Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Borrowers
Borrowers | Mary Norton
The Borrowers the Clock family: Homily, Pod, and their fourteen-year-old daughter, Arrietty, to be precise are tiny people who live underneath the kitchen floor of an old English country manor. All their minuscule home furnishings, from postage stamp paintings to champagne cork chairs, are borrowed from the human beans who tromp around loudly above them. All is well until Pod is spotted upstairs by a human boy! Can the Clocks stay nested safely in their beloved hidden home, or will they be forced to flee? The British author Mary Norton won the Carnegie Medal for "The Borrowers" in 1952, the year it was first published in England. This repackaged paperback edition still has the delightful original black-and-white illustrations by Beth and Joe Krush inside. A charmer!Awards: 1952 Carnegie Medal, a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award BookDon t miss the other classics in the Borrowers series: "The Borrowers Afield," "The Borrowers Afloat," "The Borrowers Aloft," and "The Borrowers Avenged." "
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
blurb
Texreader
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Shopping for book swaps today and knowing I couldn‘t buy myself books in case I got them in the swaps I found these that assuredly no one is going to buy for me. Childhood favorites. They were too gorgeous to pass up!

AmyG Beautiful. I loved these, too. 1mo
50 likes1 comment
review
sdbruening
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image
Pickpick

Loved it! Adorable. I read this because I saw and loved the Studio Ghibli movie The Secret World of Arrietty. The movie stays pretty well with the book, I think. I love the author‘s imagination in using human things for tiny people uses. I enjoyed that the family names of the Borrowers were where they lived like Overmantel, Harpsichord, Clock, and Rain-Pipe. They don‘t borrow, they steal, but they think human beans were made for Borrowers.

7 likes1 stack add
blurb
Coffeymuse
Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Book 2 of #DeweysReadathon done!

This was super cute and something I would have adored as a kid. I seem to have gone from Nancy Drew to “In Cold Blood“. I just missed a lot of kid's book and classics like this one.

Short story shorter: read this one. It's short, it's cute, and it's magical.

15 likes1 stack add
blurb
DebinHawaii
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Thanks @Eggs for the #MotivationalMonday tag! 🤗

1️⃣ Honestly, just laying low & eating Cadbury mini eggs. It‘s going to be a long week! 😉

2️⃣ The Glass Universe (shown on the left) read for #SheSaid. It had so much potential. I wanted it to be more than a recital of names & dates.😔

3️⃣ SO MANY but The Borrowers (tagged) is one I was completely obsessed with as a child! 💛

Join in if you haven‘t! 🤗

AmyG Cadbury mini eggs are one of the best things about the Easter “season”. 8mo
kspenmoll The Borrowers!!!! ❤️❤️❤️ 8mo
Bookwormjillk I was disappointed too! 8mo
Eggs 🩷🩷 The Borrowers 🩷🩷 8mo
43 likes4 comments
review
Super_Jane
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image
Mehso-so

3.5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 #childrens

review
Robotswithpersonality
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image
Mehso-so

Fascinating. Definitely read this too late to get the same enjoyment as a child would. Instead I kept getting swept up in possible themes: downsides of materialism; the perspective we're stuck in when we have limited experience of the world, and know only what family/community members tell us; the 1950s publishing date and the house wife who seems obsessed with making a pleasant home and terrified of the outside world- the only respectable option?

Robotswithpersonality Illustration style also uniquely disconcerting, the sketched lines go through objects, rather than halting to suggest when perspective would block view of a foot behind a table or pocket watch beneath a foot as seen on the cover. It's done consistently enough that it seems a purposeful choice, rather than an unedited early draft mistake, it does add to the pleasantly cluttered look, if you don't look too close. 1y
9 likes1 comment
quote
Robotswithpersonality
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Failings of early insular education + colonialist view of foreign languages, ah, the good 'ol days. 😬

Singout Jeepers creepers. 1y
4 likes1 comment
quote
Robotswithpersonality
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

I'm surmising coal-based fuel, not...y'know, the Scarface of the Borrowers. 🤭🤨

StaceGhost Dead 💀 lol 1y
6 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
DebinHawaii
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Thanks for the #ThoughtfulThursday tag!

