Search - The Borrowers (Borrowers, Bk 1)

This is a very entertaining book I read as a child and just re-read. It has a great ending leaving the reader wondering whether "The Borrowers" are real or imaginary, and allows the reader to imagine the characters' future however you want. A great book for a child or adult.

Written in 1952, nostalgic look back at the turn of the (19th-20th) century English gentlefolk. I can imagine that kids who grew up reading this would watch all episodes of "Upstairs, Downstairs". First of 5 books, this is the important one to read, though. What I remember from the story is that the grandfather knew how to count to 57, and I was fascinated why he would stop there. Anyway, heroine is 13 years old.

From back cover:

Underneath the kitchen floor is the world of the Borrowers-Pod and Homily Clock and their daughter, Arrietty. In their tiny home, matchboxes double as roomy dressers and postage stamps hang on the walls like paintings. Whatever the Clocks need they simply "borrow" from the "human beans" who live above them. It's a comfortable life.

Comfortable-but boring if you're a kid.

Only Pod is allowed to venture into the house above, because the danger of being seen by a human is too great. Borrowers who are seen by humans are never seen again.

I bought the book because Joe Krush was one of my teachers in art school (many years ago) My granddaughter read the book and loved it!