The Borrowers
by Mary Norton
Interest age: 9 to 10
Reading age: 9+
Published by Puffin, 2014
About this book
The Borrowers are tiny people who live in the secret places of old houses - behind the mantlepiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. They borrow everything from humans, existing on the scraps they collect from the homes they live in.
Arriety Clock's father, Pod, is an expert borrower, able to scale curtains using a hatpin, and bring back a doll's teacup without breaking it. Girls aren't usually supposed to go borrowing, but Pod makes an exception for Arrietty, who can't wait to explore the house and gardens that lie beyond her cramped home. But when she is at last allowed to accompany Pod on one of his borrowing expeditions, something terrible happens - she is 'seen' by a human boy.
This beautifully-written story will enchant young readers, who will love the idea of the Borrower's hidden 'wainscot world'. Exciting, mysterious and with a hint of sadness, it has a deserving reputation as a classic of twentieth century children's literature.
About the author
What to read next
We know that children can get hooked on a favourite book series or author and struggle to find something they love as much, but we’re here to help.
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Tiny people living under clocks, in mouse holes and behind mantelpieces… Mary Norton’s classic children’s book is full of nostalgia and the agreeable strangeness of the familiar seen from an unusual perspective. If your child adored The Borrowers’ world, what to read after?
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