My dad passed away 28 years ago on October 28th & I miss him EVERY day.💔He gave me my love of reading from before I could read myself to helping me learn by sharing favorite children‘s books to my fondness for historical fiction especially WWII era. About the only genre he loved but wasn‘t successful getting me to love was westerns. He was a movie buff too & we watched many a classic together. 💙💚💙

Graciouswarriorprincess Sending hugs!! 2y
Leftcoastzen Such wonderful memories! Hugs to you! 2y
Librarybelle ❤️❤️❤️ 2y
See All 6 Comments
AmyG Weren‘t you lucky to have such a wonderful dad. ❤️ 2y
Dragon ❤️ 2y
jlhammar How wonderful that you shared a love of books and movies. The Borrowers was a favorite of mine. 2y
51 likes6 comments
blurb
Texreader
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Not tagged but wanted to play. #wondrouswednesday @Eggs

1) The fall of the Berlin Wall and protests at Tiananmen Square. I thought the world was born anew with the end of the Cold War and these brilliant demonstrations for freedom. Sadly, not ultimately true, esp for China, but I‘m so glad I lived and witnessed these amazing events. Really dating myself: earliest memory: watching the moon landing on a b&w tv

2) Bookstore

3) Tagged

Eggs Great choices #1!! I was 17 when I saw the first moon landing (also on b&w tv) and it was surreal! Thanks for playing Karen 🤗 (edited) 3y
Texreader @Eggs I think I must have seen the last moon landing but I‘m still glad it‘s there in my memory banks. Spending the night at the Johnson Space Center and touring nasa a few years ago brought it all full circle. 3y
DebinHawaii Great history choices & book pick too! 😉 3y
47 likes3 comments
blurb
Eggs
Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Circumspect: wary and unwilling to take risks.

When you are a tiny family living beneath the floorboards in a “giant” home, you must be vigilant and circumspect; you could be captured or worse!
The Borrowers‘ REALITY could easily become a
#nightmare #oppositeday @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheKidUpstairs
#circumspect #springsentiments @Eggs

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🙌🏻📚🙌🏻 4y
TheKidUpstairs 💜📚 4y
55 likes2 comments
blurb
Eggs
Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

The Borrowers—the Clock family: Homily, Pod, and their fourteen-year-old daughter, Arrietty, to be precise—are TINY people who live underneath the kitchen floor of an old English country manor.

#big #oppositeday @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheKidUpstairs

KathyWheeler I loved those books. 4y
Eggs @KathyWheeler me too! 4y
Crazeedi @Eggs they live under my floor too, btw. Things go missing and then turn up ALL the time!!😉 4y
See All 6 Comments
Eggs 👍🏼👏🏻👏🏻😊 @Crazeedi 4y
TheKidUpstairs Love the book, and The Secret World of Arrietty. 4y
Eggs I reread these a lot as a child @TheKidUpstairs ! 4y
60 likes2 stack adds6 comments
quote
kgriffith
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

“You might as well say that the fire grate steals the coal from the coal scuttle.” I‘ve loved this book since I first read it when I was six or seven years old, after bedtime, by the hallway light in my great-grandmother‘s house. Re-reading in anticipation of my little Zoom movie group‘s watch of Miyazaki‘s “The Secret World of Arriety” tonight.

32 likes3 stack adds
blurb
Texreader
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

I‘ve loved all things miniature since I read The Borrowers, multiple times, as a child. So naturally, I love this article:

Read in HuffPost: https://apple.news/A07abQqBfQeWaDk7pauREQQ

wanderinglynn How adorable! I love miniatures 🧡 4y
LeahBergen Ohhh! 😍 4y
72 likes2 comments
blurb
Eggs
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Mum read this 👆🏻to me💗

🎶 Mum listened to movie soundtracks (LPs) so I loved Camelot, Sound of Music, King and I and many others

🙏🏻 my legs that endure their journeys and my Litsy friends

#thankfulthursday @Cosmos_Moon

julesG Thanks for the tag! 4y
Cosmos_Moon_River I loved King & I, too! My mom made some props for a regional production when I was a kid. She made these metal tree branches with copper leaves. People danced with them and they made noises like light, tinny tambourines. I forget what song it was for in the musical, but they were beautiful! 4y
CatLass007 King and I!!! Oh, yes. 4y
See All 6 Comments
Eggs @Cosmos_Moon @CatLass007 👏🏻🎶👏🏻🎶 4y
wanderinglynn Thanks for the tag 😘 My mom listened to a lot of those too! Love Rogers & Hammerstein musicals (edited) 4y
Eggs You‘re most welcome 🙏🏻 4y
57 likes1 stack add6 comments
blurb
Butterfinger
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Day 7 #20Series20Days @Andrew65 I try to do books I haven't seen others mention, but I can't with this series. I adored Arietty and how small things humans use get turned into household items for them. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Adding to sweet @Texreader

Texreader ❤️❤️❤️❤️😘 4y
Andrew65 Love them! 4y
45 likes2 comments
blurb
Texreader
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Can you relate? I loved loved loved The Borrowers when I was a kid. I reread it again when one of the kids was young and borrowed it from the school library. I‘ll bet a lot of Littens can relate to this article, both those who are struggling to focus and those who are just churning through the books.

https://lifehacker.com/get-happier-by-rereading-your-favorite-books-from-child-1...

Butterfinger Oh yes. I also loved the Borrowers. 4y
AlaMich Me too! 4y
Texreader @Butterfinger @AlaMich I remember desperately wanting to live in a world where they existed 4y
Butterfinger Me too. I wanted them to be real. 4y
58 likes4 comments
blurb
Freddie4473
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

So I started a children book club here at the library and I was so excited when the kids selected one of my favorite childhood books to read this month.i can't wait to read it as an adult and see what I think of it as a grownup 🙏

LibrarianRyan yeahhh. Are you going to watch one of the movies afterword. If you do I would do the Secret World of Arriety rather than the Borrowers movie. It is much better. 5y
Freddie4473 Good to know I hadn't decided yet but will keep that in mind if we do! 5y
6 likes2 comments
review
EmilieGR
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
Mehso-so

Sweet and better than the movie

quote
marypeyton
The Borrowers | Mary Norton

“Don‘t move!” said a voice, and the voice, like the eye, was enormous...”

blurb
marypeyton
The Borrowers | Mary Norton

I like how the illustrations are minimal so they allow for a lot of imagination but still show you an idea to lead your story in your head.

review
marypeyton
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
Pickpick

The Borrowers is a modern fantasy story written Mary Norton and illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush in 1953. This story is unique because the “borrowers” and tiny creatures that live within human household items. The story is cool because they are secretive and have to find ways to live their lives without being seen.

quote
megansimon
The Borrowers | Mary Norton

“Factories go on making safety pins and yet, somehow, there is never a safety pin when you want one. Where are they all?”

blurb
megansimon
The Borrowers | Mary Norton

I loved this book as a kid because it has such a fun concept. I love the details like using a baby‘s letter block as a seat and a stamp as wall art.

review
megansimon
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
Pickpick

The language is descriptive and intriguing. The pictures add depth to the story. The characters are well developed.

quote
misshawksbooklist
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

“So this is it, the worst most terrible thing of all: I have been seen!”
This climatic part in the story leaves the audience shocked and wondering what‘s going to happen to poor Arrietty! It‘s almost like a coming of age moment as well because there is fear of the unknown, what is going to happen!

blurb
misshawksbooklist
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

I like this first image and the style of sketch to show us the borrowers home inside of a humans home! It‘s always great to see how big the borrowers actually are so when you are reading you can really imagine them in action!

review
misshawksbooklist
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
Pickpick

Published in 1953 and illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush, this modern fantasy story depicts incredible worlds in which the borrowers live in a miniature world next to humans! The plot is clear and helps the reader understand that the borrowers want human items without being caught or seen. The fantasy aspects kick in because of how tiny these borrowers are and how they are living within the humans household items! How crazy!

review
KerriNTurner
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image
Pickpick

Delightful and imaginative. I could read about the way the Borrowers put to use objects from our human-sized lives in their tiny homes forever. The book wasn‘t afraid to be a little dark at times too, which I find the best children‘s books don‘t shy from. Will definitely be looking for the sequels.

Bklover Love all the Borrowers books! 6y
KerriNTurner @Bklover I‘d never read any before, but am officially hooked! 6y
32 likes2 comments
blurb
KerriNTurner
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

I feel like a cool librarian in this dress, so it‘s appropriate to wear when reading a book titled The Borrowers, which I borrowed from the library! Although really, aren‘t all librarians cool?

