Mary Norton (1) (1903–1992)

After their narrow escape from the Platters' attic in "The Borrowers Aloft," Pod, Homily, and Arrietty Clock return to their miniature village. But it is no longer a safe refuge, and so once again the Borrowers must go looking for another place to live.

But finding a new home is hard when you're running for your life.

The villainous Platters will not rest until they recapture the tiny family, and they hound the Clocks' every move. When the Borrowers finally do set up house under a window seat in an old rectory, it seems they have found safety at last - until the platters turn up in the church one night, forcing the Borrowers into a final desperate struggle for their freedom.… (more)

#vacationread No 3: THE BORROWERS by Mary Norton, illustrated by Beth & Joe Krusch, from Clarion Books

THE BORROWERS is one of those children’s classics that I seem to have missed as a kid myself, and when it popped up on one of @greenhandbooks posts, I ordered a copy and I’m so glad I did! Mary Norton’s tale of tiny people that live in the walls and under the floors of houses and “borrow” our everyday items to make their homes with is positively charming.

Pod, Homily, and their daughter, Arrietty, the Clock family, live their quiet, routine lives under the floor of the kitchen of an English manor. They spend their days like anyone else, except for their size and their need to borrow our everyday items to furnish their minuscule home. When Pod is ‘seen’ by a young human boy, it sets in motion a series of events that lead to the Clocks doing everything they can to keep their secretive home.

This is a quick read with four follow-ups that continue the story of the Clocks, and I’ll be checking those out. I’m almost glad that I came to these as an adult, because I’m not sure I would have enjoyed all the nuances of the story as a kid. So, if you’re an adult and you’ve never read this, give it a try; it’s clever enough to keep adults amused.

🏷️ #TheBorrowers #MaryNorton #BethKrusch #JoeKrusch #ClarionBooks #childrensbooks #fantasy #middlegradebooks #books #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #bookworm #booklover #bookreview #frommybookshelf #frommybookshelfblog… (more)