SuitabookSeeing the ordinary differently
The Borrowers use objects from the human household in ways that make familiar possessions significant and inventive.
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Book details
These links show the original reading lists. Inclusion is not a guarantee of suitability for your child.
Mary Norton - Author
Expect an imaginative fantasy built around ordinary household objects seen from a tiny family’s perspective. Its appeal lies in clever details, family relationships and the contrast between the Borrowers’ hidden life and the human world.
Book Brief
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Sign in for personalised guidanceExpect an imaginative fantasy built around ordinary household objects seen from a tiny family’s perspective. Its appeal lies in clever details, family relationships and the contrast between the Borrowers’ hidden life and the human world.
The Borrowers use objects from the human household in ways that make familiar possessions significant and inventive.
Arriety is curious and longs for freedom, while Pod is more sceptical; the family makes sacrifices to survive.
Arriety’s relationship with a human boy is described as encouraging the characters to look beyond differences.
Some passages may feel slow, while capture, forced removal and attempted extermination create tension. The family’s precarious circumstances and the threat to their home may merit a check-in during reading.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: another book-specific source is still needed.
Anything not established here remains open; it is not being treated as absent or safe.