“The Borrowers” Book and Movie Connections

Thought I’d post about one of my favorite series today:

The Borrowers by Mary Norton.

The wonderful adventures and family storyline in the book along with the innovations characters create make this story feel timeless to me.  I highly recommend it for a read aloud.

I would additionally connect this book with other stories like: The Littles by John Peterson, Emily Jenkin’s Series: Toys Go Out, Toy Dance Party, and Toys Come Home.  Those three stories are told from the point of view of toys in a girl’s room are are wonderful for examples of friendship, humor, communication and reflection for family discussions.  Additionally I would recommend reading Ann M. Martin/Laura Godwin’s series about dolls: The Doll People, The Meanest Doll in the World, and The Runaway Dolls.  These are stories that I’ve seen many reluctant readers pick up and become enamored with.

To connect this to other stories where there are little characters living life with adventure, family, and friendship, here are some terrific picture books:

Cheese Louise and Missy Swiss by David Michael Slater; Shivers in the Fridge by Fran Manushkin; Food Fight by Carol Diggory Shields; and Snow Globe Family by Jane O’Connor.

I am quite curious about the movie adaptation being released based on The Borrowers.  I enjoy the creations of the director, especially Ponyo, and I hope it will honor the book’s main points.

Here’s promotion trailer for the movie The Secret World of Arrietty, adapted from The Borrowers by Mary Norton: – movie released on February 17th, 2012.

Here’s a few reviews of the wonderful book series The Borrowers:

Review

“The magic and charm of the writing convince children and grown-ups, too, that Borrowers really do exist.”–School Library Journal“A rare and delicious addition to children’s literature [that] deserves to take its place on the shelf of undying classics.”–Louisville Courier-Journal“Delectable fantasy.”–Booklist