We all think we know Kipling's story thanks to Disney, but The Jungle Book is actually a collection of fables, and only 3 out of 7 of them relate to Mowgli. I was only interested in these three stories because it was only about Mowgli that I wanted to read about, which left me quite frustrated at first. But whilst the other 4 fables give memorable moral lessons, the book is very dated and even I found them quite difficult to relate with. I wouldn't particularly say that this is a children's novel, because I think older readers will get much more out of it, but you do need to be prepared for a more in-depth story than the Disneyfied version. The stories of Mowgli and his friends are quite different from the story we know, but there's a lot more to appreciate in terms of imagination and adventure. They may not be the simple fairytale you were imagining, but Kipling is an incredible insightful writer.