Mary Norton provides, in The Borrowers, a charming explanation for the myriad of tidbits, like gloves, game pieces and safety pins, that seem to simply disappear in each of our homes. Her descriptions of the items used to furnish the Borrower's home and provide for their needs are delightfully imaginative. The narrative maintains a perfect tight rope balance between fantasy and reality, leaving the reader never quite sure whether the little people actually exisited or were all part of a young boy's imagination. There are small "blips" in family relationships that I could have done without, and you may wish to discuss the concept of "borrowing" in this book versus stealing, but overall The Borrowers is a well-written, long-time favorite, likely to charm readers for generations to come.

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