Fans of The Borrowers may enjoy Stephen Davies’ Hilda and the Hidden People in which we are introduced to Hilda and her mum, living in the middle of the Icelandic forest, and the elves that they find living around them. In Ross Montgomery’s Max and the Millions Max discovers a tiny civilisation in the pile of sand on the caretaker’s floor. It’s a miniature world at war: three bickering tribes, nonsensically segregated according to hair colour. For slightly younger readers, Teacup House: Meet the Twitches tells the story of a family of miniature toy rabbits living in a teacup who come alive when no-one is looking…
The Borrowers: what to read next
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?
If you’re looking for other children’s classics featuring grand old houses, Dodie Smith’s I Capture The Castle is excellent for kids leaving primary school or starting secondary; Piers Torday’s The Lost Magician starts in classic style in a 1940s mansion and finds a group of brothers and sisters discovering a portal to another world. Judith Eagle’s The Secret Starling also begins in a crumbling mansion – and features an evil uncle and a mystery to solve.
Or, for classic tales with a hit of strange magic, there’s E Nesbit’s Five Children and It, Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man (a delightful new version illustrated by Chris Mould), Into The Jungle with tales inspired by The Jungle Book by Katherine Rundell and grandly illustrated by Kristjana S Williams or Caryl Hart’s verse retelling of Peter Pan, illustrated by Sarah Warburton. Not forgetting Michael Morpurgo’s Boy Giant which merges the story of a refugee with the classic story of Gulliver.
Join in!
Now it’s your turn! You’ve read our recommendations, but which books do you think are perfect for fans of The Borrowers? Maybe you’ve just found a story your children love, or remember a tale from your childhood that fits the bill perfectly.
Let us know by messaging us on social media @BookTrust using the hashtag #WhatToReadAfter
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