There are a lot of children's books out there, and some of them are so inspiring and so hopeful that readers can't help but want to reread and live the adventures over and over again. Teachers assign them, parents buy them, and kids fight over who gets to check them out of the library first. Some are books that make children want to be doctors or lawyers or archaeologists. Some are so uplifting that they bring a smile to the face of any reader, no matter how many years have passed. And then there is the other sort of children's book. The sort that makes us suspect that all teachers are secretly sadistic monsters for assigning them. The sort that we read for "fun" that really end up being not fun at all. The sort that were so emotionally traumatising that we can't even look at them now without a deep sense of foreboding. The bravest of us may venture into a reread of the classics among them, but there are few who could claim not to be at least tempted to skip the part where a character died, an animal was shot or a quest was failed. After all, if we don't see it on the tear-stained page, maybe it won't happen this time. Some of us were bibliophiles who destroyed our eyesight reading by flashlight into the wee hours of the morning. Others did assigned readings because they knew that there was only so long that they could fake their way through Othello. Nevertheless, there were some moments in children's literature that affected avid and reluctant readers alike. Prepare yourself for the 10 most devastating. *Major spoilers will follow for many very popular works such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Flies, Little Women etc.*
Fiction buff and writer. If it's on Netflix, it's probably in my queue. I've bought DVDs for the special features and usually claim that the book is better than the movie or show (and can provide examples). I've never met a TV show that I won't marathon. Follow on Twitter @lah9891 .
