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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
I read this book a few years ago but never managed to finish it. Maybe because it was so dragged at the beginning. I might give it another try, seeing the reviews here. I just felt like it was a bit boring
A friend recommended me to read this book even though it's for children. I took up the challenge and most say it's not what I was expecting... in a good way.
For me the story had a very slow and calm flow of events and it reminded of the time when I was still a child that saw the world through the eyes of innocence. Tom travels through time without really understanding why, getting to know friendship, reflecting on time itself, and growing up.
The ending is simply beautiful, and I felt a warmth that I haven't felt in a while, when reading a children's book.
For me the story had a very slow and calm flow of events and it reminded of the time when I was still a child that saw the world through the eyes of innocence. Tom travels through time without really understanding why, getting to know friendship, reflecting on time itself, and growing up.
The ending is simply beautiful, and I felt a warmth that I haven't felt in a while, when reading a children's book.
I remember seeing the film when I was little and the story stuck with me though I couldn't remember the title. I recently found it and bought the book instantly. So glad I did!
This book is wonderfully written. It hooked me from the first chapter. It's moving and fun and a brilliant time travel/time slip story with a happy ending.
Definitely one of my new favourite books.
This book is wonderfully written. It hooked me from the first chapter. It's moving and fun and a brilliant time travel/time slip story with a happy ending.
Definitely one of my new favourite books.
Read this book as a class novel with my students. I enjoyed the beginning as it sucked you in on the mystery of the garden. The middle wasn’t as exciting but still nice to see Tom’s adventures in the garden. The end was great and had a wonderful reveal! I think this is a great children’s book and I know I would have loved this when I was younger as well! Some parts are definitely old fashioned and don’t fully age well but still good for the times (1950s)!
This book was a bit of a slow starter, but once it got going it was really intriguing. This is exactly the sort of book I would have loved as a kid. It falls right into line with some of my childhood favorites like The Velvet Room, Magic Elizabeth, and the Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Haunted House. A gentle fantasy very much grounded in the real world, and full of both the mysterious and the mundane.
This book was gorgeous. When I’m sick I love a good comfort read and nothing screams comfort like a good old-fashioned (literally – this one is from the 50s!) fantasy full of magic and ghosts and everything about it was just perfect. Surprisingly heartbreaking too – for Tom only a day has passed when he returns to the garden, but for Hatty it’s months and as she grows older Tom appears less and less solid until the day she can hardly see him.
For more thoughts head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
For more thoughts head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
Strangely, though it was published in 1958, I don't remember ever reading this as a child. I only read it now in preparation for the Open University's children's literature course, but I throughly enjoyed it. Though it's low key and not all that much happens -- Tom visits the beautiful garden that only appears after midnight and plays with the girl he meets there -- it had a strong narrative pull and I kept wanting to read on.
At the time the book was published, the present day story would have been contemporary, but now Tom's quarantine due to his brother's measles and the lack of things to do at his aunt and uncle's flat make the "modern" part of the story something of a period piece too.
I suspect that modern children may find the story lacking in excitement and it breaks all the current "rules" in that Tom tends to be a passive observer rather than actively driving the story, there is an omniscient narrator who tells the story rather than it all being "shown" and there is a lot of description, but the story is still a strong one.
Though an adult may see the ending coming from about halfway through the book, it still works and I wept a few tears at the end because it is that perfect mix of happy and sad and feels exactly right.
At the time the book was published, the present day story would have been contemporary, but now Tom's quarantine due to his brother's measles and the lack of things to do at his aunt and uncle's flat make the "modern" part of the story something of a period piece too.
I suspect that modern children may find the story lacking in excitement and it breaks all the current "rules" in that Tom tends to be a passive observer rather than actively driving the story, there is an omniscient narrator who tells the story rather than it all being "shown" and there is a lot of description, but the story is still a strong one.
Though an adult may see the ending coming from about halfway through the book, it still works and I wept a few tears at the end because it is that perfect mix of happy and sad and feels exactly right.
I am teaching this modern classic to my Year 7 class this term and so I had to give it a read!
We follow Tom, a young boy who has to go and stay with his aunt and uncle, as his brother has measles. At first things are really dull and then, at the stroke of thirteen, Tom steps into an entirely different world...
This was an interesting story with lots of big themes, such as growing up and family ties. It’s also a quarantine book - which will make it interesting with the kids - and it’s got a good twist that I think younger readers would enjoy.
If you like middle grade that has a message in it, I’d recommend this one.
We follow Tom, a young boy who has to go and stay with his aunt and uncle, as his brother has measles. At first things are really dull and then, at the stroke of thirteen, Tom steps into an entirely different world...
This was an interesting story with lots of big themes, such as growing up and family ties. It’s also a quarantine book - which will make it interesting with the kids - and it’s got a good twist that I think younger readers would enjoy.
If you like middle grade that has a message in it, I’d recommend this one.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes