Best Childhood

The inaugural novel of the Harry Potter series, 'Sorcerer's Stone' (or 'Philosopher's Stone' in the UK) introduces readers to the wizarding world and the orphaned Harry Potter. It establishes the core...

The Bluest Eye, Morrisons first novel published in 1970, is a heartbreaking portrayal of Pecola Breedlove, a young Black girl who longs for blue eyes, believing they will make her beautiful and worthy...

Erased is a tight, suspenseful mystery about a man who can travel back in time to prevent tragedies. When his mother is murdered, he is sent back to his childhood to stop a serial killer who targeted...

Anohana is a poignant exploration of how grief can fracture a group of friends and how they must reconcile their past to move forward. After the death of a childhood friend, the group drifts apart, on...

Jeannette Walls' 'The Glass Castle' recounts her unconventional and impoverished upbringing by eccentric and irresponsible parents. The memoir details their nomadic lifestyle, often living in dilapida...

Andy Murray's 'Open' is a brutally honest and deeply affecting autobiography, detailing his career highs and lows, including his struggles with injuries and mental health. Murray doesn't shy away from...

Angela Seligos's 'Are You My Mother?' is a raw and unflinching memoir about her search for her birth mother after being adopted. The graphic novel explores themes of abandonment, identity, and the com...

The first three Harry Potter films, directed primarily by Chris Columbus, capture the wonder and magic of J.K. Rowling's beloved books. 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' introduces the wizarding...

During a bright Nordic summer, a group of children discover they have hidden powers when the adults aren't looking. What starts as innocent play quickly turns dark as their abilities grow and their mo...

Taare Zameen Par is a deeply touching film about an eight-year-old boy who is struggling in school until a compassionate art teacher helps him discover his hidden potential. The film is a powerful cri...

Major follows the journey of Shota Hazama, a young baseball prodigy, as he navigates the challenges of pursuing his dream of becoming a professional player. The series is heartwarming and inspiring, f...

My Girl is a coming-of-age story centered around Vada Sultenfuss and her best friend, Thomas J. Mack. The film explores themes of friendship, loss, and the challenges of growing up. The tragic events...

Mary Karrs memoir is a seminal work that helped revitalize the genre in the 1990s. It recounts her chaotic childhood in a small Texas oil town, marked by a volatile mother and a cast of eccentric char...

Children of the New Dawn focuses on the experiences of children raised within the Rajneesh movement in Oregon. The documentary explores the unique upbringing these children received, the indoctrinatio...

Jacqueline Woodson's 'Brown Girl Dreaming' is a lyrical memoir in verse recounting her childhood growing up in the 1960s and 70s, navigating issues of race, identity, and family. The book offers a uni...

Frank McCourts Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir details his impoverished childhood in Limerick, Ireland. Despite the bleak circumstances of his upbringingmarked by hunger, disease, and his fathers alcoho...

This Swiss-French stop-motion film tells the story of a young boy nicknamed 'Zucchini' who is sent to an orphanage after his mother dies. Despite its dark premise, the film is a surprisingly tender, f...

Kim Taylor-Rhodes' 'The Sound of Gravel' is a memoir detailing her search for her birth parents in South Korea after being adopted as a baby. The book explores themes of identity, belonging, and the c...

Jonathan Haidt examines the dramatic rise in anxiety and depression among adolescents, linking it to the shift from a 'play-based' childhood to a 'phone-based' one. He provides a compelling argument f...

Maya Angelou's groundbreaking memoir, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' is a powerful and unflinching account of her childhood experiences with racism, trauma, and resilience. The book details her ex...

Tobias Wolff's 'This Boy's Life' is a gripping memoir of his turbulent childhood and adolescence. The book details his experiences with an abusive stepfather and his struggles to find stability and be...

Augusten Burroughs' 'Running with Scissors' is a darkly humorous and often shocking memoir of his unconventional upbringing after being dropped off at his psychiatrist's family home. The memoir is a c...

Sean Baker's 'The Florida Project' is a heartwarming and poignant film that follows a young girl and her mother living in a budget motel near Disney World. The film offers a realistic and empathetic p...

Directed by Richard Linklater, this film is a nostalgic, semi-autobiographical look at growing up in the 1960s during the height of the space race. Using a unique rotoscoping technique, the film blend...

Lyz Cooper's 'In a Sweetshop Window' is a highly experimental novel that explores the fragmented nature of memory and the complexities of childhood. The novels non-linear narrative structure and poeti...

Daniel Clowes' 'I Love Bedtime Stories' is a darkly humorous and introspective graphic memoir exploring themes of childhood, family, and mental health. The story is told through a series of fragmented...

Viola Davis' 'Finding Me' is a powerful and deeply personal memoir detailing her journey from a difficult childhood marked by poverty and racism to becoming a celebrated actress. The book explores the...

A young boy struggles with the arrival of his new baby sister, Mirai, until he discovers a magical garden that allows him to travel through time and meet his family members at different ages. This fil...

The Ocean at the End of the Lane, based on Neil Gaimans novel, is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant play that explores themes of childhood, memory, and imagination. The productions innovati...