The Borrowers: The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton

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The Borrowers: The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton

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Buy The Borrowers: The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Category: Confident Readers
Rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Ali Baker
Reviewed by Ali Baker
Summary: The first two books in the classic children's series beautifully repackaged to tie in with the BBC Christmas dramatisation.
Buy? Yes Borrow? Yes
Pages: 368 Date: November 2011
Publisher: Orion
ISBN: 978-1444005813

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Most people will be aware of the story of the Borrowers. First published in 1952, it has been dramatised several times, most recently as Arrietty, the beautiful Studio Ghibli animated film. A little girl called Kate is told a story by an elderly lady, Mrs May, who lodges with her parents. Her brother was sent as a small boy to stay with an elderly great-aunt in a large house near Leighton Buzzard, a market town in the Home Counties. He is recovering from a serious illness. The house is an ideal place for the Clock family, tiny people who survive by 'borrowing' from humans (even their names - Pod, Homily and Arrietty - sound as though they're repurposed from human names. However, the boy spots Arrietty, and this leads to disaster for the Borrowers.

The second story also starts with Mrs May and Kate. Mrs May has inherited a cottage near Leighton Buzzard, and she and Mrs May go to visit it. It is here that she hears the sequel to the events of the first book. The Clock family had to leave the big house and survive the dangerous journey to the badger's set where Aunt Lupy and Uncle Hendreary were rumoured to have lived. How will they survive in the wild, with predators and other natural hazards, and no humans to borrow from?

These stories are classics; they are fantastic to read aloud and a must-have for every child's bookshelf. This is a beautiful edition, with original illustrations from Diana Stanley and this hardback edition has real handling pleasure; the paper is suitably tough and the colours of the cover have reproduced well. This would be a fantastic Christmas present for a keen 7-10 year old reader.

Another re-issued classic with small people is Mistress Masham's Repose by T H White. A more recent book involving mysterious small people living in a country house is The Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison. You might also enjoy The Secret of the Blue Glass by Tomiko Inui and Ginny Tapley Takemori (translator).

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Buy The Borrowers: The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy The Borrowers: The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
Buy The Borrowers: The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy The Borrowers: The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton at Amazon.com.

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