Small People, Big Lessons Discovering the Magic of The Borrowers

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Every Kid Should Read

The Borrowers is a classic children's fantasy novel that invites readers into a secret world beneath our floorboards. It tells the charming story of miniature people who survive by "borrowing" small items from the human world. 

T he Borrowers, first published in 1952, centers on the Clock family: Pod, Homily, and their daughter, Arrietty. They are tiny people, only a few inches high, who live secretly in the spaces beneath the floorboards and behind the walls of a large English country house. They are called "Borrowers" because their entire way of life depends on taking small, essential items from the "human beans" (the people who live in the house) without being noticed.

The story begins when the ten-year-old Arrietty, curious and yearning for the outside world, is allowed to go on a borrowing trip with her father, Pod. She is eventually seen by a human boy, who has come to stay at the house. The boy brings Arrietty gifts-miniature furniture and dollhouse items-which is a violation of the Borrowers' code, but a great comfort to Arrietty's family. However, the discovery inevitably leads to fear and danger when the family's secret is revealed to the house's grumpy housekeeper. The Clocks are forced to flee their comfortable home and face the perils of the open world.

Why This Book Is Important

The Borrowers is a masterpiece of children's literature for several reasons. Primarily, it excels in world-building and imagination. Mary Norton creates a perfectly detailed, believable society of tiny people living right under our noses, making readers look at everyday objects with fresh eyes. A matchbox or a paperclip becomes an object of monumental size and utility.

It also explores themes of existence and scale. The Borrowers question whether the human beans are real, just as the boy questions the reality of the tiny people he sees. This theme resonates with children's natural curiosity about unseen worlds and secret lives. The book is also important for its quiet power; it's a story of survival and resourcefulness told with humor, warmth, and a touch of melancholy, moving away from grand, sweeping fantasy to focus on intimate, domestic drama.

What Kids Should Learn from the Book

 Resourcefulness and Ingenuity: The Clocks teach children to be inventive. They don't buy things; they make do with what they find. Kids learn to see the potential in ordinary objects and appreciate the value of reusing and repairing.  The Importance of Home and Family: The Clock family is deeply loving and supportive. The book shows how they work together to protect their home and each other.  The Danger of Fear and Prejudice: The human housekeepers' reaction to the Borrowers is driven by irrational fear. This highlights how easily fear of the "other" can lead to unfair and cruel actions, teaching children the importance of tolerance and understanding.

Final Words

The Borrowers has been adapted multiple times. A notable live-action film adaptation was released in 1997 starring John Goodman. It has also been the basis for several television series. 

The Borrowers is not merely a fantasy story; it is a profound meditation on how we use and value the world around us. Its message of resilience, resourcefulness, and the enduring love of a family trying to make a home remains as captivating and relevant today as it was over seventy years ago. 

About the Author

The author is Mary Norton (1903-1992), a highly regarded British writer of children's books. She was born in London and worked briefly as an actress before dedicating herself to writing. The Borrowers was the first in a successful five-part series, which also includes The Borrowers Afield and The Borrowers Afloat. Her inspiration for the miniature world reportedly came from her own childhood, where she imagined tiny people living in her grandmother's house. She won the prestigious Carnegie Medal for The Borrowers in 1952.

Best Quotes from the Book

 The whole house was one huge, delicious, and exciting smell... The smell of polish and old wood and beeswax and something sweet and forgotten." (This quote beautifully captures the sensory experience of their miniature world.)

   Borrowing is a very ticklish business." (Pod Clock's simple statement captures the risk and tension inherent in their survival.)

 But I don't believe in human beings," said Arrietty. "They're like ghosts, only bigger." (This playful reversal of perspective is central to the book's charm.)