Editorial Review

Anyone who has ever entertained the notion of "little people" living furtively among us will adore this artfully spun classic.

Reviews (44)

The Borrowers
The book I chose to read is called The Borrowers, written by Mary Norton.I would have to say that the main conflict or theme to this story is about a girl named Arrintrey.She starts on a jouney to find or get in touch with members of her family who live far away with the help of a special boy.Throughout this journey they help one another and become good friends who rely on each other very much.
The Borrowers
The book I chose to read is called The Borrowers, written by Mary Norton.I would have to say that the main conflict or theme to this story is about a girl named Arrintrey.She starts on a jouney to find or get in touch with members of her family who live far away with the help of a special boy.Throughout this journey they help one another and become good friends who rely on each other very much.
PARALLEL LIFESTYLE--IN MINIATURE
Did you know that the real reason for human beans is to Keep Borrowers--unwittingly of course--supplied with oddments and bits of foot, hat and water?Mary Norton's children's classic remains as delightfully fresh and entrancing today as it did when it first appeared in 1953.Recounted by an insightful, elderly Mrs. May to a little girl, the story takes place in a country house in turn-of-the-century England.The author introduces her readers to a hidden race of little people called Borrowers--well, They don't consider it Stealing! Even their last names are borrowed--depending on where in the house they take up secret residence:Avoiding detection by the "human beans" on whom they rely
Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Classics    4. Family - General    5. Fantasy    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    8. Juvenile Fiction / Family / General   

Reviews (5)

Book Two in a Classic Series
Long before there were Littles or anyone shrunk their children, Mary Norton had written this warm and wonderful series about a race of tiny people who live hidden in quiet country houses and "borrow" their livings from the human inhabitants. Their lives depend on remaining unseen and unsuspected.
A slow starter but good book all around
This book is the second book in a series by Mary Norton about little people who borrow what they need to survive from humans.The borrowers from book one are Arrietty, Homily and Pod.They continue their story in this sequel.In this book other borrowers are introduced.These include Spiller, Uncle Hendreary, Eggletina(one of Arrietty's three cousins) and Aunt Lupy. The Borrowers Afield
This book is about a very tiny family who is smoked out of their house under the floorboards of an old England home. They are forced to move to the fields and go on a journey to their relatives house. along the way they find a boot to live in and a tree stump for shelter. They meet a boy named Spiller who helps them out a little. In the end................ ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Classics    4. Family - General    5. Fantasy    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction / Family / General   

Reviews (5)

Book Three in a Classic Series
Long before there were Littles or anyone shrunk their children, Mary Norton had written this warm and wonderful series about a race of tiny people who live hidden in quiet country houses and "borrow" their livings from the human inhabitants. Their lives depend on remaining unseen and unsuspected.
The third house to fourth in the third book
In this book, "The borrowers afloat" the Clocks once again venture out of a their brand new (rundown) house. This is their 3rd house in the 3rd book. This book tells how they manage "afloat" to get away from the empty cotttage, and "SPECIAL" relatives. Will they get to their dream house?

More adventures with the Borrowers
In this, the third book in the Borrowers series (after The Borrowers, and The Borrowers Afield), the Clocks (Pod, Homily and Arrietty) find that they must leave the safety of their new house and venture forth once again into the great big world. Setting their sights on Little Fordham, a miniature model town, the Clocks follow young Spiller out. But the world is a dangerous place for someone as small as a Borrower, and their voyage is filled with excitement.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Classics    4. Family - General    5. Fantasy    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction / Family / General   

Reviews (6)

Strawberry Basket Balloon
Being 13, I'm pretty picky, but this book was awsome! It's so in my shopping cart! I love how the Clocks are so smart, they can make everything out of anything! This book really appeased me, because I love models and mineature things, an the thought of moving, living, mineature people is so thrilling! I really liked how they made a hot-air balloon out of a strawberry basket, a fountain pen, and a plastic (or toy, as it says in the book) balloon. Soooo coool! I'm SO reading the other books (I've already read the book and seen the movie "The Borrowers").

The Borrowers Aloft
Again great reading in this series of books.Couldn't put it down.Great for children and adults alike

The Borrowers Aloft
I liked this book a lot. I like to read about how resourceful the Borrowers are when they use stuff humans don't need or misplace. It had really nice pictures, too. I recommend this book to kids five years and older. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Classics    4. Family - General    5. Fantasy fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction / Family / General   

Reviews (5)

The Final Installment in a Classic Series
Long before there were Littles or anyone shrunk their children, Mary Norton had written this warm and wonderful series about a race of tiny people who live hidden in quiet country houses and "borrow" their livings from the human inhabitants. Their lives depend on remaining unseen and unsuspected.
Fascinatingly different
This book was written in 1982 as an afterthought to the earlier books (The Borrowers (1952), The Borrowers Afield (1955), The Borrowers Afloat (1959), and Poor Stainless (1966)). This follows the Clocks (Pod, Homily and Arrietty) after their escape from the Platters. Having found their way to an old rectory, the Clocks realize that they will never really be safe. The Saga Continues
Just to set everyone straight, this book is NOT based on the campy, sellout movie "The Borrowers." The movie should be renounced by all true fans, as it is a badly done attempt at commercializing on MaryNorton's brilliant ideas. Anyway, "The Borrowers Avenged" waswritten more than ten years before the Borrowers movie. It continues thestory of Pod, Homily, and Arrietty, as they finally settle into an oldrectory. It raises important questions about the future--(who will Arriettymarry, Spiller or Peagreen? I tend to think Peagreen.), but as all goodNorton stories, gives you room to decide for yourself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Classics    4. Family - General    5. Fantasy    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction / Family / General   

Reviews (4)

Highly recommended
This wonderful book was written in 1975 by Mary Norton (1903-92), the author of the incomparable Borrowers stories. It tells the story of James, whose dream takes him to a distant land, where he meets many of the characters of old folktales, such as Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jack-the-Giant-Slayer and Jack-of-the-Beanstalk. But, they are all old now, and past adventures. But, when the daughter of Beauty and the Beast (Boofy and Beau to their friends) needs help, James rises to the occasion. Although he's usually a fan of Science fiction, James must maneuver himself and the girl through this magical wonderland, in search of a magical frog, and answering the question, "Are all the giants dead?" A pleasant, minor fantasy.
"Are All the Giants Dead?" is a very fun story peppered with clever in-jokes for those who love fairy tales. Clever Fairy Tale for Adults
This is a neat little dream-narrative but I would describe it as more for adults than children.It's a gentle dream fantasy which plays with the 'rules' of the classic fairy-tale genre.You really have to be a seriousfairy-tale fan to get the jokes. Brian Froud's illustrations are a treat,as always. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 2-3    3. Fairy tales    4. Fantasy    5. Fantasy fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    8. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (7)

bed knobs and wonderful
I bought this book after see the movie as a child still great loved every minute of it.

A HORRIBLE BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I do not recommend this book!!! I took so long to finish it. Do not read it. You will fall asleep in minutes!!!!!!!

Bed-Knob and Broomstick By:Norton, Mary
Bed - Knob and broomstickRead more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 3-4    4. Classics    5. England    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Magic    9. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    10. Space and time    11. Witches    12. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Features

• Large Print

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Family - General    4. Fantasy    5. General    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Large type books   

Reviews (5)

WAY better than the movie
as you know, i am a BIG Disney fan, BUT this book is so much better than the movie - can't tell you, you must read it! the wonder and excitement and the MAGIC. oh how i loved those innocent days of youth, i used to read books like this for hours, lost in imagination. great book, and when reading try not to think of Angela Landsbury...

Great
I found this book every enjoyable, It's in two parts, which comes in the one book. It's differnet to the Disney movie in regards to the adventure, but the rest is more or less the same, the bed and her falling of the broom.
Magical!
Once I saw the Bedknobs and Broomsticks movie I wanted to read the book. At once I fell in love that Ms. Price, prim and proper, is a witch. I recommend this book to anyone who likes witches, magic, adventure and flying beds. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Anthologies    2. General    3. Horror & Ghost Stories    4. Juvenile Fiction   

Subjects:  1. Children's stories, English    2. Children's stories, Spanish    3. Fantasy    4. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    5. Translations from English    6. Translations into Spanish   

Reviews (2)

A memory of earlier Borrower days
While Arrietty and Homily sit and sew on a piece of cloth, Arrietty asks for a story. Homily reaches back and tells of an adventure from her younger days. When she was young, there was a mischievous boy Borrower named Stainless Knife Machines (a Borrower's last name is always drawn from where they live). When Stainless disappears one day, everyone goes looking for "poor Stainless." Not as interesting as the other books in the series...
This is a short story of a young borrower, Stainless, who was asked to go 'borrow' a bit of parsley from the human beings.Borrowing a bit of parsley is a simple job for any borrower, even young ones.Maybe a 5-minute job.But little Stainless was gone for a whole day and night.His mother was very worried about his safety, so the borrower grandfathers,passed an order that all borrowers, no matter male or female (except thevery young ones), form search parties to look for Stainless.You have toread the rest to find out what happened because if I go on with the review,you'll know what happened in the end as it is really a very short story. Happy reading! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children's stories, English    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Fantasy    5. General   

Features

• Large Print

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Family - General    4. Fantasy    5. General    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Large type books    8. Fiction   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. Juvenile fiction    2. Witchcraft   

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Fiction   

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy    2. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic