See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Borrowers, The (Children's choice)
  
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Borrowers, The (Children's choice) [Audiobook] (Audio Cassette)

by Mary Norton (Author), Penelope Wilton (Reader)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


5 used from £1.25

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Tom's Midnight Garden

Tom's Midnight Garden

by Philippa Pearce
4.6 out of 5 stars (33)  £4.79
Stig of the Dump (Puffin Modern Classics)

Stig of the Dump (Puffin Modern Classics)

by Clive King
4.7 out of 5 stars (24)  £4.99
The Iron Man: A Children's Story in Five Nights

The Iron Man: A Children's Story in Five Nights

by Ted Hughes
4.4 out of 5 stars (35)  £3.49
Five Children and It (Wordsworth Children's Classics)

Five Children and It (Wordsworth Children's Classics)

by E. Nesbit
4.3 out of 5 stars (7)  £1.99
The Secret Garden (Wordsworth's Children's Classics)

The Secret Garden (Wordsworth's Children's Classics)

by Frances Hodgson Burnett
4.8 out of 5 stars (5)  £1.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Audio Cassette
  • Publisher: Listen for Pleasure
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1858481341
  • ISBN-13: 978-1858481340
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,189,639 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Anyone who has ever entertained the notion of "little people" living furtively among us will adore this artfully spun classic. The Borrowers--a Carnegie Medal winner, a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award book, and an ALA Distinguished Book--has stolen the hearts of thousands of readers since its 1953 publication. Mary Norton (1903-1993) creates a make-believe world in which tiny people live hidden from humankind beneath the floorboards of a quiet country house in England.

Pod, Homily and daughter Arrietty of the diminutive Clock family fit out their subterranean quarters with the titbits and trinkets they've "borrowed" from "human beans", employing matchboxes for storage and postage stamps for paintings. Readers will delight in the resourceful way the Borrowers recycle household objects. For example, "Homily had made her a small pair of Turkish bloomers from two glove fingers for 'knocking about in the mornings.'"

The persistent pilfering goes undetected until a boy (with a ferret!) comes to live in the country house. Curiosity drives Arrietty to commit the worst mistake a Borrower can make: she allows herself to be seen. This engaging, sometimes hair-raisingly suspenseful adventure is recounted in the kind, eloquent voice of narrator Mrs May, whose brother might--just might--have seen an actual Borrower in the country house many years ago. (Ages 9 to 12) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
This perfectly grand fairy story- an English import that won the Carnegie Medal for being the most outstanding children's book in 1952- has the qualities of imaginativeness and the breath of life itself that will endear it to the hearts of all-perhaps in the same way as the Mary Poppins stories. It is about the borrowers, a species of small people who are dying out because of the disappearing conditions under which they can thrive. For their "Borrowing" they need quiet old houses whose inmates live in such a way that they will let a family like Pod, Homily and Arrietty Clock, about the size of a pair of scissors, bo about collecting their needs without being seen. Kate, a modern girl, learns about them from old Mrs. May whose brother went to the country when he was a boy, met Pod, Homily and Arrietty and tried his best to save their home behind the old grandfather clock from the ruinous clutches of the housekeeper. Ultimately the best he can do is to help them escape to the fields- a precarious but not hopeless fate for them. A delightful land of maybe and the richness of detail and character study in Beth, and Joe Krush's drawings will have even the most doubtful hunting high and low. (Kirkus Reviews)

See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
(6)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, 27 Oct 2003
By Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: The Borrowers (Odyssey Classic) (Paperback)
Unknown to the humans who seem to rule the Earth, they actually share the world with a race of little people, the Borrowers. Living beneath the floorboards, and anywhere else they can remain unseen, the Borrowers live by "borrowing" what they need from the "human beans." This is the story of one family (Pod, Homily and Arrietty Clock), their life in a spacious home, their borrowing, and their efforts to stay unseen. But Arrietty wants to see what else there is to life, and she is going to see it!

This is such a wonderful book. The story is charming, with the illustrations showing a realistic (if tiny) family. My children loved this story, and even have developed some games based on the story. If you have children, then please consider buying this book for them.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative, 28 Feb 2008
By kehs (Hertfordshire, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: The Borrowers (Puffin Modern Classics) (Paperback)
The Borrowers is about Pod and Homily and the thirteen-year-old Arrietty, a family of tiny people, just a few inches high, who live under the floorboards of an old country house in England. They exist and furnish their tiny home by "borrowing" scraps and oddments from the house above. To do this they have to go on daring raids to gather the items they need. The author makes it quite clear that this is not stealing, as the Borrowers only take items that would otherwise be neglected or thrown away. Mary Norton invented a wonderfully imaginative world with these books and they can still be read and enjoyed by children today.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Cute!, 31 Aug 2006
This review is from: The Borrowers (Puffin Modern Classics) (Paperback)
I never read the Borrowers as a kid, but I do remember seeing them on telly. When I came across an old copy at a fleamarket the other week, I decided to read it. Being an adult I still enjoy children's books, as so many of them now are "cross overs" that works well for both adults and kids. This one however, is made only for children. Though I did enjoy the story, and it's witts, it moves forward in a pace PERFECT for youngsters (7-9yrs). But it gets boring for us "grown-ups" after a while. Never the less, the book is a classic, and it is not a classic for nought. It IS good, funny and charming. And I am planning to read the next installment as well.

It tells the story of a family of borrowers, little people, just like you and me, that lives under the floor of an old house. They are the size of mice, and get by from things "borrowed" from the big people. Of course being out on a hunt for things to borrow is very very dangerous. You might be seen by the "giants" (us) or get cought by cats and many other dangers that lurk. It aint easy being safe when a doormat looks like a big field with high grass!!!
M. Norton is very good at describing just that, how things would feel and look when you're the size of a teaspoon!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars What would they "borrow" from your home?
Have you ever pondered where your hairclips, bobby pins and thimbles have gotten to? Do you wonder why small quantities of your father's tobacco and Madeira seem to smoke... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Zoe Brillantes

5.0 out of 5 stars A Joy
An absolute classic, written for the slightly brighter child than most novels of it's time, so it unfortunately may be lost on most kids nowadays. Read more
Published on 7 Jul 2007 by Thomas Milnthorpe

2.0 out of 5 stars overrated
I'm sorry but, as hard as I tried to get into this book, I found it incredibly dull and boring. Really badly written too. Give me a modern book any day.
Published on 2 Aug 2006 by Jiltedjohn

5.0 out of 5 stars Like the film only much better: The borrowers by Mary Norton
This book is excellent because it is imaginative yet exciting. The borrowers are tiny little creatures that borrow stuff, they never steal! Read more
Published on 29 May 2003 by friendsrulesall

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the best books I have ever read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This book is all about things that happen to very small dwarfs that live in a huge house.They repetedly borrow things from the owners of the house. Read more
Published on 17 Nov 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favourite books as a child-a 'must' read
I cannot believe that no-one has reviewed this classic! I adored it as a child (it was a wonderful explanation of the mystery disappearance of household objects)- the idea is very... Read more
Published on 3 Dec 2000

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

›Shop The Body Shop

  

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

›Shop clearance shoes

  

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

›Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates