The Borrowers – Mary Norton *Reading Challenge Recap*

Challenge – Ultimate Book Guide #3/672

Series – The Borrowers (I read the series back in 2013 – If you click on the links it will take you back to my original reviews)

• The Borrowers
• The Borrowers Afield
• The Borrowers Afloat
• The Borrowers Aloft
• The Borrowers Avenged

Synopsis – The Borrowers live in the secret places of quiet old houses; behind the mantelpiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. They own nothing, borrow everything, and think that human beings were invented just to do the dirty work. Arrietty’s father, Pod, was an expert Borrower. He could scale curtains using a hatpin, and bring back a doll’s teacup without breaking it. Girls weren’t supposed to go borrowing but as Arrietty was an only child her father broke the rule, and then something happened which changed their lives. She made friends with the human boy living in the house…

My Thoughts – I won’t post my thoughts again as the links are above – so if your interested to what I thought at the time then feel free to check out my reviews!

Rating – On average I rated the series 4/5

Recommendations – The Borrowers is the only title listed in the book so the rest of the series is recommended, The Piemakers – Helen Cresswell (Challenge Book), Charlottes Web – E.B. White (Challenge Book)

The Borrowers Avenged – Mary Norton

Started – 10/2/13

Finshed 12/2/13

Format – Paperback book

 

Synopsis – The Borrowers are back – Pod, Homily and Arrietty have managed to escape from the fiendish Potters, though only by the skin of their teeth – or, more precisely, with the help of Spiller who navigated them downriver in an old knifebox. This is the fifth Borrowers story.

 

My Thoughts – This is the final installment of The Borrowers series and i have to say this one here has really brought the series round for me in a good way.

 

In this book Arrietty and her family are finally able to borrow again in a house. They meet another Borrower along the way, Peagren, which if my memory serves correctly in the movie version Peagren is actually Arriettys brother and played by Tom Felton.

 

There is also the ending of the long running story between the humans, the Potters especially and i really liked how this was explained. As it was a childrens book it is fairly obvious that good will triumph over bad and things like that but all in all a good story.

 

At the end of the book we are finally given a taste as to when the book series is set and its actually set before the first world war which i didnt expect i thought it was later on than that.

 

I have really enjoyed reading this series of books and I’m going to buy my younger cousin a set for her birthday this year, she will be seven so i hope its a book series she will like.

 

Rating – 4/5

The Borrowers Aloft – Mary Norton

Started – 6/2/13

Finished 10/2/13

Format – Paperback book

 

Synopsis – The Borrowers have found the perfect place to live – a complete model village! But their life is disturbed once again when Mr Platter, who has a rival scheme, decides he wants some live inhabitants for his village. The ingenious Borrowers thwart Mr Platter’s plans and escape from his
grasp…

 

My Thoughts – This is the fourth book out of five in the borrowers series. In this book Arrietty and her family finally reach the village of Little Fordham a model village where they settle. However there is a simular village nearby where the owners kidnap the borrowers and lock them in an attic for the winter.

 

I did like this book more than i did the previous two. I did enjoy the story between the two villages and how they were trying to always better each other. I enjoyed this too as the storyline had a bit more of the convential borrowing as described in the first book. Overall a good story and one i think children will like.

 

Rating – 4/5

The Borrowers Afloat – Mary Norton

Synopsis – The Borrowers are homeless again. The gamekeeper’s cottage, their latest refuge, is being closed up. Luckily their friend Spiller comes to the rescue and introduces them to a new home by the river, in a kettle! Once more the Borrowers find themselves in the middle of a huge adventure.

 

My Thoughts – I am currently working my way through the whole series of The Borrowers and this is the third out of five books. In this book Arrietty and her family are living with Aunt Lupy and her family in a gamekeepers cottage. However the family dont really like this arrangement and then the humans decide to move out so it could be fatal for all the borrowers with all those mouths to feed. So the three borrowers leave in the middle of the night with there friend Spiller who always turns up at the right moment. in this book they end up floating down the river in Spillers kettle, hence the picture on the front of the book.

 

I did like this book however it was a little bit predictable for my liking. I know that its a childrens book and its going to be easy reading but i did think it is a bit too simular to the second book for my liking. still it is a good book and i think that children will enjoy it a lot.

 

Rating – 3/5

The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton

Started – 23/1/13

Finished – 30/1/13

Format – Paperback Book

 

Synopsis – As it turned out, the end of the Borrowers wasn’t the end of Pod, Homily and Arrietty. They escaped to the fields but it was a long and dangerous journey, up the Azalea Bank, through the privet hedge and across the orchard, and they were hiding from humans and being attacked by insects.

My Thoughts – I brought this book back in 2010 as part of the whole series of Borrowers as i had read the first book but never read any further than that.

 

In this book Arrietty and her family have had to leave the comfort of the house that they have only ever known and have gone to try and find the only other borrowers that they know of. They have to walk across fields and encounter lots of new things to them like insects. They have to deal with being homeless and having to almost start again. Its in this book that they meet Spiller another borrower that i have heard of because of the movie.

 

I did enjoy this book but i have to say not as much as the first one. It is still very good and keeps its magical appeal that the book holds for children and there is still that thought in the back of your mind do they really exist in my house when things go missing.

 

This book would be very good for children and it continues they story. it ended on a cliffhanger and i cant wait to read more in the series to find out what happens.

 

Rating – 3/5

The Borrowers – Mary Norton

Started – 19/1/13

Finished – 23/1/13

Format – Paperback Book

Challenges – 1001 Childrens Books You Must Read

 

Synopsis – A race of tiny people who live beneath the floor of a proper human kitchen make friends with a young boy, and begin to learn about the world above their heads, from which they have borrowed the furniture and tools.

 

My Thoughts – I brought this book back in 2010 along with the rest of the series of books. I read this book back when i was a child and really enjoyed it so i was hoping that this time round it would be as good.

The Borrowers is a family of little people who live under the kitchen in a house. Theres Pod, the Dad of the family that goes out borrowing, Homily the mother and Arrietty their daughter who wants nothing more than to see more of the outside world, much to the horror of her mother.

They have lived under the floorboards for a number of years and its not until Arrietty meets ‘The Boy’ that things start to go wrong and they have to think about leaving the house that they have only ever known.

I really enjoyed the story of this book espcially how they used bits and bobs for there house, like blotting paper for carpets. I did think that at times it was a little dated as nowadays they wouldnt be borrowing blotting paper and pins, it would be technology but its still a good story.

The book left on a bit a of a cliffhanger and I’m so pleased that i already have the other books in the series.

Rating – 4/5