The Borrowers is the first book in the series of the same name by Mary Norton and is a bit of a classic kids series. One day young Kate is practicing her sewing with her older relative Mrs. May when they start talking about small things that have a tendency to go missing about the house. This conversation leads to Mrs. May telling a story from her childhood that had been told to her by her younger brother. One summer when her brother was extremely sick he was sent to spend time with their great aunt Sophy out in the countryside. While there he had unintentionally made some friends with what are called Borrowers. Now these Borrowers are a race of little people who live inside a house and borrow things from the big people. This particular family was named Clock for they lived under the giant clock just off the kitchen and their names were Homily, Pod, and Arietty. It was Arietty in particular who befriended Mrs. May’s younger brother that one summer.
I have always rather liked this particular series of books and I find them to be a great series for younger readers. The characters are well developed and fleshed out, as well as being extremely likable in general for the most part. Arietty is a pretty typical teenager actually as she is just chafing to get out and about instead of being constantly locked up in their rooms under the clock all the time. The story itself is relatively simple as is the plot so it is fairly easy for younger readers to get through. While it is simple it is also still just a tad bit adventurous and intriguing as we watch the antics of the Borrowers as they go about this big house surreptitiously borrowing things from the big people all while trying desperately to not be seen. It is a nice blend of humor and serious so it is nice to read without falling to far too either side of the spectrum. In addition it is also a blend of fantasy elements in the form of the Borrowers and realistic fiction as everything else is highly realistic. The story is actually set in our world with the story of the Borrowers being a story that is retold to young Kate. This adds some elements of the unknown though as it creates this uncertainty about whether they actually exist or not so it feels very mysterious in that regard. It is a great story though and one that I have always enjoyed so I am happy giving it four out of five stars.
This book and this series is primarily a kids story and would be classified as a blend of realistic fiction with some fantasy elements. I could see it holding some appeal for most kids as I can’t think of anything that would make them not like it but I also know that there is always someone that won’t like something. The book is short enough that even younger readers should have no problem finishing it in just a day or two depending on how busy they are. I know this book is aimed at younger readers, at least it feels like it should be, but I also see no reason why older readers can’t still enjoy a book like this so if it sounds interesting I would honestly recommend you try it regardless of your age. As always feel free to share your thoughts about this book or any other in the comments.