The Diamond in the Window (1962)

Delightful story of how two children in trouble find a riddle and attempt to solve it, no matter what the cost. Throw in a somewhat addled but lovable uncle who quotes the Transcendentalists by the yard, a hard-working and sad aunt, some vanished relatives and you have an engaging yarn indeed.

I think I would have liked this much better had I read it as a kid. I enjoyed the historical setting and the wealth of quotes. There are lots of truly funny lines here. The characters are all quite likable, except for the villains of the piece. The dream sequences are otherworldly and perfectly "dreamy" and are perhaps stronger than the straightforward parts of the narrative. ( )

A young adult novel, probably the first I read that hit me as a novel, one I read to my own kids when they were young. But be sure you get the version with Langton’s own drawings in them—before the Homer Kelly series. ( )

When I was a child, this was my favorite book for the longest time.

This book blends mystery, fantasy, and interesting tidbits of (suprisingly) the transcedentalist thinkers, Thoreau and Emerson.

As a children's book - it is an easy read. As a story, it is both charming and entertaining. If you have a young girl or boy to buy a "reading" type present for - I recommend this book! ( )

"The Diamond in the Window" and its sequel, "The Swing in the Summerhouse," were among the most memorable books of my childhood. Jane Langton, who also wrote the Homer Kelly mysteries, weaves references to transcendentalism into just about all her writing. "The Diamond in the Window" sends siblings Eleanor and Eddie on a series of intriguing, dream-like adventures that take on an increasingly menacing tone as something clearly goes wrong. Compelling, exciting, different. ( )