Tom's Midnight Garden (1958)

This story is magical and lovely and written in that style of English children's stories that I absolutely love (think The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and probably a few others I can't think of right now. It might come across as a slightly naive view of childhood, but I actually think it's pretty accurate. I kind of wish it was a little more fleshed out (a la Secret Garden, which is one of my favourite books ever and I haven't read it in far to long) but that's a minor quibble. Fantastic. The language is rich and evocative and beautiful. Plus, my edition had some lovely illustrations. Cannot recommend enough. Some children may find it a little difficult, as the language is somewhat old-fashioned (only a little) and in some places quite difficult, but I think most would find this a wonderful reading experience! ( )

Ah, nostalgia. Fun with an interesting twist. Or I always thought so, as a child -- I don't know if it'll stand the test of time. I don't think I'll test it! ( )

When I think about this book, I get the same sort of feeling as Tom at the beginning of the story -- a little stifled, restless, too full of food. It's quite odd! Anyway, that somewhat colours my memories of this book, making it a bit less wondrous than perhaps it should be. It's a sweet story, ultimately, about mutual loneliness and need of companionship reaching right across time and bringing too lonely children together. It never gets too saccharine, though -- perhaps just slightly, at the end, but that's a nice touch for the very end.

Despite the male protagonist, it isn't only a boy's story -- his friend is a young girl, Hatty, who is equally capable of climbing trees and making a bow and arrows... Although, of course, she does have to be taught by Tom.

The thing that I found myself wondering, more than anything, reading it now, is why Abel can see Tom. There doesn't seem to be any answer in the story. ( )

Not actually a childrens' book at all. A meditation on youth, aging, change and memory.. ( )

I liked this book because it reminded me so much of one of my all-time favorite books I read as a child - Magic Elizabeth. An old house, a crotchety old woman, a child not wanting to be there, and something mystical happening. But I didn't find it half as magical as Magic Elizabeth. Maybe that's because I read it as an adult instead of as a child. This book won the Carnegie Medal, and I did enjoy it, I just felt like it was lacking that extra something special. ( )