town.  A loving tribute to Harper Lee's classic.

13 year old Frank

Thirteen-year-old Frank and his little brother Jake experience a life-changing summer in 1961 in Minnesota, in another novel that bears semblance to To Kill a Mockingbird.  A series of unsolved murders shake the small town and expose racial tensions with the region's Indian population, and as Frank and Jake eavesdrop on adult conversations, they look to their minister father for answers that are hard to come by.






For more books like these, please see the list, Stories for Adults Told from a Child's POV

What are your favorite novels featuring a child protagonist?