Texreader Looking sharp! And I ❤️ ❤️❤️❤️ that book!! 6y
sprainedbrain Love the dress! 6y
CouronneDhiver Great outfit! 6y
See All 7 Comments
thea-block Love the Borrowers books! I read them growing up. Whenever something small goes missing in my house I think of the borrowers 😆 And cute dress! (edited) 6y
LeahBergen I love that dress! 6y
KerriNTurner @Texreader @thea-block I‘ve never read it before, but am finding it utterly charming and delightful! 6y
KerriNTurner @sprainedbrain @CouronneDhiver @LeahBergen it was an op shop find! And it‘s as comfortable as it is cute. 6y
34 likes7 comments
blurb
SleepyDragon
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

1. The Borrowers
2." Freaky Friday" (but only because I haven't seen "Taxi Driver" yet.)
3. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" by The Hollies It's about a guy getting kicked out of a club because he masturbated while watching a female dancer. I used to walk around singing it, to my dad's amusenent and my mom's horror. My sister did the same with "Cecilia" by Simon and Garfunkel.
4. U do u.
#Tuesdaytidbits @JenlovesJT47

JenlovesJT47 💚💚💚 6y
12 likes1 comment
review
JillR
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image
Pickpick

Another book I never read as a child... Just read it with Bella and we really enjoyed it. It seemed to inspire her to get back to her sometimes-neglected dolls house this morning! #raisingreaders

MStew Love this book 6y
JillR We did too @meghan2714 😊 6y
LeahBergen What a fabulous doll house! 😍 6y
See All 6 Comments
batsy The doll house staging is 👌🏽💜 6y
JillR @LeahBergen @batsy Bella isn‘t happy. I just put the book in and took the photo. She said if she‘d known she‘d have made it look like The Borrower‘s living room... “those dolls don‘t look like any of the characters!” 😳 6y
minkyb This is a brilliant photo and makes me miss my girls and their dollhouse days! 6y
53 likes2 stack adds6 comments
blurb
LibrarianJen
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

1. The Borrowers
2. Breakfast!!! Bacon, blueberry muffins, banana bread...
3. Judy Blume
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
#manicmonday

JoScho Great answers! 6y
40 likes1 comment
blurb
Amanda.T
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Here‘s my April reading wrap up. The month ended up being unexpectedly busy. I‘m hoping to get in some of my #GARbingo pics in May!

rather_be_reading love tht u categorize them 6y
21 likes1 comment
blurb
Mdargusch
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

I still love this childhood classic about the possibility of little people living amongst us. Now I need to go put up my fairy garden! 🧚🏻‍♂️
I read three books for #booked2018 this month
#friendship - The Attachments
#floweronthecover - Jane Steele
#childhoodfavorite - The Borrowers

Cathythoughts 💕💕💕 7y
theresidentromantic Does she really kill Mr.R in that retelling?! 7y
Cinfhen Great month🎉🎉🎉you knocked off half in the first month 🙌🏻❤️ 7y
See All 9 Comments
Mdargusch She might be referring to all the men she killed @theresidentromantic 😉🤭😊 7y
Mdargusch It‘s nice when #freakyfriday picks work for #booked2018 @Cinfhen 👍🏼 7y
emilyhaldi Cute!! ☺️ 7y
Meredith3 Yesssss! Fairy garden!!! 🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♂️ 7y
kspenmoll The Borrows little world was the best! 7y
Reviewsbylola Good for you!! I am hopelessly behind. 😭 7y
126 likes9 comments
blurb
SleepyDragon
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

🌻 The Borrowers
🌻 I used to have some flowers and a tomato plant, but they all died when I was pregnant about 3 yrs ago. (I was high risk, so I couldn't water.) I'm thinking of trying again this year, but I have to decide soon. Gardening is hard here in the desert.
🌻 Beatles cover band at the Purple Room in Palm Springs, CA ... when I was pregnant 3 years ago.
🌻 Vonnegut (aspire)
#weekendchat @CSeydel

blurb
Mdargusch
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

When I was young, I wanted to be a borrower and sneak Little pieces of this and that to build my tiny little home hidden behind a wall. I‘m reading this for #booked2018 #childhoodfavorite. #belovedchildrensbook #hopintospring

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
BeckyK I always used to wish I had borrowers! I‘d gather little platters of scraps and always thought of then eating a pea with a knife and fork 😂 7y
emilyhaldi So cute!! I'm not sure I know this one 🤔 Will have to take a look! 7y
See All 9 Comments
vkois88 😊😊😊 7y
LibrarianRyan So I know there are 2 movies to go with this book. The secret world of Arietty is the better one when you are done. 7y
Blaire Yes! Love the borrowers. 7y
LeahBergen 💕💕 7y
Reviewsbylola I‘m loving my childhood fave so far. 7y
Jinjer I read and love all the Borrowers!!!! 7y
107 likes4 stack adds9 comments
blurb
LitsyOwl
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

🍀 The Borrowers
🍀 So,so many 🤷🏻‍♀️
🍀 Both
🍀 Indoor - Reading duh, Macrame, Cooking, Plants / Outdoor -Geocaching
#weekendchat

blurb
Blueberry
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Watched Arrietty last night with my son in his quest to watch all the #studioghibli movies. I was surprised to read it was based on The Borrowers.

#booktomovie #bookstomovies

LibrarianRyan It is. I think they did an excellent job. Much better than the borrowers cartoon I loved growing up. 7y
42 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
LibrarianJen
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

For the hour 6 #24in48 nostalgia challenge. This is a copy of the Borrowers give to my Aunt Mary from my Aunt Caroline in 1964. It was then passed down to me and i ruined it with pink highlighter. I believe I have an heirloom copy of Ann of Green Gables that I also ruined with pink highlighter. 🙃

TommieMarie74 I‘ve ruined a couple of beautiful old books too. I think mine was done with Crayola markers. Apparently, I felt a strong need to make the books mine. 😳 7y
Suzze As a kid, The Borrowers was my fave! I loved entering a world of tiny people. Great memories. 7y
alisahar This makes me wish I had my own childhood books! I don‘t know if my mom saved them. 7y
See All 6 Comments
LibrarianJen @TommieMarie74 Same here. I remember wanting to color my Precious Moments children's bible but my mom saying God wouldn't be happy if I did that. I now understand she was trying to tell me I would regret doing it later. @Suzze it's always been a favorite. Have you seen the movie Ariety? They did an amazing job recreating the borrowers world. @alisahar I don't have all my childhood books, but I still have a few that I treasure. 7y
AmyG I loved this book as a kid. All these book postings are beinging back so many memories. 7y
49 likes1 stack add6 comments
blurb
pppooraikul
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

[I need to reuse the photo since I‘m not home at the moment.]

The Borrowers is not the oldest book in my house but it is held very close to my heart. It‘s one of the very first books I was allowed to choose from the bookstore (a translated version). I remember my young self reading and rereading it a hundredth times over. It‘s well-loved. ❤️

#1stchallenge #hour6 #nostalgiaread #24in48 #readathon

Louise The script of your language is so beautiful! 😍 7y
pppooraikul @Louise Thank you! It‘s in Thai. 😊 7y
49 likes2 comments
review
hike.read.repeat
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image
Pickpick

Finished listening to The Borrowers today. Loved the movie as a kid. More recently I loved the #StudioGhibli version of it. Don‘t think I liked the book enough to finish the series but it was still a fun read. #audiobook #audiobooks #bookstomovies

blurb
Megnogged
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Looking for a #ReadAThon to join?!?! #BorrowAThon Round 3 is back November 5-12! It‘s a week long ReadAThon that encourages you to read #BorrowedBooks! It‘s the perfect time to show your #Library some love, discover a #LittleFreeLibrary in your neighborhood, or borrow your friend‘s new favorite read! I‘m So excited to be hosting a round of Twitter sprints for this one!

Anyone planning on joining? Show me your TBRs!! ❤️📖

rabbitprincess I borrow from my library all the time 😊 If a library book I have out happens to fit the challenges, I'll tag it! 7y
Megnogged @rabbitprincess That‘s awesome! Looking forward to seeing if you‘re able to tag anything! 7y
rabbitprincess @Megnogged Hoping to finish The Templars in time for the 2017 release category! It may depend on the due date -- lots of people have it on hold so I won't be able to renew 😬 7y
Cinfhen Fun idea 7y
23 likes4 comments
blurb
csimmer23
The Borrowers | Mary Norton
post image

Books loved as a teen #riotgrams

5 likes2 stack adds